Kuwait

Paris, France – Yaqout & Al-Fouzan Legal Group (YFLG) is pleased to announce the participation of its Managing Partner, Mr. Khalifa Al-Yaqout, as a speaker at Vision Golfe 2026, marking the firm's third consecutive year of engagement in one of the foremost platforms dedicated to strengthening economic relations between France and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Organized by Business France under the aegis of the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty and the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Vision Golfe convenes senior government representatives, investors, corporate leaders, and policymakers to advance strategic dialogue and investment cooperation between France and the GCC. Mr. Al-Yaqout will join the panel discussion: “Unlocking Bilateral Trade and Investment Between France and the GCC” The session will bring together leading regional and international stakeholders to examine the legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks that support cross-border investment and facilitate sustainable economic partnerships. “Vision Golfe continues to demonstrate the importance of structured legal and institutional cooperation in unlocking sustainable investment between France and the GCC,” said Mr. Khalifa Al-Yaqout, Managing Partner of YFLG. “We are honoured to contribute to a dialogue that supports investor confidence, regulatory clarity, and long-term economic partnership.” As a leading regional law firm with extensive experience advising international investors, sovereign entities, multinational corporations, and family offices across the Gulf, YFLG continues to play a pivotal role as a legal and strategic bridge between international capital and regional opportunity. Through its cross-border advisory capabilities, the firm supports the structuring, execution, and protection of investments that contribute to long-term economic growth and commercial cooperation. The panel will also feature distinguished speakers from ALTIOS, Ominvest, and EY, under the moderation of Mr. George Eid, Head of News at Al Mashhad TV. YFLG's continued presence at Vision Golfe reflects its commitment to fostering international investment dialogue and strengthening the institutional frameworks that support economic collaboration between France and the GCC. The firm's participation further underscores its role in connecting global investors with opportunities across the region while contributing to the development of resilient and investment-friendly legal ecosystems.

YFLG, under the leadership of Managing Partner Khalifa Al Yaqout, was selected as an expert legal contributor to the World Bank “Women, Business and the Law 2027” initiative, reaffirming its commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment and promoting workplace equality through specialised legal expertise. As part of this initiative, the Firm contributed to the review and assessment of legal and regulatory frameworks affecting women’s participation in Kuwait’s labour market and broader economic landscape. The contribution covered key areas including labour rights and legal protections, workplace equality and non-discrimination, maternity benefits and related entitlements, as well as structural legal barriers impacting women’s workforce participation. The Firm received a Certificate of Appreciation from the World Bank in recognition of its legal review and verification work supporting the “Women, Business and the Law 2027” report. This engagement reflects YFLG’s continued commitment to strengthening legal awareness and supporting policies that promote equal economic opportunity for women, while contributing to evidence-based legal reform and global initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and inclusive growth.

By Attorney Abdulrahman Alhouti Money laundering crimes initially arise from generating illegal financial profits through arms trafficking, drug trafficking, smuggling, embezzlement, bribery, electronic fraud, and other legally criminalized financial gains. Because these funds are considered "unclean," as bankers call them, their owners need to legitimize them and conceal their source by introducing them into the financial system through small cash deposits in bank accounts, or by purchasing a series of monetary instruments such as checks and others, or tangible assets such as cars, land, and real estate, and then reselling them and collecting the money to deposit it in a bank account elsewhere. This process is considered a first step, after which the money launderer needs to conduct a series of banking operations by transferring funds through a chain of accounts in various banks worldwide, making it difficult to trace their source. Subsequently, the owner of these funds invests them in real estate, assets, or commercial projects, thus successfully integrating illegal money into the financial system of the country where they invest, becoming part of legitimate funds. The international community's treatment of money laundering as a global problem has led to the adoption of necessary measures to combat it and limit its impact on destabilizing financial stability and facilitating criminal activities funding. These measures aimed to protect financial systems and enhance economic transparency. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), established in 1989, is one of the most prominent global measures to combat money laundering as the main international organization responsible for setting policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Its forty recommendations form the basic framework for global efforts in this field. Key recommendations include enhancing financial institutions' transparency by requiring them to report suspicious transactions, identifying customers to ensure banks and financial companies are not exploited in money laundering operations, promoting international cooperation between countries to exchange information about suspicious financial activities, and imposing strict penalties on entities and individuals involved in money laundering. When discussing the most important global measures to combat money laundering, we cannot overlook the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2000, which came into effect in 2003. One of its key outcomes was requiring signatory countries to establish anti-money laundering laws and facilitate judicial cooperation for extraditing criminals involved in these crimes. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Kuwait, are keen to comply with FATF requirements by updating their legislation and implementing effective anti-money laundering policies. The GCC has taken serious steps in this field, such as establishing the Permanent Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing to enhance cooperation between Gulf countries, supporting intelligence information exchange between regulatory and banking authorities, and adopting advanced electronic systems to monitor suspicious financial transactions. For its part, Kuwait seeks to continuously strengthen its anti-money laundering procedures, building on key steps taken in this field over the years, most notably the issuance of Law No. 106 of 2013 regarding combating money laundering and terrorist financing, which complies with FATF recommendations, as well as establishing a Financial Intelligence Unit to monitor suspicious financial activities. Kuwait has also developed supervision of the banking sector, where the Central Bank of Kuwait has imposed strict requirements on banks to enhance and update customer data systems to ensure monitoring and reporting of any unusual financial activities. The current Kuwaiti government, through relevant authorities, seeks to take more measures to improve the international classification in the field of anti-money laundering.

