Strategy & Objectives

Since the establishment of Gulf International Bank in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1975, the objectives of GIB have evolved in harmony with the powers given to it by its shareholders.

The Bank's shareholders consist of The Public Investment Fund, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which owns 97.226 per cent, Kuwait Investment Authority, Kuwait (0.730%), Qatar Holding Company, Qatar (0.730%), Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, Kingdom of Bahrain (0.438%), Ministry of Finance, Sultanate of Oman (0.438%) and Ministry of Finance, United Arab of Emirates (0.438%).

In 2002, after conducting a thorough analysis of its operations in the context of the regional and global banking industry, GIB implemented improvements to its governance structure, organisational structure, business model and performance measurement framework, and started to put into effect its new strategy and objective: to become the GCC Merchant Bank of choice, with market leadership in a diversified portfolio of activities.

Since the implementation of its new strategy, GIB has focused primarily on the GCC states by offering GCC clients a range of specialised financial services. This has contributed to the diversification and enhancement of GIB’s income.

GIB’s strategy enables it to fulfill its objective of achieving enhanced returns to its shareholders and, at the same time, to maintain favourable recognition from clients, supervisory authorities and international credit rating agencies.

In remaining steadfast in its goal to become the GCC Merchant Bank of choice, GIB aims to further identify and develop opportunities in the GCC region and the wider Middle East, and to offer new and more sophisticated services as opportunities arise.

GIB is committed to supporting the economic development and growth of the GCC region. The pioneering character and excellent track record of GIB in a variety of areas are testimony to this determination.