Kuwait, 17 January 2021: On Thursday evening, Gulf Bank held its annual draw to announce its newest millionaire and the lucky winner of the AlDanah account’s grand draw prize of 1.5 Million Kuwaiti Dinars for the year 2020. This year, the grand prize went to Mr. Talal Fahad Salem Al Ajmi.

The winner was announced as part of a virtual draw event that aired on AlRai TV, in addition to the radio station Kuwait Pulse FM 88.8 and the Bank’s various social media channels. The draw was held live in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and from Ernst & Young.

Two Millionaires in 2021!

The draw event started with a short speech from Gulf Bank’s General Manager of Consumer Banking, Mohammed Al-Qattan, who touched on the Bank’s most recent achievements, saying: “We have grown accustomed to celebrating Gulf Bank’s grand annual AlDanah account draw with our esteemed customers, but this year marks a celebration that is bigger than ever! For the very first time, we will be announcing a millionaire who will be taking home a KD 1.5 Million prize, the largest prize associated with a bank worldwide. We are also very excited to celebrate Gulf Bank’s 60th anniversary by announcing AlDanah is bigger than ever, with increased draw prizes. Moving forward, we are excited to be announcing two new millionaires per year with the AlDanah account, and will be giving away a grand prize of KD 1.5 Million to one winner, and a semiannual prize of KD 1 Million to the other, in addition to the monthly and quarterly AlDanah prizes. We’re wishing everyone the best of luck!"

The Bank has updated its draw prizes with a remarkable increase in the semiannual draw prize, now 1 Million Kuwaiti Dinars, making it the second largest prize following the annual grand draw prize of 1.5 Million Kuwaiti Dinars. The new draw prize scheme makes Gulf Bank’s AlDanah account one of the most rewarding savings accounts of the year, granting two people the opportunities of a lifetime: to become millionaires in 2021!

As of January, Gulf Bank’s Al Danah draws will take place according to the following schedule:

Gulf Bank Celebrates 60 Years Of Being By Your Side

In celebration of Gulf Bank’s 60th anniversary, the Bank aired a short video depicting its journey over the past six decades, in appreciation of the dedicated customers who have placed their trust in the Bank, and who the Bank has served in return. Gulf Bank’s Assistant General Manager of Marketing, Najla Al-Essa, said: “Over the past sixty years, we have been honored to have been a part of your lives and experiences, and to have you share in our journey and our successes. Throughout the years, we have proudly rewarded you in multiple ways for your loyalty and dedication. Among these many opportunities for rewards are the AlDanah draws, which we have held over the past few years, and which we will continue to hold during the years to come. In the meantime, we promise to continue providing the highest levels of customer service, and look forward to serving our clients for the next sixty years and more.”

A Culture Of Human Capital

While recalling the various stages that Gulf Bank and its customers have undergone throughout the past six decades, no role is more apparent than that of Gulf Bank’s employees, who have demonstrated their loyalty and dedication to customer service on a daily basis. Their commitment and dedication were especially evident as the Bank navigated the challenges of the past few months in light of health restrictions and the national quarantine and curfews.

During the draw event, Gulf Bank’s General Manager of Human Resources, Salma Al-Hajjaj, said: “The human element is one the most important resources that forms the basis for progress, development and growth at any institution. At Gulf Bank, we would not be where we are today had it not been for the continuous efforts of the wonderful people we work with. Over the past 60 years, Gulf Bank has invested in human resources. To give an example, Gulf Bank’s AJYAL program has successfully graduated six cohorts, cultivating generations of young men and women who are proudly shaping the future of Gulf Bank’s leadership. We are also proud to shine a light on the many women that have contributed to the development and growth of the Bank. Gulf Bank’s female employees have not only proven their competence, but have also made great strides in contributing to, and building, a promising future. In so much as they form the basis of our society, women are also an integral part of the workplace. Since today also happens to be Rewards Day, we have decided to reward women all over with an exciting new product, which will be available across all of Gulf Bank’s branches this week — stay tuned for more details which we will be announcing soon!”

AlDanah Enriches Lives

During the event, Gulf Bank debuted a song by popular singers, Khaled Al Mulla and Marwa Ben Sghaier, who touched on the many life-altering possibilities that come with winning the AlDanah account’s grand prize. The artists painted an exciting picture of all the possibilities that can come with winning an AlDanah prize, and the ways in which winning can change someone’s life. The song alludes to the sheer size and magnitude of the AlDanah prizes and the many ways in which winners can spend the draw prizes and enhance their lives forever.

Interviews With The Audience

During the segment, the Gulf Bank team was also shown taking a quick tour of the local Souq Al-Mubarakiya, conducting short interviews with passersby to ask them an interesting question: “What would you do if you won the Gulf Bank AlDanah account’s grand prize of 1,500,000 Kuwaiti Dinars?” The visitors’ answers varied — some were shocked and amazed at the prize amount, while others desired to build a house and a seaside chalet. Still others brought up the possibility of investing the cash prizes, while another market visitor expressed that he would donate the money to a charitable cause.

