In what ways has the asset management industry grown over the last few years, and what new opportunities are being made available?
Interviews & Viewpoints | OBG talks to Fahed Boodai, Executive Chairman, Gatehouse Bank from The Report: Kuwait 2014
Articles & Analysis | Lending picks up on the back of encouraging economic signs from The Report: Kuwait 2014
Credit issuance at Kuwait’s banks rose by 5% in 2012 and by 5.7% in the first six months of 2013, as per data from the KIPCO Asset Management Company (KAMCO). These figures – which represent the highest annual lending since 2009 – can be attributed to the steadily improving financial situation at many of the country’s banks and a rapidly...
While the insurance sector has posted steady growth in recent years, in general it remains relatively small, with the energy sector underpinning a great deal of the activity in the market. Insurance penetration was reported at 0.6% in 2012, which was the lowest penetration rate in the GCC at the time. However, there is optimism among locals as gross written premiums as a whole have continued...
Chapter | Islamic Financial Services from The Report: Kuwait 2014
One of the foremost and earliest players in the global market for Islamic financial services, Kuwait could soon see the segment play a larger role in the banking sector. Half way through 2013, Kuwait housed more than $70bn in sharia-compliant banking assets, around 6% of the global total and a figure widely expected to grow in the coming years. Key drivers include a sector- wide focus on asset...
Chapter | Capital Markets from The Report: Kuwait 2014
The Kuwait Stock Exchange is the fourth-largest GCC bourse by market capitalisation, with earnings and market capitalisation rising substantially in 2012. The majority of trading activity is among small-cap stocks, but many local players remain optimistic about future performance. The privatisation of the exchange is expected to take place by the end of 2014, and this is widely anticipated to...
The banking sector is considered the backbone of the non-oil economy. The industry has posted steady growth since the global downturn and total assets of local banks were $190.2bn at the end of the first quarter of 2014, up from $181.1bn at the end of 2013 and $158.6bn at the end of 2012. Banking and financial sector legislation that was enacted during 2009 has been helping improve stability...