Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, known by its English acronym BBK, was established in 1971 in both the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait. Its shareholders consist of the general public, the Government of Bahrain, investment companies and banks in Kuwait. The bank currently operates in four countries including India and the United Arab Emirates. Major shareholders of Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait Ithmaar Bank (Bahrain) 25.34%, the Pension Fund Authority (Bahrain) 18.81%, the Kuwait Investment Authority (Kuwait) 14.68%, and the Public Institution for Social Insurance (Bahrain) 13.35%. In December 2008, Global Investment House sold 119 million shares equal to 14.70% in BBK to Attijari Investment Company (a subsidiary of Commercial Bank of Kuwait) at a price of BD 0.500 per share (US$ 1.3 per share).
