Kuwait – 6 February 2017: Recognition of Gulf Bank's digital innovation continues with two awards from World Finance Magazine an international bi-monthly print and online magazine providing comprehensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business and the global economy. Gulf Bank has won "Best Digital Bank 2016 - Kuwait" award and "Best Mobile Banking Application 2016 - Kuwait" awards.

Ms. Laila Al-Qatami, Assistant General Manager of Corporate Communications at Gulf Bank said: "The awards we received from World Finance further affirm the success of Gulf Bank's strategy to provide its valued customers with innovative and easy to use products. We are proud to be the first bank in the Middle East to deploy a first of its kind biometric facial recognition mobile banking application, one that our customers have embraced due its simplicity and functionality. At the same time we also revamped our online banking platform, offering enhanced functionality and streamlined design based our customers' needs."

Ms. Al-Qatami continued: "When we designed our mobile banking app, we paid great attention to simplicity and efficiency of movement, ensuring the customer is never more than 3 clicks away from their desired transaction. These innovations underline the Bank's strategy for moving its customer base over to digital while appealing to the nation's rapidly growing youth market segment."

World Finance Awards includes a judging panel that boasts over 230 years of financial and business journalism, supported by a research team that works round the clock to ensure that award winners are the most deserving in their sector. World Finance also relies on reader insight and experience to provide nominations to the judging panel, and they relish hearing about new experts and burgeoning markets.

World Finance award programmes are tailored to provide a comprehensive analysis of the very best in each market. Its panel has been wary to avoid the danger of bias towards criteria such as depth of practice and size of company, in order to get an insight into different geographies and niche areas.

Following the submission of Gulf Bank to World Finance awards, the magazine's panel undertook the necessary research and analysis before they call the Bank and enquire about their digital products. The Bank received the awards based on a stringent set of criteria.

Gulf Bank's biometric Mobile Banking App is the first combination fingerprint / facial recognition offering to be launched in the Middle East and one of the few available worldwide. The Bank's customers can access their personal accounts and any number of services by logging into the App through one of two methods: by blinking their eyes at their smartphone camera ('Blinking to Bank') following their fingerprint recognition (Touch ID), or through the use of a traditional password registration.

The services included in the Mobile Banking App and Online Banking are: checking account details; making ad-hoc transfers; biometric verification for transfers; automatic IBAN data population; creating a standing order; setting future-dated transactions; and adding and managing beneficiaries. Transferring funds is also simplified since the application will populate the remaining IBAN Beneficiary Bank details automatically. Customers can also use the App to securely share information including IBAN number and account holder name sharing, IBAN certificate sharing and printing, transaction confirmation sharing, and statement sharing; and much more.

Additionally, Gulf Bank's credit card customers can check their Gulf Rewards point balances, as well as instantly redeem their Gulf Points for free travel and hotel stays. They can also pay their credit card bills; receive cash advances from credit cards; apply for new ATM and debit cards; activate new credit cards; as well as report and block stolen or lost cards (debit and credit). Furthermore, the new App allows customers to review their Al Danah chances, view and share their Al Danah certificate, or even open an Al Danah account.

To find out more about Gulf Bank's latest, innovative and easy to use Online and Mobile Banking services, customers can visit the bank's bilingual website at www.e-gulfbank.com, call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805, visit its social media accounts, or visit one of Gulf Bank's 56 branches in Kuwait.