Sheikh Abdullah Salem Al-Ali receives NBK Run race kit.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 23: Capital Governor Sheikh Abdullah Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah will participate in the NBK Run, scheduled to take place on December 14th, which is considered the largest sporting event in Kuwait of its kind in Kuwait given the massive participation and extensive media coverage.

During a visit by a team from NBK to the Capital Governorate headquarters to present the NBK Run race kit to Sheikh Abdullah Salem Al-Ali, the Capital Governor expressed his appreciation of NBK’s leading social responsibility contributions, and its constant dedication for 30 years, by organizing the NBK Run, to cultivate positive values promoting a healthy and sporting lifestyle being a prerequisite for building a healthy community.

The Governor praised NBK’s efforts in fostering national directions towards sustainable development in health and sports, in line with Kuwait Vision 2035, pointing out that NBK stands as a role model for delivering social responsibility and supporting sustainable development in all fields.

Al-Ali pointed out that NBK’s commitment to organize this race every year underscores deep historical ties with the Kuwaiti community, as the first and oldest homegrown bank in Kuwait, which was founded by a group of Kuwaiti merchants more than 70 years ago, and has now evolved to beKuwait’s leading financial institution in and among the largest banks in the region.

On their part, the NBK team stated that The NBK Run 2024 will be different from previous versions, as there will be greater collaboration from strategic partners who will provide valuable prizes for the winners, participants as well as spectators.

They also added that the new version of the NBK Run will witness a qualitative leap by adding the special needs category in 3 groups: “Wheelchairs, Blind, and Prosthetics users”. This aims to mainstream those individuals to become active players in the future.

Commenting on this, Abdul-Mohsen Al-Rushaid, AGM, Head of Digital Communications at National Bank of Kuwait, said, “We always aim to strengthen our position as Kuwait’s most socially responsible bank. NBK Run is an integral part of our growing contributions to advance sustainability in line with Kuwait's economic plans and vision for the future.”

“We have long-standing solid relationships with major organizations and companies across all sectors, as we always strive to join efforts to serve the community and spread awareness about the importance of sports and its role in promoting public health,” he added.

“NBK seeks to magnify its social impact and always prioritizes investing in community development by supporting and sponsoring meaningful events and initiatives,” he noted.

NBK has already opened early registration for the 2024 NBK Run starting from September 18th until all slots are filled.

The race will start at 8:30 a.m. on December 14th, featuring two distances, both beginning and ending at Kuwait Towers. The 10 km route will proceed towards Souq Sharq, then turn and follow the Gulf Road, reaching 200 meters before the intersection with Green Island, before returning to Kuwait Towers.

The second distance of the race is 5 km, starting from Kuwait Towers and heading towards Souq Sharq. Competitors will then turn and continue running until they reach the intersection at Kuwait Army Club.

The race will honor the top three winners in both the men’s and women’s 10 km categories with cash prizes of KD 1,000, KD 700, and KD 500, respectively. The top three winners in the men’s and women’s 5 km categories will receive KD 500, KD 400, and KD 300, respectively.

It is worth mentioning that NBK organizes a variety of social events and initiatives every year, demonstrating its prominent role and its consistent approach to community development. These initiatives include a wide range of social, humanitarian, charitable, educational, sporting, and environmental events that aim to serve the community and contribute to its development.