NBK wins award of GCC Excellence for Energy Efficiency in Buildings in 2025

07/11/2025 02:50 AST

In a new achievement that confirms its leadership in adopting the highest sustainability standards, National Bank of Kuwait building won the award of Best Financial Building as part of the GCC Excellence Awards for Energy Efficiency in Buildings for the year 2025, during the Gulf Forum for Electricity and Water Conservation held in Kuwait on November 5 and 6 under the patronage of the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, and in cooperation with the Rationalization and Subscribers Services Committee of the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

The award was received by Ezzat Hallal, Chief Engineer - Group Engineering Management at National Bank of Kuwait, and the event witnessed a wide participation from GCC officials and experts who discussed numerous modern consumption rationalization strategies and techniques. The Forum witnessed broad participation from officials and experts from the GCC countries, where strategies and modern technologies for rationalizing consumption were discussed. The Gulf Excellence Award for Energy Efficiency in Buildings is one of the main categories that aims to honor innovation and leadership in the design and operation of highly efficient buildings, reflecting the growing interest in rationalizing consumption as a key pillar of water and electricity security in the region.

This achievement demonstrates the exceptional efforts made by the bank to promote sustainability through a building that not only stands as an architectural icon but also represents a comprehensive model in applying the highest standards of energy efficiency and green design, setting a new standard for operational excellence and environmental responsibility in the Gulf financial sector.

Moreover, the award reflects NBK's unwavering commitment to responsibly supporting the global trend of achieving a low-carbon economy, with a focus on assessing the direct and indirect environmental impact, especially amid the continued emergence of climate-change related risks.

This award also confirms NBK's efforts in implementing the four pillars of its Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance strategy (ESG) that contributes to achieving its ambitious environmental goals and is embodied in its headquarters.

A sustainability icon
NBK's headquarters represents more than just a financial center; it is an architectural landmark that is rooted in heritage and carries a future vision. It was designed to embody the bank's values and its ambitious vision for a sustainable future. Since its completion in 2020, it has become a prominent landmark on the Kuwait City skyline, drawing inspiration from the country's rich maritime and cultural heritage, while showcasing engineering innovation and architectural excellence.

The comprehensive design of the 300-meter-high and 63-storey tower combines innovative architectural and engineering solutions made for achieving maximum convenience and sustainability. The tower also demonstrates exceptional energy efficiency, consuming 42 percent less than global standards, which contributes to reducing emissions by 27 percent and saving large quantities of natural gas and oil annually.

The tower's passive design feature, one of its prominent architectural and engineering solutions, contributes to operational efficiency. With its cylindrical shape and concrete fins along its facade, the design helps shield from direct solar heat and consequently reduce the load and need of artificial cooling. Additionally, the design utilizes high-performance, four-layer insulating glass facades with emission reduction technologies to achieve an optimal balance between natural lighting and heat protection. These elements are integrated with smart energy management systems that efficiently combine structural and mechanical systems, as well as using recycling technologies such as recycled building materials and advanced water recycling technologies, further reducing waste and improving indoor air quality.

Global accreditations: Confirmed leadership
Winning the Gulf Excellence Award is the latest in a series of global achievements and accreditations the NBK building has won. It received the LEED 2009 Gold certification for new buildings from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2022, becoming the first building in Kuwait to achieve this rating. "LEED" is a system for rating green buildings and assessing the sustainability of buildings through 7 criteria including: sustainability location, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, design innovation and regional priorities.

It should be noted that environmental awareness is one of the bank's top priorities, in addition to its commitment to environmental responsibility through measuring and evaluating the environmental impacts of its business and managing its operations through rationalizing water and energy consumption, recycling materials and focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The figures issued in NBK's 2024 Sustainability Report confirm this commitment, as the bank succeeded in achieving tangible results in terms of rationalizing consumption and reducing the carbon footprint. The bank was able to reduce its electricity consumption by about 389,914 kWh, and it recorded a decrease in water consumption of 20.85 percent during the same year, which supports water conservation efforts in Kuwait. NBK continues to implement various initiatives as part of its efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, in line with global trends and Kuwait Vision 2035.

NBK's headquarters has become a landmark on the skyline of Kuwait City that embodies the bank's commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility, setting a model to be emulated in the financial sector.

Kuwait Times