Since its foundation in 1952 as the first national bank and the first joint stock company in the Gulf Region, NBK is known as the Bank You Know and Trust and the largest Kuwaiti bank and the highest rated in the Middle East.

It is by far the largest and most dominant financial institution in Kuwait. Among Arab banks, NBK has the most extensive regional and international network which includes branches, subsidiaries and representative offices in New York,London, , Paris, Geneva,Beirut, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar , Singapore ,China , Iraq and Saudi Arabia .NBK also has other ambitious plans for expansion in the near future to cover Dubai and other regions.

NBK's operating income topped one billion US dollars, rising by 35% from a year ago. Reported earnings do not include unrealized profits of USD 123 million. The Bank's cost to income ratio dropped to 23.4% from 25.1% a year ago. The ratio of non-performing loans to total loans dropped to 1.4%, amongst the lowest worldwide, with provisions against such loans equivalent to 224% of their value. This confirms the Bank's reputation for having excellent asset quality and a long-standing, prudent credit culture.