Dubai, United Arab Emirates - March 28, 2017:  The Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Boursa Kuwait in efforts to raise awareness of the Investor Relations (IR) function across the region through collaboration initiatives at local levels.

Alex MacDonald-Vitale, MEIRA Chairman, joined Mr. Khaled AlKhaled, Boursa Kuwait Vice Chairman and CEO, on the panel table at Boursa Kuwait headquarters on Thursday 23 March to mark the start of this agreement. 

MEIRA is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to promote IR best practice throughout the Middle East. Through this partnership, Boursa Kuwait will be playing a leading role in the support of the ‘MEIRA Kuwait Chapter’ and linking the organization to relevant stakeholders, while rolling out its various awareness and training programs with regards to investor relations.  

Commenting on this agreement, Khaled AlKhaled said: “Developing the exchange scene in Kuwait requires extensive work on many different levels. One primary level is engaging with our stakeholders with the persistent and consistent transparent approach, which we have adopted since the start. This has allowed us to establish positive relations with them that in turn has and will continue to support the evolvement of Boursa Kuwait into the leading exchange we seek to create.”

“Boursa Kuwait aims to partner with organizations and entities that share the same interests and objectives, in order to ensure a valuable outcome and a mutually beneficial partnership. In line with this agreement, Boursa Kuwait aims to further establish and deploy best practices with regards to the existing investor relations activities and framework, and indeed leverage the knowhow and competence of market experts, such as MEIRA.” AlKhaled added. 

The objectives of MEIRA are to foster a culture of effective communication between listed companies, exchanges, regulators, advisers and the buy and sell side communities in the Middle East, and to promote transparency in the market. The Association continues its efforts to bring awareness on the Investor Relations function across the Middle East by building up collaboration initiatives at local level. 

Commenting on its role in reinforcing effective investor relations, MacDonald-Vitale at MEIRA said: “Building on a long-standing relationship, we are delighted to be renewing our partnership with the Kuwaiti Exchange. This Memorandum of Understanding further strengthens the existing platform of collaboration between MEIRA and Boursa Kuwait, at a time when continued improvement in standards of best practice is of critical importance to the market’s development. Kuwait’s re-launch of the Bourse in 2016 was a benchmark achievement, and in turn we at MEIRA look forward to supporting this and other market initiatives as they evolve.' 

Following the signing of the MOU, MEIRA will be organising various training sessions in Investor Relations across the region, including Dubai from 02-03 May, and Kuwait from 29-30 April. The sessions will be open to the public for those interested in IR matters.