Gulf International Bank B.S.C. (GIB), based in Bahrain, has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors for a three-year term starting on August 8, 2025. The announcement was made following a board meeting held on August 21, 2025.
The new Board consists of 11 members and will be chaired by Fahad bin Abduljalil AlSaif, who is Senior Managing Director of Global Capital Finance and Head of Investment Strategy and Economic Studies at the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Other members include H.E. Dr. Najem bin Abdullah Al Zaid, Deputy Minister of Justice in Saudi Arabia; Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Helaissi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Gulf International Bank; Rajeev Kakar, banking expert and entrepreneur and Board Member at Eurobank Ergasias in Greece; Frank Schwab, Co-Founder of FinTech Forum in Germany and Board Member at Addiko Bank in Vienna; Sultan bin Abdulmalek Al-Sheikh, Head of Financial Institutions at MENA Investments Division at PIF; Nezar bin Mohamed Al Saie, Chairman of Kalaam Telecom and Polycon Bahrain; H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Arifi, CEO of the Shareek Program for Enhancing Partnership with the Private Sector and Advisor at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers in Saudi Arabia; Maram bint Ayed Al Johani, Acting Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary General of the Board at PIF; Dr. Khalid bin Dawood Al-Faddagh, Member of the Risk Committee at PIF; and Ahmed bin Mohammed Alenazi, Co-Founder, CEO, and Board Member at Barraq Financial Company (Barq) in Saudi Arabia.
During its recent meeting, the Board approved H.E. Dr. Najem bin Abdullah Al Zaid as Vice-Chairman. It also endorsed restructuring its committees and confirmed new chairpersons for each committee.
Fahad bin Abduljalil AlSaif commented on the changes: “We believe true success is founded on strong partnerships with our clients. We remain committed to advancing ambitious strategies aligned with the region’s rapid growth. We have full confidence in the expertise of our executive team and their ability to deliver impactful results that will shape a promising future for the Bank and its clients.”
AlSaif expressed gratitude to outgoing board members for their service over previous years: “Their efforts have been instrumental in guiding the Bank’s progress and strengthening its reputation across regional and international markets.” He welcomed new board members by noting his confidence that their diverse expertise would support GIB’s continued growth during what he described as a pivotal stage for the bank.
He further highlighted collaboration between board members and executive management as key to delivering strategies that reinforce GIB’s market position while meeting expectations from both clients and shareholders.
