Vice Chairman and CEO, Zain Group
Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi is the Founder and CEO of BNK Holding, his personal holding company headquartered in Kuwait and established in 2016. BNK Holding oversees and manages a diversified portfolio of businesses spanning healthcare, wellness, technology, telecom, industrial manufacturing, securities exchange (through the privatization of Boursa Kuwait), food & beverage, media, real estate, banking, and automotive.
Since 2003, Bader Al-Kharafi has held executive leadership roles within the Kharafi Group, one of the largest privately owned and diversified conglomerates in the GCC and MENA region, owned by the Al-Kharafi family. The Group operates more than 135 registered companies across over 28 countries in sectors including construction, trading, manufacturing, investments, development, and travel & leisure. He currently serves as Executive Director and Head of Industrial Activities of the Group.
He holds numerous board-level positions, including Vice Chairman of Gulf Cables & Electrical Industries Company, where he also serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chairman of the Audit Committee, Chairman of the Nominations and Remuneration Committee, and Head of the Investment Committee, and Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Zain Group. Zain is a leading mobile telecommunications operator providing voice, data, and digital services to over 51.3 million active customers as of December 31, 2025.
He also serves as Vice Chairman of the National Investments Company, a publicly traded Kuwaiti investment firm licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Capital Markets Authority.
Bader Al-Kharafi is a Board Member of Foulath Holding B.S.C. in Bahrain and a Member of the Middle East Advisory Board at Coutts & Co. He is also a member of the Kuwait-British Friendship Society.
He was the official representative of the consortium that successfully won the privatization bid of Boursa Kuwait, acquiring a 44% equity stake, and he currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Boursa Kuwait, Chairman of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee, and a member of the Executive Committee.
Under BNK Holding, BNK Automotive acquired the exclusive franchise rights for Volvo Cars in Kuwait in 2019 and Polestar in 2022, and under BNK Motion, acquired the franchise rights for Piaggio Group in 2020.
He also serves as Chairman of INJAZ Kuwait, a non-profit organization delivering educational programs in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness for students from KG to Grade 12.
Additionally, he is a Board Member of the UNHCR Sustainability Board, which focuses on developing sustainable and innovative solutions for refugees in the MENA region.
Bader Al-Kharafi holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kuwait University and an MBA from London Business School. He is currently pursuing a PhD at IE Business School in Spain.