KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait said on Monday that it is expected to offer shares of its first public-private partnership project to investors on the Kuwait stock exchange in the first quarter of 2018.

The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) said it had appointed an NBK Capital-led consortium as the advisor and offering manager for the distribution and transfer of shares in Shamal Azzour Al-Oula, which are currently held by KAPP, to Kuwaiti citizens.

Shamal Azzour Al-Oula is the owner and operator of Kuwait's first and only independent power and water plant.

(Reporting by Ahmed Hagagy and Tom Arnold; Editing by Saeed Azhar) ((Saeed.Azhar@thomsonreuters.com; +65-64035664 ; Reuters Messaging: saeed.azhar.reuters.com@reuters.net))