Company Insights National Bank of Kuwait Banking & Finance National Bank of Kuwait Overview National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was founded by a group of Kuwaiti merchants in 1952. As part of NBK Group today – and as the Gulf state’s largest financial institution – from its Kuwait City headquarters, National Bank of Kuwait has moire than 130 branches, subsidiaries and offices in 13 countries, including seven in the Middle East. In addition to the normal retail banking services, there are corporate banking and wealth management operations. An investment banking subsidiary, NBK Capital was established in 2005. In 2021 National Bank of Kuwait launched its digital banking service, Weyay. Subsidiary Boubyan Bank offers Islamic banking services. In 2020 British architect firm Foster & Partners completed a 300m 61-storey new headquarters for National Bank of Kuwait. National Bank of Kuwait News Finance Aldar secures $2.5bn credit facility to support growth Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s largest developer, has raised AED9 billion ($2.5 billion), taking its overall liquidity to AED27 billion to back its ongoing growth initiatives. The sustainability-linked multi-tranche revolving credit facility attracted orders from 15 global and regional financial institutions. The facility, which has a five-year tenor and incorporates conventional and Islamic tranches across AED […] January 13, 2025 Opinion Banking & Finance Stable, if lacking excitement: the outlook for Gulf banks GCC banks are well capitalised, have low cost-to-income ratios and have been generating healthy profits January 8, 2025 Analysis Real Estate Pricey homes and packed hotels: the year in GCC real estate The story of the Gulf property market this year was about decreased housing affordability and a growing gap between top-quality properties and second-tier ones. Meanwhile, surging numbers of international visitors in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar brought thriving hospitality and retail sectors in the main tourist hotspots. Industry observers expect 2025 to bring more […] December 27, 2024 Oil & Gas New oil minister in Kuwait after reshuffle A new oil minister, Tarek Suleiman Ahmed Al-Roumi, has been appointed in Kuwait as part of a broader cabinet reshuffle. Al-Roumi will replace Nora Suleiman Al-Fassam, who is Kuwait’s finance minister and was overseeing the oil ministry temporarily, the state news agency, Kuna, reported. Al-Fassam stepped in after the resignation in September of the deputy […] October 30, 2024 Renewable Energy Acwa Power signs $1.8bn deals to promote renewables Saudi renewable energy major Acwa Power has signed agreements worth $1.8 billion to develop renewable energy and battery storage projects, as well as research and development, across the GCC, China, Central Asia and North Africa. The agreements were signed during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. The first pact includes a $690 million agreement […] October 30, 2024 Transport Hafeet Rail secures $1.5bn loan for UAE-Oman rail link Hafeet Rail, formerly Oman and Etihad Rail Company, has secured funding of $1.5 billion from a consortium of regional and global banks for the 238km railway network. The $2.5 billion Omani-Emirati railway network project is the first link in a unified regional transport and logistics chain and will link five major ports and various industrial and free […] October 10, 2024 Opinion Banking & Finance Kuwait’s first banking merger is long overdue There have been bank mergers in every other GCC state – Kuwait might finally join the club September 20, 2024 Oil & Gas Kuwait’s oil minister resigns amid energy challenges Kuwait’s finance minister, Nora Suleiman Al-Fassam, has been appointed acting oil minister, after the resignation on Sunday of the deputy prime minister and minister of oil, Imad Al-Ateeqi, amid ongoing political instability in the country. Al-Fassam is also minister of state for economic and investment affairs, having been appointed just last month. She came from […] September 9, 2024 Oil & Gas Opec cuts forecast for oil demand growth Lacklustre growth in the Chinese economy has caused Opec to trim its bullish forecast for growth in international oil demand this year. The oil producers’ group said on Tuesday that it was cutting its expectation for growth in demand by the world economy by 6 percent, or 135,000 barrels per day (bpd), to 2.1 million […] August 13, 2024 Construction Housing regulations amplify costs for Kuwait real estate Kuwait’s real estate industry is grappling with increased construction and labour costs as a result of stricter housing regulations. Authorities have clamped down on basements and ground floor areas being used for worker accommodation, leading to a shortage of affordable housing for low-paid expatriate construction workers in central areas. The change has led to an […] August 5, 2024 Posts navigation 1 2 3 Next
Finance Aldar secures $2.5bn credit facility to support growth Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s largest developer, has raised AED9 billion ($2.5 billion), taking its overall liquidity to AED27 billion to back its ongoing growth initiatives. The sustainability-linked multi-tranche revolving credit facility attracted orders from 15 global and regional financial institutions. The facility, which has a five-year tenor and incorporates conventional and Islamic tranches across AED […] January 13, 2025
Opinion Banking & Finance Stable, if lacking excitement: the outlook for Gulf banks GCC banks are well capitalised, have low cost-to-income ratios and have been generating healthy profits January 8, 2025
Analysis Real Estate Pricey homes and packed hotels: the year in GCC real estate The story of the Gulf property market this year was about decreased housing affordability and a growing gap between top-quality properties and second-tier ones. Meanwhile, surging numbers of international visitors in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar brought thriving hospitality and retail sectors in the main tourist hotspots. Industry observers expect 2025 to bring more […] December 27, 2024
Oil & Gas New oil minister in Kuwait after reshuffle A new oil minister, Tarek Suleiman Ahmed Al-Roumi, has been appointed in Kuwait as part of a broader cabinet reshuffle. Al-Roumi will replace Nora Suleiman Al-Fassam, who is Kuwait’s finance minister and was overseeing the oil ministry temporarily, the state news agency, Kuna, reported. Al-Fassam stepped in after the resignation in September of the deputy […] October 30, 2024
Renewable Energy Acwa Power signs $1.8bn deals to promote renewables Saudi renewable energy major Acwa Power has signed agreements worth $1.8 billion to develop renewable energy and battery storage projects, as well as research and development, across the GCC, China, Central Asia and North Africa. The agreements were signed during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. The first pact includes a $690 million agreement […] October 30, 2024
Transport Hafeet Rail secures $1.5bn loan for UAE-Oman rail link Hafeet Rail, formerly Oman and Etihad Rail Company, has secured funding of $1.5 billion from a consortium of regional and global banks for the 238km railway network. The $2.5 billion Omani-Emirati railway network project is the first link in a unified regional transport and logistics chain and will link five major ports and various industrial and free […] October 10, 2024
Opinion Banking & Finance Kuwait’s first banking merger is long overdue There have been bank mergers in every other GCC state – Kuwait might finally join the club September 20, 2024
Oil & Gas Kuwait’s oil minister resigns amid energy challenges Kuwait’s finance minister, Nora Suleiman Al-Fassam, has been appointed acting oil minister, after the resignation on Sunday of the deputy prime minister and minister of oil, Imad Al-Ateeqi, amid ongoing political instability in the country. Al-Fassam is also minister of state for economic and investment affairs, having been appointed just last month. She came from […] September 9, 2024
Oil & Gas Opec cuts forecast for oil demand growth Lacklustre growth in the Chinese economy has caused Opec to trim its bullish forecast for growth in international oil demand this year. The oil producers’ group said on Tuesday that it was cutting its expectation for growth in demand by the world economy by 6 percent, or 135,000 barrels per day (bpd), to 2.1 million […] August 13, 2024
Construction Housing regulations amplify costs for Kuwait real estate Kuwait’s real estate industry is grappling with increased construction and labour costs as a result of stricter housing regulations. Authorities have clamped down on basements and ground floor areas being used for worker accommodation, leading to a shortage of affordable housing for low-paid expatriate construction workers in central areas. The change has led to an […] August 5, 2024
