Kuwait-2 April, 2012: Gulf Bank recently participated in Earth Hour, a global initiative to raise awareness of climate change. On Saturday March 31st at 8.30pm, the Bank not only switched off all unnecessary lights, lowered A/C units and turned off all non-essential electrical devices at the Head Office, but went a step further this year by also eliminating unnecessary usage of lighting in the Al-Saleh building and all 56 branches across Kuwait. Fawzy Al-Thunayan, General Manager, Board Affairs at Gulf Bank said: "Gulf Bank is a strong supporter of the Earth Hour initiative. It is an important reminder to us all that seemingly minor actions, such as switching off a light switch can have a significant impact and benefit our environment. The Bank has a policy to use energy considerately, and over the past three years we have consistently encouraged our staff to turn off any unused systems and lights to save electricity, whilst ensuring that the safety and integrity of our operations and security systems remain unaffected. By supporting global Earth Hour, we are not only committing to this initiative, but we are committed to an ongoing lifestyle that we follow at the Bank and we encourage the community to do the same in their daily lives". In addition to Earth Hour, Gulf Bank also supports a number of other environmental causes, the most recent was the Green Caravan Film Festival. The Green Caravan is the first film festival of its kind in Kuwait and one of a small handful of film festivals worldwide dedicated solely to shed light on important environmental issues. Gulf Bank strongly believes in the importance of environmental initiatives that have a direct impact on the community. The Bank encourages organizations and individuals to take part in these eco-friendly causes, helping to increase the level of awareness amongst society.