(Bloomberg) — BlackRock Inc. is exploring plans to open an office in Kuwait, according to people familiar with the matter, marking the asset manager’s latest effort aimed at deepening ties to the oil-rich region.
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The firm is in discussions with regulators and could make a final decision as soon as this month, the people said, declining to be identified as the information is confidential.
A representative for BlackRock declined to comment.
Its chief executive officer, Larry Fink, was in Kuwait on Monday and met with the ruling emir, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, as well as the crown prince, state-run KUNA news agency reported earlier.
BlackRock has close links to Kuwait, and Fink typically visits the country annually. The firm counts the $1 trillion Kuwait Investment Authority as one of its top shareholders, according to a recent proxy statement.
It’s been making steady inroads into the wider Middle East, which is home to some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds. The firm received approval from Saudi Arabia last year to set up its regional headquarters in Riyadh, as well as a commercial license to operate in Abu Dhabi.
While firms have flocked to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh — which are competing to be the Middle East’s main business hub — few have so far unveiled plans to expand into Kuwait.
BlackRock oversees more than $11 trillion around the globe and has $100 billion-plus across the Middle East.
–With assistance from Ben Bartenstein.
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