The Middle East Economy

THE COMPANY: Recognised as the leader in the local banking industry, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was established in 1952 as the first local and national bank, and the first joint stock company in Kuwait and the Gulf region. NBK is the largest financial institution in Kuwait with total assets of...

In late March 2015 Kuwait’s parliament voted to amend the ownership structure of the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE), with the goal of listing the firm in an initial public offering (IPO) before the end of the year. Under the plan, which as of August 2015 the government had yet to finalise and confirm, around 50% of the bourse would be sold to...

As one of the world’s largest oil producers, Kuwait’s energy sector has supported a rapid pace of economic growth since the discovery of oil in the country in the early 1930s. Revenues from these resources have helped Kuwait to become one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita. Despite a significant increase in...

In recent years Kuwait has seen steadily expanding trade activity with neighbouring countries – including the member states of the GCC and other Middle East nations – and a variety of key partners further afield. At the same time, the government has introduced a substantial amount of new legislation in an effort to boost foreign direct...

After setting out a broad outline of the country’s second five-year development plan in August 2014, the government approved the KD34.15bn ($117.65bn) strategy in February 2015. The announcement builds on a successful year of project implementation in 2014 and emphasises a commitment from the authorities to maintain capital investment, despite...