(MENAFN- Arab Times) The Middle East Investor Relations Society (MEIRS) - Kuwait Chapter organised on April 20 the Chapter's first meetingin 2015, held in the presence of a large number of attendees, including representatives from its founding members NBK, Zain Group, KIPCO and independent member Dalal Al-Dousary, as well as representatives from Boursa Kuwait Securities Company (BKSC). The meeting was also attended by investor relations experts and representatives from Kuwait's leading listed companies.
In line with the government's commitment to improving conditions in the stock market, MEIRS announced it is working alongside regulators and stakeholders to raise the standard and quality of corporate investor relations. MEIRS is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting international best practice Investor Relations standards across the region and has setup its Kuwait chapter last year to reaffirm its commitment to the local market.
Through training courses, forums and other outreach activities, the Kuwait Chapter will serve as an educational platform and will help establish a diversified community of investor relations professionals in Kuwait to implement best practices and boost transparency and communication between investors and listed companies.
Oliver Schutzmann, MEIRS Chairman, said: "Together with NBK, Zain Group, KIPCO and BKSC, and our trusted partners and industry stakeholders, we aim to implement best practices which will boost the creation of a diversified world of investor relations experts in Kuwait and the wider Middle East markets, which will in turn increase the level of transparency and professionalism in dealing with local and international investors."
This meeting represents one of the largest hosted by MEIRS since its establishment, and was undertaken in the presence of Oliver Schutzmann, Chairman of MEIRS; Alex MacDonald-Vitale, Board member of MEIRS and representative of HSBC; and Clemence Piot, General Manager of MEIRS.
Mohammad Abdal, MEIRS Kuwait Chapter Chairman and Executive Director of Zain Group Investor Relations, said, "Along with my colleagues from NBK and KIPCO, we recognize the importance of holding meetings to help raise awareness regarding the role of investor relations in Kuwait, which is vital for continued coordination and cooperation between corporations, regulatory bodies and investors."
Abdal continued: "The main role of the investor relations departments is to strengthen the channels of communication with shareholders and investors in such a way that helps us outline a true picture of an organization's value."
Dia Al-Khars, Secretary of the Board of BKSC, described the meeting as "very successful and constructive" thanks to the high-level participation, with experts and representatives of major companies that are listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, who enriched the discussions and provided guidance on how to help improve the investor relations function.
Al-Khars said: "BKSC is pleased to be part of these efforts, and looks forward to more cooperation with the members of MEIRS in all the projects and initiatives it launches in order to reinforce the main channels of communication and interaction with and for listed companies."
Al-Khars added: "Such meetings and discussions give us a better understanding of the challenges that face the investor relations community. At BKSC, we are very interested in identifying these challenges so that we can implement best practices in this important area."
MEIRS announced in 2014 the inauguration of its Kuwait chapter, and the recent meeting showed strong commitment to the provision of added value to the members of the Society and its associate chapters. It was agreed that a series of investor relations courses will take place in Kuwait between 23 and 24 May 2015, through which the United Kingdom IR Society together with MEIRS will award an accredited Investor Relations Certificate to the delegates. This is the only specialized accredited certification for Investor Relations in the Middle East.
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