Kuwait just signed the biggest FDI deal in its history.
A $16B oil pipeline deal was the price of entry...
Blackstone, Brookfield, and KKR are taking a combined 49% stake in Kuwait's crude oil pipeline network - 13 pipelines, 320km, linking oilfields to export terminals on the Arabian Gulf.
- Total deal value: $16B
- Upfront cash to Kuwait: $7.85B
- Lease term: 20.5 years
- Returns tied to volume-based tariffs
- KOC retains 51% and full operational control
Kuwait keeps the assets and operations. It just unlocked $7.85B to fund its next phase of growth.
The proceeds go straight into KPC's capex program - Kuwait is targeting 4 million barrels per day of crude capacity by 2035.
Saudi aramco and ADNOC Group did the same thing.
Monetise the infrastructure, keep control and redeploy the capital.
The deal was signed amid ongoing regional tensions - including reported Iranian attacks on Kuwait.
The fact that three of the world's biggest alternative asset managers committed $16B anyway says everything about their confidence in the asset.
Is the Gulf becoming the world's most attractive infrastructure market?
Kuwait Signs A Record $16B Deal With Blackstone, Brookfield & KKR
Kuwait signed a record $16B lease-and-leaseback deal on its crude oil pipeline network with Blackstone, Brookfield, and KKR, walking away with $7.85B in cash to fund its energy expansion.
Sep 25, 2026
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1 min read
