Boursa Kuwait and MEIRA organize workshop to showcase international best practice in annual reporting and IR websites

Boursa Kuwait held an Investor Relations (IR) workshop titled “Making the most of your annual report and IR website”, at its premises, in collaboration with the Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA) and its Kuwait Chapter on Wednesday, November 20, 2019. The one-day event, which attracted more than 100 IR practitioners from companies listed on Boursa Kuwait, highlighted the latest trends and international best practices for annual reports and IR websites.

Mr. Fahad Al-Bisher, Director of Investor Relations at Boursa Kuwait, delivered the welcome address highlighting the significance of the annual report and investor relations website in communicating a company’s message to prospective investors.  Mr. Al-Bisher also shed light on how the two were serving as the organization’s windows to the outside world.

“The IR website and the annual report play an integral role in communicating your investment story to prospective clients. Offering valuable insights into financial performance and company developments, annual reports help attract new investors and build stronger relationships with stakeholders. With a dedicated portal or an IR section on the company website, organizations can engage investors in the business, both locally and abroad, more effectively,” said Mr. Al-Bisher.

Mr. Al-Bisher also commented on the role of Boursa Kuwait in strengthening the investor relations field, saying, “In keeping with the commitment to promoting a robust, sustainable capital markets ecosystem in Kuwait, Boursa Kuwait has been exploring all avenues to empower our stakeholders, from listed companies and investors to other market participants, to achieve their business goals as well as drive our journey together towards realizing our shared vision. The sixth IR seminar in collaboration with MEIRA has built on the success of our previous workshops to advance the investor relations landscape in our country and we look forward to more fruitful partnerships in the future.”

The workshop welcomed George Allen, Associate Partner at Instinctif Partners and Natasha Nelson, Account Director at Emperor, who explained international standards in developing a world-class annual report while presenting some case studies from regional and international companies. Both Instinctif Partners and Emperor are reputable international and regional consultancy firms specialized in communications, Investor Relations and annual reports.

MEIRA General Manager John Gollifer concluded the event by offering an interactive presentation on IR websites and explaining how IR practitioners can enhance their micro-sites, especially in the context of the annual MEIRA IR Awards, celebrated every September.

Commenting on the session, John Gollifer, said: “We are always delighted to collaborate with Boursa Kuwait and share with IR representatives in Kuwait international market practices that will support them in their day-to-day activities. The annual report and the IR website are both essential communication channels and we at MEIRA are committed to sharing best practice IR with Boursa-listed companies. At the MEIRA Awards in September 2019, we recognized the best players in the Middle East and we are certain we will see new companies making it to the top of the list in the upcoming years”.

The workshop is part of a series of events held by Boursa Kuwait in collaboration with MEIRA and its Kuwait Chapter as part of the MOU signed between both entities back in 2017. The workshops aim to raise awareness about IR best practice and enable listed companies to benefit from effective IR processes and frameworks to drive business growth while helping advance the capital markets in Kuwait.