FAISAL ALI AL MUTAWA Chairman and MD of Bayan Investment Co.

AMONG the factors driving what he views as a long-term rising trend on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, Faisal Ali Al Mutawa pinpoints the heightened sense of security since Saddam Hussein ceased to rule neighboring Iraq.

“Security in the area is no longer a problem,” says Mr. Al Mutawa, Chairman and Managing Director of Bayan Investment Co. “Safety has a very important psychological effect that feeds into the boom we are in and has had a positive impact on the stock market.”

Formed by a group of businessmen, banks and financial institutions in 1997, Bayan Investment Co. has won a strong reputation for its local and international investment services, featuring among the top 150 companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

It was the leading investment company in Kuwait in 2004 in terms of profits, and in the first quarter of 2005 recorded the highest profits ever posted by a
Kuwaiti investment company.

Among its many services, Bayan manages investment portfolios on behalf of clients, and advises on participation in international investments, both direct and indirect. The company also provides access to investment opportunities in selected sectors, in addition to initial public offerings (IPOs) and private placements.

Mr. Al Mutawa firmly believes Kuwait has the potential to become a financial, commercial and services center. “We believe in it and we think this is what Kuwait needs to do,” he says.

“It has all the ingredients, including its strategic location next to Iraq which will require huge construction efforts for the next 20 years. Once security is attained in Iraq, it will be one of the biggest workshops since the Second World War’s Marshall Plan. Kuwait has to be prepared to be the gateway for the reconstruction of Iraq.”

Mr. Al Mutawa affirms Kuwait has a strong, vibrant, and experienced private sector and wants to see a greater role for it in the development of the economy.

A leading advocate of close ties with the U.S., and co-founder of the liberal National Democratic Mov-ement, he urges investors to consider Kuwait as a potential oasis of investment and to take advantage of the liberalization of the economy.

“Bayan would be happy to assist U.S. investors in particular,” he says. “We have the know-how, the capability, and the system to make investments as professional as possible.”