Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05KUWAIT1756
2005-05-01 04:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

KUWAIT STOCK EXCHANGE: AN INSIDE VIEW

Tags:  ECON EFIN BEXP PINR KU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001756 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/AME, 3131/USFCS/OIO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN BEXP PINR KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT STOCK EXCHANGE: AN INSIDE VIEW

REF: KUWAIT 1373

This cable is sensitive but unclassified; please protect
accordingly. Not for Internet distribution.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001756

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/AME, 3131/USFCS/OIO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN BEXP PINR KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT STOCK EXCHANGE: AN INSIDE VIEW

REF: KUWAIT 1373

This cable is sensitive but unclassified; please protect
accordingly. Not for Internet distribution.


1. (U) Summary: Econ Officer met on April 27 with Kuwait
Stock Exchange Manager of the Technical Bureau Department Ms.
Wafa Mohamed Al-Rasheed for an overview and tour of the
Exchange. Al-Rasheed described the modernization and
upgrading of the Exchange, including the installation of a
new electronic trading display system provided by a U.S.
company. She described the regulatory environment of the
Exchange as "very restricted", and laid out some elements of
the Exchange's Strategic Development Plan, which she is
implementing. She spoke of the need for additional training
in the U.S. for her staff and asked for Embassy assistance in
communicating with U.S. training institutions. End Summary.

KSE: Background and Overview
--------------


2. (U) On April 27, Econ Officer met with KSE Manager of the
Technical Bureau Department Ms. Wafa Mohamed Al-Rasheed to
learn more about the stock exchange, the current trading
environment and future directions of the KSE. The Kuwait
Stock Exchange (KSE),having broken the 8,000 point barrier
on April 3 (reftel),continues to set new records and has
gained over 30% so far this year. The modern Exchange was
organized by Amiri Decree in 1983 and adopted an electronic
trading system in 1995. The KSE makes money by charging
brokerage houses 30% of their trading commissions, plus fees
for initial company listings and company membership fees.
The KSE is currently listing 120 Kuwaiti companies, 14
non-Kuwaiti companies, and a handful of mutual funds, and is
open for trading 3 hours a day, Saturday to Wednesday.
Individuals can register to buy and sell shares on the
exchange (there are currently over 70,000 registered
investors),and there are 14 licensed brokerage houses that
can place orders at the KSE on behalf of individual
investors. By an Amiri Decree passed in 2000, foreigners can
own up to 49% of the shares of the Kuwaiti companies listed
on the exchange. Al-Rasheed said that there are about 200
foreign individuals with stock trading accounts, but no
corporations yet. She attributed the absence of foreign

companies to the tax law, which would require any foreign
corporation making profits in Kuwait to pay 50% taxes on
those profits.

The Soaring Market: "It Makes No Sense"
--------------


3. (U) When asked about specific reasons for the daily
records set by the KSE, Al-Rasheed said that "it makes no
sense" and could not be attributed to any specific market
fundamentals. She explained that most of the trading
actually takes place by the 14 licensed brokers, who take
orders over the phone from their clients. The hundreds of
people sitting around at the market everyday represent
individual traders who, in Al-Rasheed's opinion, are actually
doing very little trading and are mostly just "passing the
time." She noted that many of them are retired Kuwaitis and
that their presence creates a "herd mentality" which can
drive stocks up or down very quickly.

Technological Advancements
--------------


4. (U) Al-Rasheed described how the KSE has evolved from a
system based on an erasable whiteboard to one on par with the
most technologically advanced stock exchanges of the world.
Daktronics, based in South Dakota, completed an initial
installation of the first phase, worth $1.5 million, of an
integrated electronic display system in December 2004. In
March 2004, the KSE awarded Daktronics an additional $7
million contract for the second phase of the project. Two of
the 14 licensed brokers are currently taking stock orders
from their clients online, according to Al-Rasheed, with the
others expected to follow soon. Al-Rasheed added that the
KSE itself plans to implement direct online purchasing
through its website (http://www.kuwaitse.com). Al-Rasheed
also said that the KSE would soon create new sector
classifications, adding new categories for Islamic
investments, holding companies, and the IT sector.


KSE Regulated "More Than Other Markets"
--------------


5. (U) Al-Rasheed said that, based on her experiences with
other stock markets, the KSE was highly regulated, perhaps
more so than most others. She said that insider trading was
prohibited, and that KSE employees need to put in a written
request if they themselves wish to purchase stocks. Most
supervision of companies is done through the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry and through the bank lenders of the
companies, Al-Rasheed explained, and not through the KSE.
The KSE only provides supervision over actual trading
activity, and has suspended companies from trading on the
exchange for various suspicious activities related to
inflation of stock prices. Noting recent news reports about
the over-subscription of a number of high-profile initial
public offerings, Al-Rasheed said that the KSE was trying to
cut down on "group buying" of IPO shares and was going to
limit individuals to buying just the shares allotted to a
person and his or her immediate family. IPO shares of new
companies have always been distributed on an individual
basis, Al-Rasheed explained, but some individuals would buy
or "rent" the Civil IDs of many people and purchase stocks on
their behalf, then simply hold on to all of the stocks.

Women: They Can't Vote, But They Get Their Own Trading Hall
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) Al-Rasheed took great personal pride in the "Ladies
Trading Hall", which is a separate area for women on the
upper floor of the exchange. She said that even she, as a
high-ranking employee of the exchange, feels uncomfortable
going on to the main floor because there are so many men
there. She said that women had complained to the KSE
management that their husbands, brothers, uncles, etc., were
taking their money and playing the stock market, and that the
women had no control over how the men invested the money. To
rectify the situation, and to allow women to feel comfortable
at the exchange, KSE created the Ladies Trading Hall as a
separate area. It is well-equipped and even has the new
Daktronics display system before the men have it in the main
trading area. On the day that we visited the KSE, the Hall
was quite active, with about 50 women present. The KSE
provides a female employee who can train the women traders.
Al-Rasheed said that the Hall was doing very well. She
described herself as a supporter of women's rights, including
the right to vote and run for office. She said that she
thinks the whole voting issue is really about money and the
fact that the men "just don't want to share the cake."

Seeking U.S. Training Opportunities
--------------


7. (U) Al-Rasheed spoke of the need for more training for
KSE employees and specifically mentioned her desire to get
more employees to the U.S. for training. She asked for
post's assistance in getting some of her staff to the NY
Institute of Finance for training. (Comment: Post has
contacted the appropriate person at the NYIF and put the two
organizations in contact.) Al-Rasheed said that she
regularly visits stock exchanges around the world to get new
ideas and usually tries to keep the KSE ahead or on par with
other exchanges. She and other KSE staff had attended a U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission workshop in the U.S. in
the past, but did not attend this year because one of her KSE
colleagues was unable to secure his visa in time to attend.

Bio Note
--------------


8. (SBU) Al-Rasheed speaks excellent English and travels to
the U.S. often. She is one of 15 children. One of her
brothers is the recently appointed Minister of Information,
Annas Al-Rasheed. Another brother, Ahmad Al-Rasheed, is
Manager of Kuwait Oil Company's Planning Group, and one
sister, Maha, is a well-known attorney.

********************************************
Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
********************************************
LEBARON