Agenda
  • 2017-04-04
    Day One
  • 2017-04-05
    Day Two
08:30 - 09:30
Registration
09:30 - 10:30
Opening Session
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>H.E. Mr. Anas K. Al-Saleh</span>
H.E. Mr. Anas K. Al-Saleh
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, State of Kuwait

H.E. Mr. Al-Saleh is currently the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the State of Kuwait, continuing a path of governmental work since the year 2012, through occupying several ministerial positions and functions.

Prior to his ministerial tasks, H.E. Mr. Al-Saleh, occupied the position of board member at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kuwait Stock Exchange, he also was the chairman of the Kuwait Clearing Company.

Moreover, H.E. Mr. Al-Saleh, held leading positions in a wide range of corporations in and outside Kuwait, such as the vice chairman of “Kuwait Invest”, the general manager of “Sadeem” and the Chairman of “IFA Financial Services” group of companies in Egypt, UAE & Jordan, and the CEO of EFG-Hermes IFA Co.

H.E. Mr. Anas K. Al-Saleh, holds a bachelor degree in business management, from the university of Portland-USA.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Majed E. Al Ajeel</span>
Majed E. Al Ajeel
Chairman, Burgan Bank

Mr. Al Ajeel is currently the Chairman of Burgan Bank.

He is also the Chairman of Kuwait Banking Association, and board member in each of the Institute of Banking Studies, Burgan Bank Turkey, and FIM Bank Malta.

Prior to that, he was the Chairman and CEO at United Projects Co. and Managing Director at Kuwait Finance and Investment Company (KFIC).

He was also a board member in several corporations including Kuwait and Middle East Financial Investment Company, Kuwait Real Estate Investment Consortium, International Leasing and Investment Co.

Mr. Al Ajeel holds a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Architecture and a Master’s degree in planning from the Catholic University of America.

10:30 - 11:30
Session 1: Dialogue on Kuwait Governmental Vision amidst Economic Transformation
  • The Foundations of the government’s document of financial and economic reforms & modes of implementations
  • Development projects and their economic outcome
  • Role of private sector amongst current variations
  • Developing the business environment as a vital element to attract  investments ... steps and vision
Moderator:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Ali Rashid Al Bader</span>
Ali Rashid Al Bader
Member of the Supreme Council for Planning & Development

Mr. Al Bader serves as a member of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development in Kuwait.

He previously served as Managing Director of Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) and the Chairman of the Board of Gulf Bank.

He also served as the Chairman of the African International Bank and Bank of Kuwait and Middle East (currently Ahli United Bank).

Panelists:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>H.E. Mr. Anas K. Al-Saleh</span>
H.E. Mr. Anas K. Al-Saleh
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, State of Kuwait

H.E. Mr. Al-Saleh is currently the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the State of Kuwait, continuing a path of governmental work since the year 2012, through occupying several ministerial positions and functions.

Prior to his ministerial tasks, H.E. Mr. Al-Saleh, occupied the position of board member at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Kuwait Stock Exchange, he also was the chairman of the Kuwait Clearing Company.

Moreover, H.E. Mr. Al-Saleh, held leading positions in a wide range of corporations in and outside Kuwait, such as the vice chairman of “Kuwait Invest”, the general manager of “Sadeem” and the Chairman of “IFA Financial Services” group of companies in Egypt, UAE & Jordan, and the CEO of EFG-Hermes IFA Co.

H.E. Mr. Anas K. Al-Saleh, holds a bachelor degree in business management, from the university of Portland-USA.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Faisal Hamad Al Ayyar</span>
Faisal Hamad Al Ayyar
Vice Chairman, Kuwait Projects Company

Mr. Faisal Al Ayyar is Vice Chairman of the Kuwait Projects Company (Holding). He joined the company in 1990 when it was a US$ 220 million regional investment company. Under his stewardship, KIPCO has developed into one of MENA’s leading holding companies with interests in financial services, media, real estate, manufacturing and education, operations in 24 countries and consolidated assets of over US$ 32 billion.

Mr. Al Ayyar is Chairman of Panther Media Group - Dubai, UAE (OSN). He is Vice Chairman of Gulf Insurance Group – Kuwait, United Gulf Bank – Bahrain, Jordan Kuwait Bank – Jordan, and Mashare’a Al-Khair Establishment - Kuwait. He is a Board Member of Saudia Dairy & Foodstuff Company – KSA, and Gulf Egypt for Hotels & Tourism Company – Egypt. He is a Trustee of the American University of Kuwait – Kuwait, and Honorary Chairman of the Kuwait Association for Learning Differences – Kuwait.

