Ibrahim S. Dabdoub

Ibrahim Dabdoub has been at the helm of National Bank of Kuwait as Chief Executive Officer since 1983. He first joined NBK in 1961 and saw his career progress from Head of Credit in 1969 to Deputy Chief Executive Officer, CEO position in 1983 and a Group CEO in 2008.

Dabdoub studied at the Collège des Frères in Bethlehem, the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey and at Stanford University, California, USA.

He is a Board Member of the Centre for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.; the International Institute of Finance (IIF), Washington D.C.; Board of Trustees of the American University of Beirut (AUB), Beirut; Member of the Advisory Council of Carnegie Middle East Centre, Washington D.C.; Board Member of the Bretton Woods Committee, Washington D.C.; Chairman of the Arab Business Council (ABC) of the World Economic Forum (WEF); member of the Board of Trustees of Kuwait Maastricht Business School, Kuwait and Board Member of the Institute of Banking Studies, Kuwait.

Dabdoub is a chairman of many of NBK’s international subsidiaries including National Bank of Kuwait Investment Management, London; National Bank of Kuwait (Banque Privée Suisse), Geneva and National Bank of Kuwait (Lebanon), Beirut; as well as Vice Chairman of National Bank of Kuwait (International) PLC, London and Board Member of Jordan Mobile Telephone Services Company (Zain, Jordan).

In October 1995, Dabdoub was awarded the Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA) of ‘Banker of the Year’. In December 1997 he was also elected the “Arab Banker of the Year” by the Union of Arab Banks. In June 2005, he won an Award for Outstanding Contribution to Development of Financial Services in the Middle East by Euromoney.

Interests: fishing and reading. Married and has two children; a daughter and a son.