Kuwait
Reforms helped oil states weather shock – Kuwaiti governor
Governor says banks may not have fared so well without regulatory reforms; he says operational risks rules may need adjustment in face of cyber attacks
Kuwait could create financial stability committee – IMF
The central bank could strengthen supervision by creating a new committee, say IMF staff; the country is weathering oil shocks well
Basel III challenging to implement in Islamic countries – Kuwait’s Al-Hashel
Central bank governor says discretion for Islamic systems, “though well-intended”, could create divergence and opportunities for regulatory arbitrage
NPLs down overall but progress is uneven – Kuwaiti report
Kuwaiti banks’ non-performing loans fell in aggregate in 2015 though they are on the rise in the household sector; banks well capitalised but asset growth slowing, financial stability report finds
Kuwait joins hikers club in wake of Fed rate rise
Kuwait look to strengthen currency after Fed rate rise; UAE and Saudi Arabia, which operate with dollar pegs, also move
Level playing field could help ‘unlock’ Islamic finance potential, says Lagarde
Speakers at the Islamic Finance Conference in Kuwait highlight the growth benefits of financial inclusion, especially for underserved parts of the Muslim population
Kuwaiti banks perform well under stress, report shows
Banks in Kuwait showed resilience during stress tests and strengthened their balance sheets in 2014, financial stability report shows; conventional banks more cost-efficient than Islamic
Kuwait breaks new ground with regulatory data release
Central Bank of Kuwait releases quarterly ‘financial soundness’ indicators including capital adequacy and regulatory liquidity; few central banks release similar data at such high frequencies
IMF praises Central Bank of Kuwait’s ‘proactive’ approach
Central bank is ‘proactive’ in its liquidity management and macro-prudential supervision, IMF report says; publishing more timely information on oil sector would be ‘useful’
Central Bank of Kuwait highlights improving banking sector health
Banking sector saw improvements on ‘almost all fronts’ as Islamic banking continued to rise, according to annual financial stability report; income and return on equity see drop
Central Bank of Kuwait puts own building on new banknote
Banknote series unveiled yesterday will come into circulation on June 29; new features include raised print to help blind people tell which note they are holding
Gulf statistics centre to promote transparency by working ‘hand-in-hand' with IMF
GCC-Stat, a joint effort by the Gulf states to improve collation of national data, hailed by IMF as an ‘important boost' that will harmonise implementation of international standards
Kuwaiti central bank details triumvirate of stress tests
Central Bank of Kuwait releases annual report; details its three-pronged approach to stress-testing the country’s banks
Central Bank of Kuwait revamps bank governance rules
New rules make improvements to regulations in light of global financial crisis and recent issuances from Basel Committee and Financial Stability Board; effective date set for next year
Kuwait selects new governor from outside country's ruling family
Mohammed Al-Hashel takes over as governor; has been acting governor since Sheikh Salem Abdul Aziz Al-Sabah’s resignation last month
Kuwaiti governor resigns after 25 years as chief
Sheikh Salem AbdulAziz Al-Sabah resigns after a quarter of a century as governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait; reports point to political tensions as cause
Kuwait central bank employees protest over pay
Central bank workers want salary increases; latest government workers to demand more after oil sector employees receive up to 66% wage hike
Lending and investment operations split in Kuwait
Kuwait asks investment firms to apply for separate licences for lending and investment operations; mirrors “ring-fencing” in the United Kingdom
Central Bank of Kuwait – Quarterly Statistics Bulletin (Oct – Dec 2009)
Kuwaiti central bank’s Quarterly Statistics Bulletin shows lending improvements in the fourth quarter of last year, focused predominately on oil and gas sector
Gulf markets integrated enough for monetary union
IMF economists’ work indicates stage set for single-currency project
Kuwait makes surprise 50bp cut
Central Bank of Kuwait trims half a percentage point off key rate in the face of low inflationary pressures and to encourage lending to non-oil sectors
Kuwait SWF sells Citi stake for $1.1 bn profit
Kuwait Investment Authority announces sale of its Citigroup share; follows Singapore GIC’s sale of Citi stake in September
Too early for global exit strategy - Saudi chief
Muhammad Al-Jasser, governor of Saudi Arabia’s central bank, cautions against a rushed withdrawal from expansionary measures
Central Bank of Kuwait - Annual Report 2007-08
The Central Bank of Kuwait continued its efforts during the fiscal year 2007-08 to control domestic liquidity growth rates by taking various measures to manage the noticeable rise in credit facilities available in the country.