Assessing the need for government intervention
The Kuwait Investment Sector proved to be highly leveraged in 2008. Based on company filings, the investment sector had a Debt/Equity ratio of 0.94 in 2007, which shot up to 1.48 in 2008 as companies took on more debt and lost Equity on account of changes in Fair Value reserves and accumulated Losses. If the Liabilities were to remain constant in 2009, we would expect Total Equity to contract to about KD 3.09 bn, coinciding with a drop in Total Assets to KD 8.32 bn as assets continue to lose value or be liquidated in order to pay off existing debt. This would cause the sector’s debt to equity ratio to jump up to 1.70. In other words, the sector would need an Equity injection of KD 2.13 bn in order to bring the leverage ratio back to 1.00. This is a reasonable figure and well within the country’s ability to provide given the vast reserves it has accumulated in the past few years on the back of Under the auspices of and in the presence of the Minister of Health Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer
Markaz recently sponsored a graduation ceremony of the Faculty of 2008 Medicine - University of Kuwait, which was under the patronage of Minister of Health Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer.
The ceremony included a speech by the Minister, and a speech by Dr. Fuad Ali, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and the distribution of diplomas to the graduates. The ceremony was attended by faculty in the College of Medicine - University of Kuwait, as well as the families of graduates.
In this context, Ms. Mariam Abdullah Al-Suwailem - Assistant Manager, Media and Communications at Markaz said, "We continue to provide support and encouragement of the Faculty of Medicine - University of Kuwait for the third consecutive year, where we have over the last three years in collaboration with the Kuwait Medical Students Association contributed to the students' library as well as other charitable activities such as visiting the orphange. In conclusion I wish to congratulate the students and their families on behalf of Markaz and wish them further growth and prosperity."
# # #Photo: Minister Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer visiting the Markaz boothising oil prices.