BBK, Bahrain’s pioneer in retail and commercial banking received the Golden Award and the Certificate of Merit in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility from the Arab Organization for Corporate Responsibility and the Excellence Awards Academy, within the Islamic and Retail Banks category. The award ceremony was held in Dubai – UAE on April 8th, 2015 and the prestigious award was received by Rafa Kaddoura, Head of Corporate Communication – BBK on behalf of the Bank.
Stemming from its belief in the responsibility towards the community and its active role in the society, BBK has a high level donation policy that governs the Bank’s support towards various non-profit organizations in the fields of education, health, environment and philanthropy. It recognises and constantly reinforces the indivisible link with the communities in which it operates.
The role of the Bank is not only limited to offering innovative products and services to customers, but also in contributing to the economic development and prosperity of the Kingdom of Bahrain. BBK has been actively supporting the government in all its endeavours and helping contribute towards achieving its 2030 goals, promoting the Kingdom of Bahrain as a business friendly destination for investors.
BBK consistently strives to exceed the regulatory requirements in respect of corporate governance, adopting sound policies and practices and applying the highest standards of business ethics and transparency, including Basel 3 Capital Adequacy requirements. BBK has also been designated as a Domestic Systemically Important Bank (D-SIB), reflecting the Bank’s importance to the national economy. Aside from many industry related awards, BBK is ISO 27001 & ISO 22301 certified for its Information Security Management System (ISMS) and Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). This undoubtedly, has an important role in strengthening trust among customers and investors and in itself contributes to strengthening Bahrain’s economy, quite apart from the impact of discharging social responsibility obligations.
Amongst the CSR initiatives, BBK is committed to enhance the career development of its Bahraini employees and to empower them with greater responsibilities ensuring sustainability and the betterment of the society. The Bank is proud to have 90 per cent Bahrainisation and with on-going training initiatives, scope for professional development coupled with attractive incentives, BBK upholds a status as an employer of choice for Bahraini nationals.
BBK has an impressive track record of contributions towards major projects. In the field of education, the Bank is a proud Platinum sponsor of the Crown Prince International Scholarship Program, and a major sponsor of the Isa Bin Salman Education Charitable Trust. In healthcare, the most significant flagship initiative is the BBK Health Centre in Hidd, a state of the art health center, for which the Bank underwrote all the costs from construction, furniture to medical equipment. The Pedestrian Bridge on Al Fateh Highway and the BBK Rehabilitation center are other projects that reveals BBK’s commitment towards the well-being of the community, to name a few. In terms of culture and heritage, BBK also plays an active role in preserving the country’s historical and cultural landmarks through various support such as the one towards Sh. Ebrahim Centre for Culture and Research. Within its responsible corporate citizenship, BBK assists and cares for different categories of the society, amongst which people with special needs to whom the Bank provides not only support but also accessibility to BBK products and services, giving them freedom and ability to play an active role in the society.
This prestigious award comes as a recognition for the efforts organizations are investing in the corporate social responsibility. It is an appreciation from the international and local societies for the commitment of these organizations towards the understanding of sustainability and the implementation of the initiatives related to CSR. With this award BBK will not sit on its laurels but will still put the same priority on corporate social responsibility as it has done throughout its history. It will continue to strive to increase its contributions and further expand its support to ensure the economic, social and educational development of the Kingdom of Bahrain, from financing infrastructure projects, to offering innovative banking solutions to giving back to society, in the most ethical and transparent manner.