Bashar Kiwan

An investor, with businesses spanning the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe and Africa, Bachar Kiwan is the Founder and President of Al Waseet International Group of Companies (AWI), MENA’s largest media company.

His major breakthrough traces back to 1992, when he launched the first Arabic classified weekly newspaper in Kuwait, Al-Waseet. In a very short period of time “Al-Waseet Classified” attained leadership and became a recognized name in the Kuwaiti market. The next few years, Kiwan established geographical presence across the region including Syria, Lebanon, UAE, Egypt, KSA and Qatar, where Waseet Classified was met with unmatched success. In parallel, Kiwan also introduced many new publication including social magazines, daily newspapers and online portal. In 2006 he joined forces with Majd Suleiman and established Al Waseet International (AWI). Today, AWI is a recognized media empire with global presence in the MENA region, GCC, Eastern Europe and Russia and carries leading publications including Layalina Magazine, Al-Balad newspaper and other international magazines including Gala, Marie Claire, Top Gear and Fortune Arabia.

In the last five years, Kiwan diversified his business ventures taping in new markets and different sectors and AWI operations included telecom, banking, tourism and real estate. Kiwan was one of first foreign businessmen to invest in the Comoros Islands establishing Comoros Gulf Holding (part of AWI group), a company that prompted economic growth and industrial development in the Comoros. Kiwan is also investing in his home country, and in 2010 established with Kuwaiti partners “Syria Gate Holding”, a holding company with projects involved in real estate and development.

Bashar Kiwan is the Honorary Consul of Union of Comoros in Kuwait and Honorary Advisor of the Union of Comoros President. Additionally, Kiwan is a member of the Arab Distribution Union (ADU) and Arab Publishers Union (APU). He is also the chairman of the Syrian Business Council in Kuwait and board member of the Syrian Diaspora in Kuwait.

Kiwan holds a holds a Masters degree in Economics from “Université de Montpelier in France” and speaks Arabic, English and French. He is married and lives with his French wife and 7-year old son in Kuwait. His interests include reading, yachting and practicing sports.