A LEADING LIGHT

摘要

Kuwait punches well above its weight on the global stage of islamic finance. Despite the country's relatively small size, it ranks fourth globally in terms of total sharia-compliant assets, which are estimated to be about $90bn according to research from EY. Though this ranking excludes Iran, which has a fully sharia-compliant financial system, it positions Kuwait in a league with much larger economies in the Middle East and beyond. This position of strength is the result of Kuwait's roots as one of the earliest pioneers of Islamic finance - Kuwait Finance House (KFH) was established in 1977 - but it also stems from the extraordinary growth enjoyed by the industry in the intervening years.