Kuwait - 15 November 2011: Gulf Bank announced that it has been honored at the 8th International Business Awards (IBA) during a gala dinner event held at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Surour Alsamerai, General Manager, Human Resources, received recognition in the category for HR Executive of the Year. On behalf of Mr. Alsamerai and Gulf Bank, Nada Razzouqi ? Manager in Gulf Bank's Human Resources department accepted this award.

Mr. Alsamerai said: "I am delighted to receive this recognition, which is a testament to the hard work and contributions of the entire HR team at Gulf Bank. We have only been able to deliver all we have, consistently over the years, through the support of the Bank and its management team, which continues to believe in and promote world-class HR practices.

I am excited about the role HR will continue to play at Gulf Bank in the future, where investment in the professional development of employees remains important, helping to give them the opportunity to build their careers and contribute to our country's economic advancement "

Congratulating Mr. Alsamerai on his award, Michel Accad, CEO and CGM at Gulf Bank, said: 'Surour has been a terrific partner and has led a complete culture change at Gulf Bank. Through his leadership, the HR team continues to implement world-class solutions, helping to make Gulf Bank a highly desirable place to work and build a career in banking. The HR team have received a number of highly significant recognition awards including the GCC Employer of the Year award in 2010. Gulf Bank also recently won the GCC Localization Award from the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs for the 7th consecutive year.'

In 2011, Gulf Bank won numerous prestigious awards including: 'Thought Leadership Excellence' Award at the MENA CIO's Summit 2011, the 'International Excellence in Retail Financial Services' award from The Asian Banker, the 'Best Retail Customer Service', the 'Best Phone Banking Service', the 'Best Corporate Governance' and 'Best Employee Training' awards from the Banker Middle East, the 'Quality Recognition Award' from Citibank, Deutsche Bank's Award for International Payment Performance and the 'GCC Localization Award' from the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs for the 7th consecutive year.