NBK set up a branch in London in 1983 as part of its initial strategy to capture investment and trade flows with Kuwait and to service Kuwaiti customers and provide convenient and secure locations for their deposits, whether for expenses when traveling in Europe or for longer-term investment security. In 1992, the branch structure was replaced by a wholly owned subsidiary, NBK International, with one branch in Portman Square and two in Edgware Road (currently closed). In 1996, NBK Paris became a branch of NBK International in a move aimed at consolidating and strengthening the bank’s European operations.