Kuwait City :—The Business Year (TBY), a leading global media group that has been providing investors, businesses, and governments with first-hand insights into the world’s most dynamic markets for 15 years, and the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), came together to host The Kuwait Innovation Forum and launch The Business Year: Kuwait 2024, TBY’s seventh annual publication on the Kuwaiti economy.

As one of the economic enablers of Kuwait’s economy, KDIPA has been playing its part in helping businesses adopt resilient, agile, and sustainable business practices in line with the country’s Vision 2035.

The event, which took place this April 23 at the Arraya Ballroom in Kuwait City, was attended by over 240 leaders from the Kuwaiti economy. Representatives of both the private and public sectors gathered to discuss the potential of technology and innovation in empowering the country’s business landscape. 

The opening remarks were given by HE Dr. Anwar Ali Al-Mudhaf, Kuwait Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic and Investment Affairs, followed by a presentation by Khaled AlShamlan, CEO of Kuwait Finance House, then Waleed Al Khashti, Chief Corporate Affairs and Relations Officer at Zain Kuwait.

The event featured two panels. The first addressed Kuwait’s development landscape, covering real estate, infrastructure, and innovation, and featured Mazen Hawwa, Vice-Chairman and Group CEO of United Real Estate Co.; Dr. Ahmad Alshorbagy, Head of Projects and International Dispute Resolution at Al-Yaqout & Al-Fouzan Legal Group, and Abdullah Al Saleh, CEO of Sakan. The discussion was moderated by Nasser Al Khreibut, DG for Planning and Design at PAHW.

The second panel covered the digitalization landscape and featured Sheikh Ahmad Duaij Jaber Al Sabah, Chairman of the Kuwait Banking Association; David Rutter, CEO of R3; Faisal Alharoun, Managing Director-Kuwait at Tap Payments; and Dalal Alrayes, Co-Founder & CEO at Spare. The discussion was moderated by Alex Krunic, Senior Consultant at Al Tijari.

The event was co-organized by The Business Year and KDIPA, with the support of Kuwait Finance House (KFH), Zain, United Real Estate Co., BIG - Beyout Investment Group, Sakan, Commercial Bank of Kuwait – Al-Tijari, Warba Bank, Tap Payments, Kuwait Banking Association (KBA), Al-Yaqout & Al-Fouzan Legal Group, M2R Group, Al Qabas, Al-Mulla Rental and Leasing, AmCham Kuwait, and the German Business Council Kuwait.

The Business Year: Kuwait 2024 will be available on key business information platforms, including Bloomberg Terminal, Refinitiv Eikon, Dow Jones Factiva, and FactSet. It is also available on PressReader, Google Books, Issuu, and at thebusinessyear.com

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