World of HR: National Bank of Kuwait announces DEI council

The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) last month established a DEI Council in an effort to build a fairer workplace as the region adopts more DEI practices, GCC News reported.

Where in the world? The announcement came more than a year after NBK pledged a commitment to DEI values and is the next step in the company’s journey toward inclusion as it grows internationally, according to the Kuwait Times.

The council has 11 members from across the NBK market, including Singapore, London, and Bahrain, to help ensure identity and expertise diversity as the group establishes more DEI policies. The group will develop strategies for training, cultural awareness campaigns, and “specialized working committees.”

NBK claims it has already made significant progress toward diversity and inclusion. Women account for 42.5% of its workforce and more than one-quarter of its management team, thanks, in part, to the NBK Rise program.

“The establishment of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council comes within the framework of our strategy aimed at promoting a work environment based on justice and equal opportunities, to serve as a compass that guides our policies and decisions related to employment, development and recognition,” Najla Al-Sager, head of talent management and learning at NBK, stated in the company’s press release.

Satellite view. Companies in Middle Eastern countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have increasingly adopted DEI policies in recent years. In 2025 Qatar held its first job fair for disabled people, and in 2024 the Gulf Cooperation Council began tracking gender representation at companies across the Middle East.

Some reporting indicates that the marketing industry in the Middle East has made strides in gender representation, but still lacks gender inclusion and equal representation, according to Campaign Middle East.

“There is a noticeable shift happening across the region,” Anita Baker, managing director of Lush Middle East told Campaign Middle East. “DEI might not dominate headlines just yet, but it’s increasingly being woven into public policy, workplace culture, and how customers relate to brands.”