Social Media Followers Win 60 Prizes

In addition to an exclusive virtual draw event and as part of a roster of activities planned by Gulf Bank, the Bank continued to engage with its social media followers throughout the week. In celebration of Gulf Bank’s 60th anniversary, the Bank posed questions on the topic of the Al Danah savings account all week, awarding 60 winners with Prepaid Cards containing KD 60 each, to be spent on whatever the winners desire.

Recommendations For Draw Winners

Gulf Bank also provided financial advice from the Deputy General Manager of the Economic Research Unit at Gulf Bank, Tareq Al-Saleh, who said: “The AlDanah account offers everyone the chance to make their dreams come true. My advice to tonight’s winner is to take advantage of this opportunity to secure a better future, and to be mindful of making smart decisions to avoid financial loss. At Gulf Bank, we provide investment advice that suits every client’s needs, with the opportunity to invest in both the local and global markets. Whether you are today’s lucky winner or not, we encourage everyone to make sure they are saving regularly. A great place to start is by setting up an allocated amount to be automatically transferred monthly to your AlDanah savings account — in that way, you are not only saving, but you are also increasing your chances of winning the AlDanah account’s KD 1.5 Million or KD 1 Million prizes and more!” As one of Gulf Bank’s most long-standing and established savings accounts, the AlDanah account is designed to encourage a culture of saving in Kuwait, and to reward savers for committing to saving on a regular basis.

A One-of-a-Kind Virtual Live Draw Event

Following the announcement of the AlDanah Millionaire, Gulf Bank’s Assistant General Manager of Corporate Communications at Gulf Bank, Ahmad Al Amir, said: “Today we enjoyed a beautiful evening brimming with multiple segments that reflect Gulf Bank's foundational priorities. These segments highlighted the Bank’s enduring relationships with its clients over the past sixty years, including the ways in which we support our youth, our emphasis on female empowerment and women working in the banking sector, and Gulf Bank’s ongoing efforts to provide the best investment advice and state-of-the art financial services to our clients. Although this year’s annual AlDanah draw event was held virtually in the interest of everyone’s safety and in compliance with national health requirements, it is nevertheless the largest celebration in Gulf Bank’s history, with the winner claiming a prize of 1.5 Million Kuwaiti Dinars! We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Talal Al Ajmi for being the first lucky winner to receive the largest draw prize offered by Gulf Bank to date. We wish our other customers the best of the luck in the upcoming semiannual draw, in which the winner will take home a prize of 1 Million Kuwaiti Dinars. With that in mind, we would like to remind everyone that the last date to participate in the semi-annual draw for the chance to become a millionaire is March 31 and we are hopeful that we will be able to celebrate our next millionaire with a live celebration!”

AlDanah’s Exclusive Loyalty Program Increases Your Chances of Winning

As part of Gulf Bank's commitment to reward customers for their loyalty, the AlDanah account provides account holders with loyalty chances. Loyalty chances are the total chances gained in the previous year, which are then transferred to the current year to reward customers for their loyalty to the Bank. Accordingly, all chances gained by existing AlDanah customers in 2020 have been transferred to the 2021 draws, and this will be repeated in 2022 onwards. Terms and conditions apply.

Gulf Bank encourages AlDanah account holders to increase their chances of winning by increasing the amounts deposited into their accounts. With Gulf Bank, depositing into an AlDanah account is now easier than ever, as clients can deposit into their accounts using the ePay service, available through the Bank's Online/Mobile Banking services.

The AlDanah account provides a multitude of valuable services to its customers, including access to an exclusive AlDanah ATM card, ideal for depositing money into their accounts at any time. Account holders can now also calculate their chances of winning the monthly, quarterly and annual draws using the AlDanah Calculator, available on Gulf Bank’s Online and Mobile Banking App.

Will you be the Next Millionaire? Deposit before March 31!

Gulf Bank’s AlDanah account is open to both Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti residents of Kuwait. A minimum of KD 200 is required to open an account and the same amount must be maintained for customers to be eligible for the upcoming AlDanah draws. If the customer’s account balance falls below KD 200 at any given time, a KD 2 fee will be charged to the account monthly until the minimum balance is met. To participate in this year’s upcoming monthly, quarterly and annual AlDanah draws, customers must maintain the required balance.

To deposit into an AlDanah account, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s branches, or transfer directly through Gulf Bank’s Online/Mobile Banking services. Customers can also direct their queries via WhatsApp on 1805805 for round-the-clock assistance from Gulf Bank representatives, or call the Customer Contact Center on the same number. In addition, customers can visit the dedicated AlDanah account website to learn more about the account and its winners.