The Gulf Property Show is gearing up for its debut event in a mall in Bahrain, The Avenues, from Nov. 21-24. The mall event will promote a retail route for property investors in the GCC from Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE and Kuwait by taking advantage of the attractive visitor location of Bahrain’s top leisure and entertainment destination — The Avenues. Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE) Managing Director Jubran Abdulrahman said: “When we launched the Gulf Property Show in 2012 we started with a simple vision, which was to create a dedicated real estate platform promoting property developments and related services from Bahrain, the Gulf and the wider international market place.” The creation of the Gulf Property Show at The Avenues was born out of the demand from exhibitors. “After months of detailed market research and customer consultation, we are delivering an exhibition dedicated to build on the Gulf Property Show’s reputation of being invaluable for sales and investment opportunities for both developers and visitors, and it will coincide with Bahrain’s marquee event, Jewellery Arabia 2018,” said Ahmed Suleiman, exhibitions director of HCE. The property show has already attracted participation from a number of developers and companies who will be providing a variety of projects from Bahrain, the UAE, UK and Turkey. “The projects on show to visitors provide excellent investment potential with entry point purchase starting at under 45,000 Bahraini dinar ($119,376) for prime real estate. There are exciting opportunities for investors available at the show and our team will be promoting this to the wider community,” added Abdulrahman. The Gulf Property Show carries the strategic sponsorship of El Mercado Village and the strategic organizational support of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of Bahrain (RERA), Survey and Land Regulatory Bureau (SLRB) and the Urban Planning and Development Authority of Bahrain.
Saudi Awwal Bank becomes first Middle East bank to earn 7-star CinOrg innovation accreditation
Saudi Awwal Bank has become the first bank in the Middle East to receive a 7‑star Certified Innovative Organization rating from the Global Innovation Institute, the highest recognition awarded by the institute.
The accreditation marks a significant step in SAB’s innovation strategy and follows an innovation maturity assessment conducted by the institute in December 2025. The review, which built on an earlier assessment in December 2023, raised the bank’s maturity level from “Champion” to “Leader.” The new rating reflects SAB’s institutionalized approach to innovation, its enterprise-wide impact and its ability to consistently deliver measurable results.
With the 7‑star rating, SAB becomes the first bank in the region to reach the highest innovation maturity level, strengthening its position as a regional reference point for innovation-led and future-ready banking.
In 2025, the bank opened its flagship Innovation Centre and secured six internationally recognized innovation awards, along with a lab accreditation. The centre has supported SAB’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies, encourage cross-functional collaboration and reinforce its standing as a regional leader in financial innovation.
Saeed Assiri, chief innovation banking officer at SAB, said the recognition reflects years of focused work to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
“By investing in SAB’s culture, governance and talent, innovation enables the bank to remain future-ready,” he said. “This milestone reinforces our role in accelerating financial innovation in Saudi Arabia and delivering long-term value for our customers.”
The certification adds to SAB’s broader efforts to strengthen its innovation capabilities as the Kingdom’s banking sector continues to evolve.
