Latest news with #GFH
Biz Bahrain
5 days ago
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
GFH Signs Partnership Agreement with Dubai Cares to Support Education of Children in the UAE
As part of its ongoing commitment to creating a positive impact in the communities where it operates, GFH Financial Group (GFH) signed a partnership agreement with Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), to support the organization's mission of providing children and youth with access to quality education. The signing ceremony took place at Dubai Cares offices in Dubai, in the presence of Mr. Abdulla Ahmed AlShehhi, Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Cares, Mrs. Sahar Qanati, Head of Corporate Communications at GFH, Mrs. Nawal AlNaji, Senior Manager of the Corporate Communications at GFH and Ms. Zainab Faraidooni, Deputy Director – Partnerships at Dubai Cares. As part of the partnership, the Group announced its sponsorship of the 'Pack for Impact' initiative, held under the 'Volunteer Emirates' program by Dubai Cares. The activity is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Friday, July 11, at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, expecting to bring together more than 100 participants, including GFH employees and strategic partners such as GFH Partners, the Sheffield Private School, Belvedere British School and The Entertainer. The event will see GFH team members as well as volunteers from across the UAE assembling 2,000 school kits that include stationery, notebooks, and other essential supplies to support children from low-income families across the UAE and ensure they are ready for the upcoming academic year. GFH's support underscores its firm commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development. The Group actively forges strategic partnerships with leading NGOs in the GCC, such as Dubai Cares, to broaden its CSR initiatives within the GCC and beyond. On this occasion, Mrs. Sahar Qanati, Head of Corporate Communications at GFH Financial Group, commented: 'We are delighted to sign this agreement with Dubai Cares and to join such a meaningful initiative. At GFH we believe genuine impact happens where business and community intersect, and we consistently embrace initiatives that support education, empower youth and embed sustainability values. We also look forward to launching additional programs through this partnership that will deliver tangible social value across the region.' Mr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Shehhi, Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Cares, said: 'At Dubai Cares, we believe that every child deserves to start the school year feeling prepared and proud. GFH Financial Group's support for our 'Pack for Impact' initiative helps ensure that children from low-income families in the UAE can begin the new academic year with dignity, confidence, and joy. We are grateful to GFH for their meaningful commitment to our cause and for empowering young learners with the tools they need to thrive. Together, we're not just packing school kits – we're opening doors to brighter learning journeys.'
ITV News
30-06-2025
- Health
- ITV News
22 killed as Israeli forces fire on Palestinians seeking food aid in Gaza
Israeli forces have killed at least 22 Palestinians and wounded 20 others, while attempting to get food aid in southern Gaza, according to Gaza's health ministry. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said on Monday it received 11 bodies of people who were shot while returning from an aid site associated with Israeli and US backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GFH), part of a pattern that has killed more than 500 Palestinians in the aid distribution program in the past month. Ten others were also killed at a United Nations aid warehouse in northern Gaza, according to the health ministry. The southern Gaza strike happened along the only accessible route leading from the aid centre, roughly three kilometres outside of the GHF. In northern Gaza, at least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on an aid warehouse in Gaza city, but it wasn't immediately clear whether there was aid at the warehouse. The military has intensified its bombardment campaign across the city and nearby the Jabaliya refugee camp. It comes as on Sunday and Monday, Israel issued widespread evacuation orders for large swaths of northern Gaza. Palestinians reported massive bombing overnight into Monday morning, describing the fresh attacks as a 'scorched earth' campaign that targeted mostly empty buildings and civilian infrastructure above the ground. 'They destroy whatever left standing … the sound of bombing hasn't stopped,' said Mohamed Mahdy, a Gaza City resident who fled his damaged house Monday morning. Fares Awad, head of the health ministry's emergency and ambulance services in northern Gaza, said that most of Gaza City and Jabaliya have become inaccessible and ambulances were unable to respond to distress calls from people trapped in the rubble. The Israeli military said it had taken multiple steps to notify civilians of operations to target Hamas' military command and control centers in northern Gaza. Yousef Mahmoud Mokheimar was attempting to get food aid in southern Gaza with dozens of others when he saw troops in vehicles and tanks racing toward them. At the beginning they fired warning shots into the air, before firing at the crowds, he said. 'They fired at us indiscriminately,' he said, adding that he was shot in his leg, and a man was also shot while attempting to rescue him. He said he saw troops detaining six people, including three children, and it wasn't clear what happened to them. 'We don't know whether they are still alive,' he said. Monzer Hisham Ismail, another witness, said troops attacked the crowds while returning from the GHF hub in eastern Khan Younis. 'We were returning from the American aid hub … we were targeted by (the Israeli) artillery,' he said. Nasser Hospital said another person was killed near a GHF hub in the southern city of Rafah. The Israeli military have said they're reviewing information about the attacks. In the past, they've said it fires warning shots at people who move suspiciously or get too close to troops, including while collecting aid.
