Like most GCC economies, Kuwait is well known for its buy-side investment activity – a result of its historic ability to transform oil revenues into global investments aimed at securing future economic sustainability. However, as the nation enters a third year of lower oil prices, Kuwait’s attractiveness as a destination for inward investment has come under increasing scrutiny. The government...
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Chapter | Trade & Investment from The Report: Kuwait 2017
In a lower oil price environment such as the one that has persisted since late 2014, banking sectors in the GCC find themselves under heightened scrutiny. Kuwait is no exception, but where other banking sectors in the region have been compelled to face sizeable cutbacks in government spending, the nation’s deep reserves have enabled it to defend the development pipeline on which so much of the...
As Kuwait’s economy continues to adjust to the new oil price environment the country’s government is pushing ahead with investment plans and reforms that promise to put the country on a sustainable growth path in the coming years.
Given its low penetration rates, ageing society and the trend towards increased liberalisation, the Thai insurance sector has significant potential and growth is expected to be steady in the coming years. Thais are becoming more interested in savings and wealth-related products, and over time it is also likely that they will have a better understanding of the need to cover risks. Together,...
Chapter | Capital Markets from The Report: Thailand 2017
The Stock Exchange of Thailand has outperformed its regional peers in liquidity and initial public offering growth in recent years, rising to become the best-performing stock market in the Asia-Pacific region in 2016. The bond market has also been a standout performer, despite concerns over rising numbers of short-term bond defaults, with the segment witnessing an influx of foreign capital...
Although stable, liquid and profitable, Thailand’s banking sector saw growth moderate in 2016 as rising defaults in the highly leveraged consumer and small business segments weighed on lending growth. Large corporate lenders have increasingly turned to alternative financing channels, most notably the short-term bond market, further impacting loan growth in 2016. Non-performing loans are...