KUWAIT, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- The Kuwaiti banking sector contributed 60.9 percent to Boursa Kuwait's capital value as of the end of 2025, showed a specialized economic report on Saturday.
The sector was also the most attractive to indirect foreign investment and the most liquid among the stock exchange's listed sectors (13 sectors), having made up 26.8 percent of its total liquidity during the past year, the Al-Shall Consulting Company's report showed.
The banking sector's indicator edged up by roughly 19.9 percent, and foreigners' relative contribution surged between late 2024 and late 2025, it said, describing foreigners' ownership as "so stable" that it slightly changes up or down, depending on the sector's indicator performance.
The absolute value of foreign investments in the sector went up at the end of last year to around KD 5.182 billion (about USD 15.8 billion) from around KD 4.014 billion (about USD 12.2 billion) at the end of 2024, it indicated.
This figure is equivalent to roughly 16.01 percent of the market capital value of the sector, and it was approximately 15.10 percent at the end of 2024.
Foreign ownership was concentrated in five banks, accounting for 97.1 percent of their investments, leaving only 2.9 percent in other banks, including roughly KD 2.413 billion (about USD 7.3 billion) in the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), KD 2.065 billion (about USD 6.2 billion) in Kuwait Finance House (KFH), KD 223.6 million (about USD 682 million) in Boubyan Bank, and KD 194.8 million (about USD 594.14 million) in Gulf Bank and KD 134.6 million (about USD 410.5 million in Warba Bank.
The National Bank of Kuwait topped the list in relative foreign ownership at 27.19 percent of its capital value, followed by Kuwait Finance House by 14.19 percent and second in absolute ownership value, showed the report.
Gulf Bank came third in relative ownership at 13.70 percent, while it ranked fourth in relative foreign ownership, followed by Kuwait International Bank in fourth place at around 11.75 percent and seventh place in absolute ownership, according to the report. (end) mka.mt