National Bank of Kuwait - New York Branch is celebrating 25 years of operations in New York.  On 24 September, 1984, NBK became the first Arab bank to establish a presence in the United States. NBK New York was established and licensed as a Federal Branch by the Comptroller of the Currency in 1984 as part of NBK’s policy of global expansion and also in order to complement its Kuwait branches by offering a wide range of financial services to corporate and high net worth individual clients; today the branch offers commercial loans, real estate advisory, treasury services and cash management, trade finance, funds transfer and private banking.
NBK’s international network of branches and subsidiary companies are now located in the main global financial centers, including London, Paris, New York, Geneva and Singapore; in addition NBK has representative offices in Vietnam and Shanghai. 

Dedication, unwavering commitment  and consistent growth..

From its modest beginning with 20 staff members, the branch grew and became a member of the New York Federal Reserve's Fedwire funds transfer service and a participant of CHIPS (a clearing house for NY based banks doing inter-bank clearing of US dollars) in 1987. This was a significant achievement because it enabled the Bank’s entire network of branches, subsidiaries and its own head office to originate and clear all of its worldwide US dollar payments internally.
In 1991, following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, NBK New York was instrumental in providing the assurances needed by the U.S. Government to release the Bank’s funds which had been frozen in the dark, early days of the invasion when NBK was forced to temporarily relocate its headquarters to London. Thus, in the face of the occupation of Kuwait, NBK was still able to fulfill all its obligations, greatly enhancing its image internationally.

As banking became more sophisticated, in 1994 NBK New York introduced its proprietary WIT$ (Watani Interbank Transfer Service) which enables customers to manage their accounts online with greater speed, security and reduced cost; enhanced treasury cash management is made possible through the provision of real time data. 

A part of one of the world's safest banks

25 years of service in New York, is by anyone’s reckoning a milestone achievement, made all the more meaningful given the current global financial crisis. The success and strength of NBK New York can be attributed as much to the high calibre of its employees and their unwavering commitment to customer care and the community they serve, as to being an affiliate of the NBK Group, the highest rated bank in the Middle East and one of the world's top 50 safest banks.