KUWAIT CITY, June 8: Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz), one of the Middle East’s leading investment banking and asset management companies, organized an in-house workshop on Capital Market Law featuring senior partners from Al-Ruwayeh & Partners (ASAR), a leading Kuwaiti legal services firm at the Holiday Inn — Downtown.
Speakers from ASAR included Mr Hossam Abdullah — Corporate, Banking & Finance Partner, who presented different angles such as the pressing need for establishing a Capital Market Authority, laws to regulate the Kuwait Stock Exchange and protect shareholders’ rights and increase transparency and credibility, to attract foreign investors. The workshop also covered the principles behind the CMA Law, and identified underlying parties.
Whereas Mr.Robert Little — Corporate, Banking & Finance Partner discussed select transitional issues related to the Law and answered some questions.

Ms Rasha A. Al-Hamad, Senior Vice-President of Human Resources and Administration at Markaz said, “Markaz always advocated for implementing a Capital Market Authority Law in Kuwait. As one of the oldest investment companies and a major local asset manager, Markaz plays an important role managing mutual funds and portfolios that invest in listed stocks in the KSE. Markaz clients range from sovereign funds to governmental and private institutions, in addition to high-net-worth individuals and small investors.”
Al Hamad added, “As a result of the workshop, Markaz employees including our executive, investment, and legal teams now have heightened awareness of the Law’s intricacies, which will no doubt be reflected on their performance towards ensuring that our stakeholder’s rights are fully protected.”
Kuwait Financial Centre ‘Markaz,’ with total assets under management of over Kd 921 million as of March 31, 2010, was established in 1974 has become one of the leading asset management and investment banking institutions in the Arabian Gulf Region. Markas was listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) in 1997.