For the fifth consecutive year, the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) held a ceremony to honor the winners of the “Kuwaiti Economic Student Award” in a ceremony attended by the CBK Governor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Banking Studies (IBS), Mr. Basel A. Al-Haroon, and a host of elite banking sector figures on Wednesday, 10 December, 2025, at CBK Headquarters.
In his opening speech, the Governor underscored the CBK’s keenness to advancing economic research in Kuwait, supporting national efforts across various sectors. He emphasized the importance of high-caliber research and innovation in the face of rapid global economic shifts. The Kuwaiti Economic Student Award, is designed to nurture academic excellence and enhance research competencies among Kuwaiti students. By recognizing young talents with outstanding contributions to economic research, CBK seeks to inspire a new generation of researchers who are able to address pressing economic challenges and shape the future of Kuwait’s financial landscape.
The IBS Director General, Ms. Rana Abdullah Al-Nibari explained that the Kuwaiti Student Economics Award is part of CBK’s strategy to develop and qualify national talent. This is achieved through the “Kafa’a” initiative launched by CBK, which includes a range of specialized programs designed to meet the needs of various ambitious segments of the Kuwaiti society.
Furthermore, Ms. Al-Nibari noted that this award represents one of the initiative’s key pillars, as it seeks to encourage the spirit of scientific research and innovation among Kuwaiti students in the fields of economics and banking. She also revealed that 26 research papers were submitted for the award, reflecting a promising level of critical thinking, analysis, and interest in contemporary economic and financial issues.
The award was evaluated by Committee comprising representatives from the CBK, Kuwait Finance House, National Bank of Kuwait, Gulf Bank, and IBS, in addition to three international experts.
The competition results were announced during the ceremony, and the first award went to the research paper titled “Predicting the Stability of Kuwaiti Banks: A Comparative Study Between Econometric Methodologies and Machine Learning”, submitted by Mr. Salem A. S. Al-Shehab. Mr. Mohammed B. M. Al-Doub was awarded second place for his research titled “From Conferences Earnings to Headlines: A Study of Tone Conformity Between Corporate Discourse and Post-Conference Media Coverage in the Kuwaiti Banking Sector”. And the third award was given to Ms. Dalal J. J. Darwish for her research titled “Digital Transformation and Bank Profitability in Kuwait: A Comparative Predictive Analysis Using Artificial Intelligence”. Moreover, an encouragement award was given this year to Sheikh Mubarak Nasser Al-Duaij Al-Sabah for his research paper titled “Banks, Housing, and Citizenship: Financial Engineering of Risk, Debt, and Credit in a Rentier Economy”.
More information on the winning research papers can be viewed through the website: Kafaakw.org.
