KUWAITI WOMEN LEADING COMPANIES

KUWAITI WOMEN LEADING COMPANIES

Kuwaiti women account for more than half of the society, which the latest statistics indicate that it has reached about 657,000 people, which make up about 50.4% of the total population of Kuwait. Kuwaiti women have participated in the building of society and the modern state, starting with an interest in growing up, and towards education and literacy in the 1970s, which contributed to her assumption of many administrative and executive positions in various state institutions. The high initiative of His Highness the Emir of the country, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah- may God bless and nurture - women for their political role, to elect and run for the Kuwaiti Parliament in 2005, also has the effect of affirming women's ability to perform their national duties to the fullest. The role of women is not limited to these additions, but has been extended to many administrative institutions in the financial and business companies and towards wealth generation in the private sector.

Through International Women's Day - March 8, EXCPR CO. has played a role in this and has been keen to take care of the role of women and highlight their position in the financial and business sector. In this regard, the spirit of competition and achievements does not recognize a particular gender, but that the results and additions are what distinguishes a company only. In addition, many international institutions have taken on the index of women's representation in institutional processes, which we are doing to project these effects on private sector companies in Kuwait. The following are the highlights of the report by EXCPR CO.:

KUWAITI WOMEN AS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kuwaiti women have gained the trust of members of the General Assembly of listed companies to take supervisory positions in those companies. In doing so, it has also been able to gain the confidence of foreign investors and the group of small investors in that management representation. In this regard, Kuwaiti women were represented on the boards of directors of companies listed on Boursa Kuwait - Kuwait Stock Exchange - about 30.1% of the 163 listed companies. This ratio shows that in every three local companies, at least one of them has a women representation on the Board of Directors, in order to diversify opinions and experiences towards supporting the decision-making process and its industry. The total number of companies co-managed by Kuwaiti women amounted to USD 33.6 billion , which represents about 40.7% of the total value of the Kuwaiti market. The following illustration shows the proportion of Kuwaiti women on the boards of listed companies. 

The following table shows the distribution of leadership positions for Kuwaiti women in various business sectors:

KUWAITI WOMEN AS CEOs

Just as Kuwaiti women have been able to reach the management stage of listed companies and exceed them, they have also been able to compete with men in the implementation phase and achieve the strategic objectives that board members are looking for. The fact that these seats are a milestone in gaining the confidence of the elected board members in their ability to manage the company and conserve funds and resources. The trust that the owners of these companies have for Kuwaiti women in managing their money and wealth is another competitive sign that shows how capable this segment of society is in generating wealth and amplifying the profits achieved. In this regard, according to the report of EXCPR CO., the percentage of women in executive positions in companies listed on Boursa Kuwait was about 5.5%. This percentage is not simple, as the executive position is intended to be a very limited number of positions, which is only a position of CEO or deputy. Although this percentage has declined for some, the results show that the total number of companies that Kuwaiti women were able to lead was about USD 28.4 billion - and equivalent to 28.4% of the total value of the Kuwaiti market. The following figure shows the market value of women-led companies in Kuwait:

The following table shows the most prominent local companies that have given Kuwaiti women the confidence to lead their executive and senior management:

KUWAITI WOMEN AS INVESTOR

In addition, the role of Kuwaiti women is not limited to the stage of corporate governance and leadership, but goes beyond that to reach the stage of investment and choose the best companies with good financial returns. In this regard, the report of EXCPR CO. indicates that the total market value of companies invested by Kuwaiti women amounted to USD 417 million - according to the disclosures made on them. 

Finally, as the company's report shows, the representation of Kuwaiti women on the board of directors and executive management was about 30.1%, which is very close to the global percentage of women, which was 34%, according to World Bank statistics and reports. The proportion of Kuwaiti women in administrative representation exceeds that of the Middle East, which was only 23%. 

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