An exclusive event held for all Kuwaiti delegations on the sidelines of the WBG and IMF Annual Meetings 2023

Kuwait, 16 October 2023: Burgan Bank recently hosted a prestigious VIP dinner reception under the auspices of the Bank’s Chairman, Sheikh Abdullah Nasser Al-Sabah, at the Assoufid Golf Club Marrakech, for all the Kuwaiti delegations taking part in this year’s Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The reception sought to encourage the exchange of views, experiences, and ideas with monetary and financial policymakers from within Kuwait’s banking sector. With more than 50 high-profile guests, who were present in Marrakech for the event, the evening was marked with numerous fruitful conversations that hold the key to limitless market growth within the financial industry in Kuwait. 

“It was an honor to host this reception on behalf of Burgan Bank, as it allowed us to bring together key figures from within Kuwait’s banking industry, in a rare opportunity to connect and engage beyond the bounds of our traditional industry events. On the heels of the IMF meetings, this was a great opportunity for us to continue building on the important conversations that had been initiated during these meetings; connecting and building bridges with potential partners to usher in positive industry change,” commented Chairman Al-Sabah. “The full extent of what we can achieve as humans, financial institutions, or decision-makers cannot be measured by the value of our individual ideas, but the potential that sharing those ideas holds.”

Among the distinguished and honorable guests of the dinner reception were His Excellency Mr. Fahad Abdulaziz Al-Jarallah, Kuwait's Minister of Finance, His Excellency Mr. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, His Excellency Ambassador Abdullatif Al-Yahya, Kuwait’s Ambassador to Morocco, and Sheikh Ahmed Duaij Al-Sabah, Chairman of the Kuwait Banking Association (KBA), as well as all top executives and senior management representatives from all Kuwaiti banks taking part in this year’s international confab. The reception was also attended by Burgan’s delegation at the IMF Annual Meetings, including Mr. Faisal Mansour Sarkhou, Vice Chairman; Mr. Abdullah Mohammad Al-Sharekh and Mr. Mazen Issam Hawwa, Board Members; and Mr. Abdullah Abdulmajeed Marafie, Deputy General Manager of Investments and Treasury.

Throughout the dinner reception, which tastefully entwined traditional Kuwaiti hospitality and rich Moroccan culture, many guests were encouraged to expand on the primary topics of discussion that the Annual Meetings 2023 agenda focused on, such as macro challenges, digitization and fintech, climate and sustainability, combating inequality, and geoeconomics. It was also an excellent opportunity to encourage closer ties and connections between the key financial decision-makers and banking thought leaders in Kuwait.  

It serves to note that the Burgan dinner reception was a true reflection of the Bank’s active role in driving important and valuable conversations around the role of the banking and financial sector, and how its participants can grow around sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, promising growth and development for the institutions and their surrounding communities.