.بيتك Domain

The بيتك label is comprised of the following Unicode code points: U+0628 ARABIC LETTER BEH U+064A ARABIC LETTER YEH U+062A ARABIC LETTER TEH U+0643 ARABIC LETTER KAF Arabic language is written right-to-left, so code point no. 1 in the list above corresponds to the rightmost character of the string and code point no. 4 - to the leftmost character.×

Kuwait Finance House ("KFH" or "Applicant") has chosen to apply for the TLD to promote awareness of KFH's services and products and facilitate the digital growth and physical expansion of KFH. The TLD will control and protect KFH and its Trademarks by providing an official digital hub for consumers worldwide as well as fostering consumer trust by creating a secure and technically stable zone. KFH is confident that the TLD will allow the company not only to achieve its own goals of expansion, risk reduction, improved performance and efficiency, and technological development, but also contribute to ICANNʹs commitment to innovation, consumer protection, security, and stability across new markets while simultaneously achieving ICANN's goal of increased use of IDNs at the Top and Second Level.

Headquartered in Kuwait City, Kuwait, KFH provides Islamic Finance or Shari'a compliant services covering banking, real estate, trade finance, investment portfolios, and corporate, commercial, and retail financial markets. KFH was the first Islamic bank established in the State of Kuwait and is today one of the foremost Islamic financial institutions in the world. From its inception in 1977, KFH has grown into a robust banking and financial institution that is a market leader not only in the Islamic banking industry but also in the banking sector as a whole (both in terms of profitability and total assets). KFH has strong affiliations with leading international institutions and in the past has successfully launched a number of products in alliance with other major global banks such as Citi, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Chase, BNP Paribas, ABN Amro, and HSBC.

Although KFH's core market remains Kuwait (where it holds a 30% retail market share and the largest customer and retail base of any bank in Kuwait), the bank also cultivates a strong and growing international presence. KFH has established fully owned, independently functioning banks in Turkey (1989), Bahrain (2002), and Malaysia (2005, extended into Australia in 2008) while establishing significant stakes in other Islamic banks regionally and worldwide. As at December 2011, KFH also held subsidiaries in the Cayman Islands, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. KFH actively seeks to expand its customer base both in Kuwait and internationally, quantitatively and qualitatively, by increasing the number of branches, developing communications channels with customers, developing innovative new products to meet evolving requirements, and continuously improving customer service to achieve the highest standards of quality and efficiency (as benchmarked against international standards). In its constant pursuit of excellence and bringing quality, secure banking products to new markets, KFH's expansion program directly mirrors ICANN's commitment to the extension of choice and the promotion of secure and stable technology across new and emerging markets.

KFH is a multi-award winning organization, and it has received recognition and accolades from industry organizations and counterparts in every field - from Banking to Real Estate and Technology. In 2010, KFH won Global Finance's award for Best Islamic Finance Bank in the GCC and was selected among the same organization's Safest Banks in the Middle East. It is rated A+ by Fitch and Capital Intelligence, Aa3 by Moody's, and A- by Standard and Poor's. Its excellent ratings reflect the bank's high degree of flexibility and resistance to market shocks. But perhaps the best gauge of the bank's success and reliability is the trust consumers have placed in it: KFH ranks first in the banking deposit segment in Kuwait.

KFH was rated Best Consumer Internet Bank in Kuwait by Global Finance in 2010. The bank has an active internet presence, with the most-followed Twitter account (@KFHGroup) of any bank in the region (allowing for real-time customer feedback and service) as well as a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/KuwaitFinanceHouse). Most significantly, however, KFH's website allows for the execution of 140 different banking services; KFH Online was the top rated application among customer testimonies. Throughout the past few years, KFH has targeted superior solutions and banking applications, matching the best international practices and standards in order to upgrade business efficiency and achieve the highest standards of quality. The establishment of quality control measures and increasing the capacity of equipment, systems, and network throughout KFH's digital infrastructure further ensure KFH has the resources necessary to match the service requirements of the future. The decision to launch the TLD thus falls squarely within KFH's digital strategy by providing access to unprecedented levels of technical security and innovation.

In addition to its commitment to stability, security, and its consumers, KFH takes its mission of corporate social responsibility very seriously. The bank supports various initiatives in the fields of education, healthcare, youth empowerment and development, special needs assistance, and caring for needy families. In 2011, KFH donated significant funds toward the elimination of famine and the provision of drought relief in the Horn of Africa as well as contributed to local efforts to combat diabetes.

The TLD will provide a digital home for information about all the previously-mentioned services as well as facilitate the future expansion of KFH's web and market presence while simultaneously contributing to the bank's technical improvement and innovation. As KFH actively expands into new markets and service categories, the TLD will serve as a platform for innovation as well as technical security and stability. It will provide a digital hub for all entities and subsidiaries within the KFH aegis and will provide a badge of authenticity, stability, and security designed specifically to protect KFH's customers and infrastructure.

The term بيتك or "baitok" is closely associated with Kuwait Finance House and its vast array of products and services. It is used in all of KFH's publications, advertising materials, and promotions as well as by diverse media outlets (print and digital) to refer exclusively to KFH. As a result, millions of internet users and consumers associate the term بيتك or "baitok" exclusively with Kuwait Finance House, and this number is only projected to increase with the forecast expansion of KFH. KFH holds Trademarks for the brand and the term, ensuring not only the protection of the brand but also its public recognition.

KFH will retain domains for internal use, educating consumers about KFH's diverse service offerings as the bank expands internationally and within Kuwait. The expansion of KFH itself will simultaneously extend the outreach of the TLD - ensuring not only the promotion of KFH but also the effective organization of its domain name structure and the technical security and stability of its internet presence. The TLD will allow KFH to continue innovating and bringing new products to an emerging consumer base without compromise - thereby exceeding customer expectations and achieving unprecedented standards of technical excellence. Additionally, the deployment of the Arabic language TLD will not only empower Arabic-speaking internet users but also contribute to ICANNʹs goals of increasing usage and utility of IDN TLDs.×