Markaz Sponsors and Participates in the 2025 Kuwait Capital Market Conference

Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz” concluded its sponsorship and participation in the Kuwait Capital Market Conference 2025, organized by the Gulf Capital Market Association (GCMA) and held at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait. The high-profile forum convened more than 150 industry leaders, policymakers, and institutional investors to explore pathways for advancing Kuwait’s capital markets in alignment with New Kuwait Vision 2035. Markaz’s sponsorship reflects its commitment to promoting growth and innovation in the financial sector and supporting the continued evolution of the capital markets ecosystems in Kuwait and the region. 

The Kuwait Capital Market Conference 2025 served as a pivotal platform for dialogue on pressing market priorities, including fostering investor participation, strengthening regulatory alignment, and enhancing the competitiveness of Kuwait’s financial sector. Markaz participated in three panel discussions, represented by leading experts from the Investment Banking and MENA Real Estate Investment teams. These sessions shed light on growth opportunities and emerging challenges, while underscoring the importance of public-private collaboration in driving sustainable economic development.

Mr. Ahmed F. Al Falah, Managing Director – Investment Banking at Markaz, said during his panel titled “Kuwait’s Capital Markets: Building Out the Vision”: “Kuwait’s stock market has delivered strong performance, supported by major government-led infrastructure projects, active engagement in capital markets, and meaningful regulatory reforms. Developments such as extended trading hours and enhancements to market structure are boosting investor confidence. With a growing pipeline of listings across key sectors, Kuwait is increasingly positioning itself as a compelling destination for both regional and global capital. Family businesses and prominent companies in Kuwait should consider accessing the capital markets and partnering with Markaz to unlock long-term growth opportunities.”

In another session titled “Achieving Objectives Through the Debt Capital Market”, Ms. Rasha A. Othman, Executive Vice President – Investment Banking (Capital Markets) at Markaz, shared her insights, saying: “Sovereign and government-related entity issuances continue to anchor the GCC’s Debt Capital Market, driving liquidity and investor confidence across the region. Kuwait’s recent return to the market through a landmark sovereign issuance has been a pivotal development, re-establishing its presence and setting a benchmark yield curve for future issuances. The DCM plays a critical role in providing governments and corporates with diversified funding options beyond traditional bank lending, while promoting greater transparency and financial discipline. At Markaz, we remain committed to supporting issuers in accessing efficient financing solutions and advancing the maturity of Kuwait’s and the region’s capital markets.”

In a panel titled “Enabling Future Growth by Investing in Critical Infrastructure”, Mr. Milad A. Elia, Executive Vice President – MENA Real Estate at Markaz, stated: “An emerging opportunity in social infrastructure is the shift in the approach towards the undersupply in housing in Kuwait. The government recently adopted a partnership with the private sector model to close the 100,000-housing unit gap through the developer law. This partnership does not stop at the development of housing units for sale; it also elevates the quality of housing supply by attracting quality developers who would develop well designed and serviced communities. In addition, with the expected mortgage law, banks, and investment companies have the opportunity to provide mortgage financing to home buyers and have the ability to package these mortgages into Mortgage backed securities to be offered as investment opportunities.”

The conference concluded with a strong reaffirmation of Kuwait’s positioning as a leading regional financial hub. Through its active participation, Markaz underscored its role as a catalyst for market development and a trusted partner for investors seeking to capitalize on emerging opportunities in Kuwait, the MENA region, and global markets.