BBK achieves an upgrade in its MSCI rating to A and makes significant progress in the LSEG Sustainability Index

Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, the leader in retail and institutional banking in the Kingdom of Bahrain, announced a new achievement that reflects the continuous progress it is making in the areas of sustainability, governance and social responsibility.

In this context, the bank received an important upgrade in the MSCI global classification for the year 2025, reaching level “A” within the environmental, social and corporate governance standards, which confirms its continuous efforts to enhance its practices and their compliance with the best international standards.

The bank’s rating in the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) index also witnessed a remarkable jump from 48/100 to 77/100, which reflects the significant progress it is making in its performance in the areas of sustainability, the growing international appreciation for its efforts and its firm commitment to continuous development and alignment with best environmental, social and corporate governance practices.

This progress recorded by the bank is a qualitative step that demonstrates the success of its strategy in integrating the principles of sustainability into its various operations, whether at the level of governance or social responsibility. The upgrade in these two global indicators consolidates the bank’s position locally, regionally, and internationally at the forefront of financial and banking institutions committed to environmental, social, and governance standards, and gives additional credibility to its path before investors and partners, and confirms its ability to keep pace with the requirements of global financial markets, which are now giving “ESG” standards increasing attention and weight. In evaluating the performance of institutions.

This achievement also reflects the bank’s excellence in enhancing governance frameworks and compliance with the highest standards of transparency, and its dedication to adopting the best international practices for disclosure through the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait’s sustainability report for the period 2022-2024, which highlights the bank’s efforts in various environmental, social, and corporate governance practices, and which recently won the award for “Best Developed Report on Environmental, Social, and Governance Sustainability in the Middle East.”

On this occasion, Yasser Al-Sharifi, Group CEO of the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, confirmed that this achievement represents a direct reflection of the efforts made by the bank in developing its environmental, social and governance practices and applying the latest sustainability standards, noting that the rise in the “MSCI” and “LSEG” classifications confirms the bank’s keenness to establish a stimulating work environment that supports sustainable growth and achieves long-term value for all parties concerned, in addition to integrating environmental, social and governance standards into the core of the bank’s strategy and corporate vision.

He added: “We are proud to have achieved this great progress, which gives us a strong impetus to move forward towards achieving our vision for the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait to be a leading global financial institution in adopting the principles of sustainable development. We will continue to invest in environmental, social and governance practices and enhance transparency in disclosure so that we can face future challenges with confidence and flexibility, and in line with the Kingdom’s strategic directions in supporting sustainable development and enhancing its position as a leading regional financial centre.”

For his part, Mohammed Al-Aali, Head of Strategy and Sustainability at the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, said: “This progress in the global rankings represents the result of the strategic efforts made by the bank to establish a culture of sustainability in its institutional system, and to integrate it with its operational processes and banking services. We have been keen to build a sustainability model that balances economic growth with environmental and social responsibility, in a way that consolidates investor confidence and enhances the bank’s position in regional and international markets, as well as moving up in the MSCI and LSEG classifications.” It constitutes clear evidence of the efficiency of our approach and the continuity of our development towards achieving the sustainable development goals and Bahrain Vision 2030.”