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Sustainability

Bringing you and our
planet closer to make
sure our actions today build
a better tomorrow.

Sustainability Framework

The National Bank of Bahrain’s sustainability framework comprises of different pillars that guide everything from how we train our staff and support our community to how we look after the environment and make sure we’re doing business in a fair and safe way.

Click here for Sustainable Finance Framework
Click here for Human Rights Policy

Economic Growth

Leveraging strengths for the economy’s foundation.

Objectives

Capture net impact on society and Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2023.

Attain advantage as the preferred impact maximising banking partner.

Drive growth through increased financing in high-impact sectors

Achieve solid financial performance consistently over the years.

Customer Centricity

Fostering relationships with digital transformation.

Objectives

Offer the best sustainability-oriented products and services.

Emphasise sustainability in customer messaging.

Uphold transparency and fairness in all customer relations

Ensure availability of communications and services on digital platforms.

Safeguard customer data and privacy.

Responsible Banking

Discipline through a responsible operations.

Objectives

Enhance ESG criteria in lending and investment activities.

Offer sustainability-oriented products and services towards our stakeholders.

Promote financial literacy and responsible lending.

Expand SME clientele in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.

Nurturing Workforce

Development of knowledge, skills, and mindset.

Objectives

Integrate sustainability-related values into policies, procedures, and training.

Empower Bahraini and female team members in the bank.

Abide by principles of fair treatment and equality of all.

Link rewards and promotions to sustainability performance.

Contribute to the well-being of employees and team members.

Community Investment

Giving back to the community through contributions.

Objectives

Effectively enhance community investments using our full resources.

Preserving Natural Resources

Consideration of the environmental footprint.

Objectives

Significantly improve environmental performance, including climate change.

Minimise our direct impact on the local and global environment.

Governance & Ethical Behaviour

Adherence to ethical corporate principles.

Objectives

Achieve leading practice in good governance and integrity.

Embed sustainability directly into our core, reinforced by governance.

Sustainability Roadmap

We’ve got a plan that covers everything from growing the economy and being a responsible bank to looking after our staff and helping out in the community.

In 1980, we established the Donations and Contributions Fund, allocating 5% of our annual net income for charitable purposes – a tradition proudly upheld to this day.

We strive to lead on sustainability within Bahrain and the regional banking sector. Phase one of our three-year sustainability roadmap concluded in 2023, successfully achieving the strategic objectives revolved around capacity building, assignment of responsibilities, alignment with international best practices, and integration of key ESG considerations.

We are now embarking on the second phase, with another three-year roadmap that encompasses building on existing initiatives and focusing on a number of strategic objectives with the vision of becoming the national partner of choice for various stakeholders in the upcoming sustainability journey.

Sustainability Rankings

We’ve got a plan that covers everything from growing the economy and being a responsible bank to looking after our staff and helping out in the community.

A key player in Bahrain’s economic development, providing seamless financial services to individuals and businesses, fostering growth, and contributing to the national economy.

Bloomberg
We have been recently been ranked highly by Bloomberg. Bloomberg’s proprietary ESG scoring methodology evaluates companies globally, including the Middle East, using a bottom-up, model-driven approach. The system assesses Environmental, Social, and Governance performance across multiple industries, utilising publicly available and self-reported data.

Bloomberg also contributes ESG disclosure scores for 17 markets, including those in the Middle East and Africa region. Bloomberg rated the National Bank of Bahrain 1st amongst the banking services sector in Bahrain, 2nd across all sectors in Bahrain, and 4th amongst the banking services sector in MENA.

Revinitiv
We have been scored and ranked by Refinitiv ESG Company Scores, indicating good relative ESG performance and a high degree of transparency in reporting material ESG data publicly. The Refinitiv ESG score measures a company’s ESG performance based on verifiable reported data in the public domain, capturing over 450 company-level ESG measures.

Of these, 186 of the most comparable and material per industry power the overall company assessment and scoring process. In 2024, the National Bank of Bahrain proudly ranked 1st across all sectors in the MENA region, 1st in the banking sector in Bahrain and the MENA region.

Sustainability Awards & Recognition

Here’s where we celebrate the accolades that highlight our sustainable excellence. Each award underscores our commitment to set sustainability benchmarks in the industry.

