Our History

"The year 1996 has gone, carrying to the world the emergence of a new star in the industry of Islamic finance and investment."
- Chairman, Letter to Investors, First Annual Report, 1996

"2006 results have come to embody the success story of TID journey…Your company has become the largest investment company listed in the GCC and Arab region."
- Chairman & MD, Letter to Investors, Annual Report, 2006

The exciting journey of The Investment Dar Company (TID) started in 1994 when a group of leading Kuwaiti businessmen and shareholders established the company aiming to close a gap created by a monopoly over the consumer Islamic finance in Kuwait at that time. TID started actual operations a year later as one of the first shareholding companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) specialized in consumer Islamic finance.

Within a short period of 11 years, TID evolved from a small firm operating in the consumer finance market with a capital not exceeding KD 15 million (around USD 45 million) to one of the biggest holding companies in the entire region with diversified activities covering Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) including the GCC and local markets. TID capital in 2006 exceeded KD 71 million (USD 213 million) with total assets exceeding KD1.06 billion (USD 3.18 billion) and a net profit of more than KD 92 million (USD 276 million).

Being listed in Kuwait Stock Exchange market (KSE) since 1999, TID established several new companies and acquired many others. The company's diversified activities include project management, asset management, banking, money collection, Takaful (Islamic insurance), real estate, construction, logistic transportation and manufacturing, in addition to consumer finance.

In 2005, TID and its strategic ally, Efad Group, made one of the largest private placements in the history of Kuwait and the region by increasing Oqyana Real Estate Company's capital from KD 1million (approximately USD 3 million) to KD 250 million (USD 750 million) in record time. In the same year, TID issued the first Musharakah (participation) Sukuk in the GCC region, when the company's mandated partner, ABC Islamic Bank, issued Sukuk of USD 50 million out of Bahrain through Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

TID made another record accomplishment when its Sukuk of USD 150 million, issued in 2006, was listed in Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) in a record 45 days time after closing the transaction. This was the first listing of any asset type on the DIFX by the company. The total value of Sukuk was raised to 4.11 billion USD.

In 2007, the company made international headlines when it led a consortium of local and international investors purchasing the majority shares of the British prestigious cars producing company of Aston Martin from Ford Motor. One year earlier, TID made the second largest Islamic finance deal in the UK history when it acquired one of London's most historic buildings, Grosvenor House Apartments.

The first decade or so of TID's life was filled with spectacular accomplishments at all global, regional and local levels. TID has just finished a remarkably successful chapter of its life….but there is no doubt that the coming years of the company's journey of achievements are going to be even more exciting than ever.