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The guide contains listings of some of the leading hotels and resorts in Kuwait and contacts for important government offices and services. It also contains useful tips and information for first-time or regular and business and leisure visitors alike.

The ICT sector is one of the most promising sectors in Colombia with high demand for telecommunications services, and an emphasis on innovation in commerce and industry. However, financial challenges, such as changes in interest rates, also significantly impact the growth of ICT due to the long-term nature of investments in the sector. Similarly, companies can struggle to access financing to offer new products and attract a greater share of the competitive market. This is influenced by pressures both within the country’s active start-up scene and from the development of new technologies across the world. Although it is expected that companies will be able to keep up, the key to ensuring penetration rates continue to increase will be designing products that meet consumer demands and anticipate upcoming trends. This chapter contains a roundtable with Ignacio Roman Vila, President, Avantel; Fabián Hernández, President, Telefónica Movistar Colombia; and Marcelo Cataldo, President, TigoUNE.

The banking sector has already begun to show signs of improvement in line with macro economic indicators. Measures taken by the national government and the Central Bank of Colombia appear to have enabled the sector to weather the storm, and improving economic conditions should pave the way for a positive performance from the financial sector. Despite the slow evolution of equities trading, Colombia’s capital markets appear to be moving in the right direction with regard to corporate debt, and the expansion of derivatives, Venture Capital and private equity markets. Moreover, regulators continue to engage closely with their counterparts to foment the further development of the Latin American Integrated Market, meaning the regional market will likely continue to gain prominence. The insurance sector in Colombia looks set to maintain its positive trajectory over the medium term, with GDP forecast to expand, and a population increasingly willing to purchase new insurance products. Also, the growth of insurtech will likely be a decisive shift for both customers and providers, giving customers a better experience and broader choice of products, and firms the ability to tap into artificial intelligence and data analytics to boost sales. This chapter contains interviews with David Bojanini, CEO, Grupo SURA; Juan Pablo Córdoba, President, Colombian Securities Exchange; and Javier Díaz Fajardo, President, Bancóldex.

In conjunction with EY Colombia, this chapter explores the taxation system and Colombia’s efforts to build an investor-friendly environment. It also contains an interview with Jaime Vargas, Tax Managing Partner and International Tax Services Leader, EY Colombia.

Colombia’s education sector has a number of hurdles to overcome before it can reach its objective to permanently boost outcomes. First and foremost, the government’s obligation to provide extra funding for the sector will need to remain sustained and highly targeted, to increase participation rates and close the divide between rural and urban areas. In addition, it is important for higher education establishments to identify and act on both private sector necessities and new trends. These changes will help to ensure that students are prepared for an increasingly dynamic and digitalised economy. This chapter contains an interview with Alejandro Moreno Salamanca, CEO, Inalde Business School.

In recent decades Colombia’s health sector has gone through substantial changes and improvements, shifting from being underdeveloped to one of the highest ranked in the region. The sector continues to struggle with structural issues related to liquidity. However, the government is hoping that a boost in general health spending and a targeted infusion of financing will help alleviate some of the financial pressure the system is experiencing. Meanwhile, efforts to universalise coverage and shift the focus of the system to the patient are expected to result in access and quality improvements. It remains to be seen over the long term what effect the 2015 health law will have on overall health outcomes, but improved indicators in recent years and increased funding are positive signs for the future.