Middle East’s Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility

Euromoney Middle East Awards for Excellence

Best Bank for ESG in Bahrain

Euromoney Middle East Awards for Excellence

Best Bank for CSR in Bahrain

Euromoney Middle East Awards for Excellence

Best ESG Integration in Bahrain

Arab Federation of Capital Markets Awards

1st in Bahrain, 2nd in the Arab World

Refinitive ESG Scoring for Banking Services Companies

Sustainability Alignment

As part of our commitment to contributing to national and international sustainability goals, we actively integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our business model.

Alignment with global sustainability standards.

Global

We integrate SDG, GRI and SASB standards into our business model.

Supporting many standards, notably focusing on decent work and economic growth.

Sustainability and fairness drive our commitment to global goals.

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Alignment with national sustainability standards.

National

#TeamBahrain, aligning with the Central Bank of Bahrain and Bahrain Bourse under Bahrain Vision 2030.

Community focused through initiatives, contributions and employee volunteering.

Regular donation of 5% of net profits to local communities.

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Stakeholders

We’ve got a plan that covers everything from growing the economy and being a responsible
bank to looking after our staff and helping out in the community. To create sustainable long-term value for all stakeholders and our business, we regularly engage with each stakeholder group to understand their needs and issues they consider material.

Stakeholder	Relationship
Employees	Our employees are vital to our business, playing a crucial role in its operations and growth.
Customers	Customers depend on us for essential wealth and business services.
Investors	Our growth relies on attracting investors who depend on us to maximise their returns.
Suppliers	We boost the national economy by prioritising local suppliers and promoting their transition to sustainability.
Regulators	We depend on government and regulators to provide the governance and oversight.
Community	We look beyond our own operations to create value for the whole of society, including families and the most vulnerable groups.

Policy Statements

Our values are really important to us. They guide everything from how we train our staff and support our community to how we look after the environment.

Employee Training & Development

We recognise the importance of having a skilled workforce to achieve our strategic and operational goals. We are committed to providing an environment that promotes effective performance and fosters continuous training and development opportunities for all employees.

Our primary goal is to ensure that our workforce possesses the necessary competencies to meet our high standards of performance and quality. Line Managers are tasked with identifying and proposing learning objectives and development plans for their team members. This includes facilitating training courses and external learning opportunities to enhance their skills and competencies.

Policy Statements ↓

Equal Opportunity

We uphold equality and fairness in our recruitment policy. We ensure that the criteria for our selection process are unbiased and do not discriminate based on gender, age, disability, marital status, or any other factors outside the scope of our business and operational needs or legal requirements.

We fully support the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities, as required by law. We are committed to not discriminating against any individual who is capable of competently performing their job responsibilities.

Policy Statements ↓

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are fundamental pillars of our Human Resources and Talent Management Policy. We embrace and celebrate differences in gender, age, religion, disabilities, personality, ethnicity, skill set, experience, knowledge base, and background.

Through our Donations and Contributions policy, we support initiatives that enhance societal acceptance of diversity, fostering an inclusive environment within our community and workplace.

Policy Statements ↓

Community Initiatives & Promotion of Social & Economic Development

Our dedication to social responsibility is exemplified by our established Donations Policy, which encompasses education, healthcare, and social welfare.

We are steadfast in our commitment to allocate 5% of our annual net profits to support a variety of programs and initiatives within our seven Donations and Contributions pillars. This ongoing commitment underscores our role in fostering social and economic development in the communities we serve.

Policy Statements ↓

Nationalisation

Aligned with Bahrain’s Vision 2030, the National Bank of Bahrain prioritises employment opportunities for Valid Residency Permit candidates. Our recruitment efforts focus on providing suitable positions to local talent, ensuring that our business and operational needs are met while contributing to the reduction of the country’s unemployment rate.

Policy Statements ↓

Group Health & Safety Policy Disclosure

We are dedicated to the health, safety, and wellbeing of our employees, customers, visitors, contractors, and tenants. We aim to provide a safe and secure working environment by integrating health and safety practices into our daily operations and ensuring alignment with the Group’s Code of Conduct.

Our Group Health & Safety policy is implemented in accordance with local laws and regulations, and it recognises international best practices and guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This policy sets the standards for controlling health and safety risks within acceptable limits across our workplace. We have also established a Health & Safety framework that addresses risk assessments and mitigation strategies to prevent accidents and protect our staff and assets.

Policy Statements ↓

Group Treasury & Investment Policy Disclosure

We recognise the pivotal role that treasury and capital markets play in today’s financial system. We understand the necessity of regulatory compliance and robust risk controls that must accompany these activities. The Treasury and Capital Markets Policy outlines our integrated approach to enterprise-wide trading, investment, compliance, and risk management, which the Group Treasury and Capital Markets Unit must adhere to.