Biz Bahrain
08-06-2025
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
GFH Financial Group partners with Safa to offset the annual carbon footprint of its employees
In a significant step toward corporate sustainability, GFH Financial Group has announced a new initiative to offset the annual carbon emissions of all its full-time employees. This initiative, developed in collaboration with Safa, Bahrain's climate action platform and a Mumtalakat portfolio company, will see the Group take tangible action to neutralize its operational environmental impact. The initiative to offset the carbon emission covers the full-time workforce at GFH Financial Group. According to national emissions data, the average individual in Bahrain emits just over 26 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) per year through daily activities. An individual's annual carbon emissions refer to the total amount of carbon dioxide they generate each year through everyday activities such as driving, using electricity, and consuming goods and services. Carbon offsetting involves financially supporting projects—like renewable energy initiatives or reforestation efforts—that reduce or remove an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Through its partnership with Safa, GFH ensures that carbon offsets made on behalf of its employees are real, measurable, and independently verified, meeting Safa's rigorous standards for high-quality carbon credits. By offsetting the annual emissions for each employee, GFH is demonstrating proactive environmental leadership and reinforcing its support for the Kingdom of Bahrain's Net Zero 2060 ambitions. This announcement coincides with World Environment Day, reinforcing the shared urgency for climate action and the need for institutions to adopt measurable, transparent sustainability strategies.
NBC News
04-06-2025
- General
- NBC News
Gaza aid centers close for a day as Israel declares roads to sites 'combat zones'
GFH and the new aid distribution strategy have also been roundly condemned by leading humanitarian groups and the United Nations who have warned that Palestinians could be further displaced if they are forced to make their way to distribution sites. They have also suggested it could pose a threat to the independence of humanitarian work. GHF said Tuesday that Rev. Johnnie Moore, an Evangelical leader who has been an adviser to President Donald Trump, had been installed as its executive chairman. His 'appointment comes as GHF's momentum on the ground in Gaza accelerates,' the organization said in a news release Tuesday, adding that since launching operations in the enclave on May 26, its team had delivered more than 7 million meals through 'without incident.' It maintained that there had been 'no incidents of violence recorded at distribution sites.' But ahead of it's operation in Gaza, GHF's former executive director, Jake Wood, quit the organization saying in a statement published by Reuters that it was impossible to implement the plan while also adhering to the 'humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.' Humanitarian groups have warned that while aid has been distributed under GHF, not nearly enough food and other vital supplies are getting into the enclave, which has a population of around 2.1 million, under the new aid system. 'The basic needs of the population in Gaza are enormous and are not being met,' Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement on Tuesday as he called for the 'unimpeded entry of humanitarian assistance at scale' to be restored.
Trade Arabia
01-06-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Al Salam Bank announces sale of key stake in Seef Properties
Al Salam Bank, the largest Islamic bank in Bahrain, has announced the sale of its 15.6% shareholding in Seef Properties to GFH. The exit of Seef Properties forms part of a broader Group optimization strategy designed to expand and reinforce focus on core banking operations and the Group's strategic holdings in banking, takaful, and asset management. ASB Capital, the Group's asset management arm, was appointed by Al Salam Bank as sell-side advisor. Under this, ASB Capital's key role will be to assist in sourcing, structuring and executing the exit of its significant minority stake in Seef Properties. Launched earlier this year with a starting assets under management (AUM) of $4.5 billion, ASB Capital recently launched its investment banking offering covering advisory, transaction mandates, capital market solutions, and other bespoke offerings across various asset classes. On this transaction, Rafik Nayed, Group Chief Executive Officer of Al Salam Bank and Managing Director of ASB Capital, said: "This transaction represents our continued commitment to exit non-strategic holdings as part of a group-wide optimization initiative." "Aligned with our strategy, we are reallocating capital and focus towards growing core banking operations and expanding our strategic holdings in banking, takaful, and asset management- sectors that offer long term value and operational synergies within the context of the Group," he noted. Additionally, Nayed said: "ASB Capital's role in facilitating the transaction, despite global market volatility, underscores the strength of our expertise and execution capabilities in transaction advisory and capital markets."