Kuwait – March 2026 – Al Yaqout & Al Fouzan Legal Group (“YFLG”) has entered into a strategic alliance with Lexzur to launch Kuwait’s first fully integrated, AI-powered legal practice management infrastructure, marking a significant advancement in the modernization of legal operations across the country. The initiative introduces a unified platform designed to enhance operational efficiency, accelerate legal decision-making, and strengthen compliance with both domestic and international regulatory frameworks. It establishes a new benchmark for secure, intelligent, and scalable legal operations, serving law firms, corporate legal departments, and government institutions. As Lexzur’s exclusive strategic partner in Kuwait, YFLG combines deep local legal expertise with advanced global technology capabilities to deliver a solution that integrates artificial intelligence with robust governance and compliance systems. The platform is designed to support institutional risk management, improve legal oversight, and enable more structured and transparent legal workflows. Khalifah Al Yaqout, Managing Partner of YFLG, commented: “This initiative represents a fundamental shift in how legal services are delivered and managed in Kuwait. By embedding advanced technology into legal operations, institutions can enhance performance, accelerate decision-making, and maintain the highest standards of regulatory compliance.” Feras El Hajjar, CEO of Lexzur, added: “This collaboration establishes a new operational foundation for legal work in Kuwait. By combining Lexzur’s AI capabilities with YFLG’s market-leading expertise, we are enabling organizations to manage legal processes with greater clarity, control, and efficiency. AI is no longer a supporting tool—it is becoming integral to how legal decisions are structured and executed.” Key Features of the Platform: Integrated workflows: Seamless management of matters, contracts, documents, and governance processes Enhanced compliance and risk oversight: Real-time monitoring, audit trails, and intelligent tracking systems AI-driven capabilities: Solutions tailored to Kuwait’s legal and regulatory environment Flexible deployment: Cloud, private SaaS with local data residency, or on-premise options Phased implementation: Initial rollout to select institutional clients ahead of wider adoption This strategic alliance represents a transformative step in the evolution of legal infrastructure in Kuwait, supporting the development of a more advanced, efficient, and digitally enabled legal ecosystem at a national level. About Al Yaqout & Al Fouzan Legal Group (YFLG) Al Yaqout & Al Fouzan Legal Group is a leading Kuwaiti corporate law firm, widely recognized for advising on complex, high-value, and precedent-setting matters. For over two decades, the firm has acted for sovereign entities, multinational corporations, and major regional groups across sectors including energy, M&A, aviation, TMT, real estate, and dispute resolution. YFLG combines deep local insight with international best practices to deliver sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional legal solutions. About Lexzur Lexzur is a leading legal technology company specializing in AI-powered solutions that transform how organizations manage contracts, matters, and workflows. Its ecosystem includes CONTRA (AI Contract Lifecycle Management and document automation) and PRACTICE (AI legal practice management), enabling teams to operate with greater efficiency, visibility, and control. https://www.lexzur.com/