KUWAIT  - A consortium led by Kuwait's National Investment Co has won the tender to acquire 44 percent of the Kuwait stock exchange, NIC's chairman said on Thursday.

"The winner is the private sector, the investors and the listed companies, all the ideas we said about developing the bourse will be implemented," Hamad al-Omairi told Reuters.

The consortium, which includes Athens Stock Exchange, Arzan Financial Group and First Investment, offered 237 Kuwaiti fils per share for the stake purchase, he said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Hagagy Writng by Saeed Azhar Editing by Edmund Blair) ((Saeed.Azhar@thomsonreuters.com; +971 44536787; Reuters Messaging: saeed.azhar.reuters.com@reuters.net))