This policy also emphasises essential aspects of corporate governance, corporate behaviour, and ESG-compliant investment considerations. The National Bank of Bahrain is committed to serving its community, clientele, and shareholders by ensuring that all activities conducted by the Treasury and Capital Markets Unit follow best market practices.

Policy Statements ↓

Environmental Policy Disclosure

As a leading financial institution, we are committed to managing its environmental impact, risks, and opportunities to protect the environment in which we operate. To ensure this commitment, we are implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) in accordance with the ISO14001:2015 International Standard.

Our Environmental Policy establishes the foundation for our Environmental Management framework, governing key environmental activities relevant to the Bank. This policy aims to enhance the National Bank of Bahrain’s environmental performance, demonstrate our commitment to environmental protection, and reduce our ecological footprint.

Policy Statements ↓

Human Rights Policy

We are committed to fully respecting human rights and complying with all national and international laws, bills, and treaties. Our Human Rights policy fosters a supportive organisational culture that values employees’ free will and promotes open and honest communication.

Our commitment extends beyond maintaining a healthy work environment to ensuring it is free from violence and any unsafe acts that could jeopardise our employees’ safety and well-being. We aim to continuously develop our organisational culture to respect and protect human rights in all aspects of our operations.

Policy Statements ↓

Global Credit Policy Statement

We are dedicated to making a positive contribution to both internal and external stakeholders. Since 2020, our Credit Risk Management has integrated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles within our Global Credit Policy to promote sustainability in our credit activities.

Our ambition is to be recognised as a regional leader in responsible lending and sustainable finance, reflecting our commitment to positively impact the clients and communities we serve. ESG risk factors are thoroughly assessed across all our financing activities with clients, ensuring that sustainability considerations are deeply embedded within our credit risk management framework.

Policy Statements ↓

Youth Employment Support Policy Statement

We are committed to developing, training, and providing employment opportunities for the youth, in alignment with local and international labour standards. Our policy focuses on building practical skills that enhance job opportunities for young individuals.

Each year, the National Bank of Bahrain pledges to accommodate 40 graduates in our comprehensive internship programme. This rigorous programme combines on-the-job training with formal educational and behavioral courses, equipping participants with the necessary skills and experience to advance their careers.

Policy Statements ↓

Supplier Code of Conduct

At National Bank of Bahrain. We continuously drive sustainability in products and solutions, combining economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection in our business operations and thereby enable our customers to meet current and future needs of society.

Ensuring the principles of sustainable development in our supply chain is important to us. We want to partner with our suppliers to further develop their sustainability performance in our supply chain. We expect our suppliers to fully comply with applicable laws and to adhere to internationally recognised suppliers to use their best efforts to implement these standards with their suppliers and subcontractors.

Policy Statements ↓

Donations

Since 1957, the National Bank of Bahrain has contributed to the community, with our Donations and Contributions fund, established in 1980, reflecting our commitment to a better Bahrain.

Pillars

Dedicated to the community through various pillars.

Focus on education, healthcare, social welfare, & national initiatives and sports.

Supporting growth, equal opportunities, and the well-being of society.

Sponsorships is a powerful tool for driving societal engagement and progress.

Education & Youth

Supporting educational activities, programs, scholarships, training, and contributions towards schools, colleges, universities, institutions, and centers. Encouraging the youth to take on projects and initiatives of sustainable nature that benefit the community and promote equal opportunities.

Healthcare

Contributing to the healthcare sector by supporting initiatives that improve health and well-being, ensuring equal access and opportunities for all.

Social Welfare

Financing social and philanthropic organisations to support their activities aimed at achieving significant social benefits. Focusing on projects and programs that target lower-income groups and the challenged sections of society, promoting equal opportunities.

National Initiatives

Supporting activities and initiatives that aim to develop and positively influence the Kingdom’s financial, economic, and commercial sectors. This includes sustainability goals, the Kingdom’s 2030 vision, and enhancing the Kingdom’s image.

Equal Opportunities

Promoting the acceptance and inclusion of diverse individuals based on gender, age, disabilities, personality, ethnicity, skill set, experience, knowledge base, and background.

Environment

Supporting environmental sustainability and improvement efforts.

Governance

Enhancing corporate governance, ethical behaviour, transparency, and responsible practices.

Tourism & Culture

Contributing to the preservation of cultural activities, creation of events, and enhancement of tourism offerings to position Bahrain as a family destination.