Kuwait's Capital Markets Authority has granted an investment adviser licence to BlackRock Advisors (UK) Ltd, a unit of global asset manager BlackRock, the regulator said in a statement on Wednesday.

BlackRock has markedly expanded its footprint across the Gulf, in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha, cementing partnerships that span fund management, infrastructure, and advisory.

Despite its deep pockets and economic ambition, Kuwait has notably lagged Gulf neighbors in drawing private equity investment. High regulatory hurdles, foreign ownership restrictions and bureaucratic red tape under its semi-democratic system create significant friction for investors. "This achievement marks a milestone in the development of Kuwait’s financial market and confirms the state’s ability to attract major global institutions," the CMA said of the BlackRock Advisors licence.

Since assuming the throne in December 2023, Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah has moved to break years of political gridlock, by dissolving the parliament for four years, and pressing forward with stalled economic reforms.

($1 = 0.3053 Kuwaiti dinars) (Reporting by Ahmed Hagagy; writing by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Jan Harvey and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)