"The Central Bank: UNCTAD's data on foreign investment in Kuwait are preliminary estimates and do not reflect official figures"

In the context of its continuous monitoring of discussions in media and various platforms regarding the Kuwaiti economy, particularly concerning the Global Investment Trends 2026 report issued on July 7, 2026, by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and its data on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows and stocks in the State of Kuwait, the Central Bank of Kuwait clarified that the data presented in the UNCTAD Global Investment Trends 2026 report on FDI in Kuwait for 2025 represent preliminary estimates and do not reflect the official final data of the State of Kuwait. The Bank emphasized that actual data based on balance of payments statistics, issued by the Central Bank of Kuwait, provide a more accurate picture of FDI flows during 2025.

The Central Bank of Kuwait noted that actual data published on its website show that the value of Kuwait’s direct investments abroad (outward flows) reached approximately 915 million Kuwaiti dinars in 2025, equivalent to about 3 billion US dollars. These flows reflect the expansion of private sector institutions, particularly banks, in their external investments as part of asset management strategies, international presence, and investment diversification, within the framework of their external investment activities.

Regarding inward FDI flows into Kuwait, the Central Bank indicated that they amounted to approximately 126.4 million Kuwaiti dinars in 2025, equivalent to about 412.4 million US dollars.

With regard to stocks, data indicate that Kuwait’s FDI stock continued to rise in recent years, reaching approximately 5.4 billion Kuwaiti dinars at the end of 2025, equivalent to about 17.6 billion US dollars. This reflects the accumulation of existing foreign direct investments in the Kuwaiti economy and its continued attractiveness as an investment destination.

FDI flows include investments that grant the foreign investor a significant influence (10% or more) in an enterprise located within or outside the country. They do not include securities (shares and bonds representing less than 10%), financial derivatives, deposits, loans, and other financial instruments. If the scope were expanded to include all the aforementioned financial instruments, inward flows would rise to approximately 11.8 billion Kuwaiti dinars, equivalent to about 38.5 billion US dollars.

The Central Bank of Kuwait concluded its statement by noting that stakeholders and interested parties can follow developments in FDI in Kuwait through the latest balance of payments statistics and international investment position data available on the Central Bank of Kuwait’s website (www.cbk.gov.kw).