Kuwait boasts one of the most respected Islamic finance markets in the world. But ever keen to move with the times, the country is establishing a capital markets authority law designed to develop the domestic sukuk market, one of many recent boosts the industry has received.

Banks across the Arab world continue to perform well despite the turbulent political environment, according to The Banker’s Top 100 Arab banks ranking. 

Hit hard by the global financial crisis and a stagnant domestic political scene, Kuwait is now emerging as a stable, pro-business destination with a buoyant private sector and an economy moving away from its reliance on oil, as James King discovers.

The governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait, Mohammad Al-Hashel, has every reason to look to the future with optimism, given that the country's banking sector is coping well with low oil prices, welcoming foreign entrants, bringing down its NPL ratio and helping diversify the country's economy. 

Oil prices may have dropped, but Kuwait is investing heavily in the hydrocarbons sector this year in a bid to meet an ambitious production target. James King reports.

Despite its small size, Kuwait has long been a key player within the global Islamic finance industry, and with its sharia-compliant institutions posting strong figures in 2014, this position only looks likely to strengthen.

Kuwait’s banks are slowly recovering from the global financial crisis and bankers are optimistic for 2015. However, issues remain, including high exposure to the real estate market, outstanding debt settlements and a funding shortfall for the country’s SMEs. 

The dual blow of declining oil prices and increasing instability in neighbouring Iraq hit the Kuwait Stock Exchange hard in 2014. But hopes are high that it will rally in 2015, after a modest rise in the weighted index in January. 

In a career that has spanned more than 50 years, Ibrahim Dabdoub has transformed the National Bank of Kuwait from a small local player into a global force. Now that he has chosen to step down from his position as chief executive, The Banker reflects on the legacy that he will leave behind.

Islamic banking already has a strong presence in Kuwait. With a number of innovative lenders competing in the sector, and support and regulatory oversight from the country's central bank, it looks as though the industry can only become a more prominent fixture on the country's financial landscape.