Mr. Al Ayyar began his career as a fighter pilot with the Kuwait Air Force. Honors include the Arab Bankers Association of North America’s 2005 Achievement award, the Tunis Arab Economic Forum and the Beirut Arab Economic Forum 2007 Achievement Awards and the Kuwait Economic Forum 2009 Award for his contribution to the investment sector and successes in the global financial market.

11:30 - 12:15
Coffee Break and Inauguration of the Exhibition
12:15 - 13:30
Session 2: Kuwait’s future: risks, challenges and alternative strategies
  • The risks of the current ongoing economic policy and its impact on the country outlook (fiscal deficit and reserves - unemployment - housing ...)
  • Role of renewable energy in securing future energy resources of Kuwait  (targets for renewable energy - investing in solar energy ...)
  • Strategic alternatives of economic activities: the development of local institutions, businesses and the economy of knowledge-real cases and successful initiatives
  • The role of the state in supporting alternative future strategies
Moderator:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Hamad Abdul Mohsen Al Marzouq</span>
Hamad Abdul Mohsen Al Marzouq
Chairman, Kuwait Finance House

Mr. Al Marzouq is the Chairman of Kuwait Finance House.

He has been a board member of Kuwaiti Banks Association (KBA) since 2002 and was the association’s Chairman from 2010 to 2016. He was a Board Member of the Banking Studies Institute and a Board Member of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET).

He was Chairman of Ahli United Bank – Kuwait (AUBK), and was Vice Chairman of AUBK in the U.K, Egypt, Bahrain and Jordan. He was also Vice Chairman of Iraqi Commercial Bank.

He was also Chairman of Kuwait and Middle East Company for Finance and Investment based in Kuwait. He held the position of Vice Chairman of Middle East Financial Investment Company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and was a Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Ahli Bank in Qatar.

Mr. Al Marzouq held key executive positions at the Central Bank of Kuwait where he acted as Assistant Director of the Technical Affairs Office in 1990, served as the Deputy Manager of Financial Control from 1992 to 1996 and then served as Director of Financial Control Department from 1996 to 1998.

Mr. Al Marzouq holds a Master’s Degree in International Finance and Business Management from Claremont University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Systems Engineering from the University of

Southern California in the U.S.

Panelists:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Jasem Al-Sadoun</span>
Jasem Al-Sadoun
Chairman, AlShall Investment Company,

Mr. Al- Sadoun is the Chairman of AlShall Investment Company as well as the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of AlShall Consulting Company.

He has well documented knowledge of the macroeconomic variablesin the region, and plays a vital role as an economic, financial and strategic advisor. Through his long experience and insight to various market sectors.

He is the founder of AlShall Economic Consultancy Bureaux, creator of AlShall index, the oldest value index of Kuwait, and the chief author of the AlShall Weekly Economic Report. 

His role is fundamental upon negotiations in banking and project finance, financial reengineering, equity placement and Involvement in privatization efforts advising both government and private sectors.

Mr. Al-Sadoun holds a BA from Alexandria University in Egypt & an MS in Economics from University of Colorado at Boulder, USA.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Dr. Salem Falah Mubarak Alhajraf</span>
Dr. Salem Falah Mubarak Alhajraf
Executive Director, Energy and Building Research Center (EBRC), Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research,

Dr. Alhajraf holds the position as the Executive Director of the Energy and Building Research Center.

 He is also the founder and director of the Shagaya Renewable Energy Initiative since 2009. Before this Dr. Alhajraf hold the position of Research Scientist at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research since 2005 and as a Manager for the Innovative and Renewable Energy research program from 2010 to 2013.

Dr. Alhajraf has more than 25 years of experience in various scientific research fields including renewable energy and clean energy technologies and feasibility studies. His experience covers strategic planning, new technology due diligence, fund rising, team formation, project leadership and execution.

He has more than 30 publications in pre reviewed scientific journals and regional/international conferences.

Dr. Alhajraf holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from School of Mechanical Engineering, Cranfield University, England, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from Kuwait University, M.S. in Aerodynamics, Collage of Aeronautics from Cranfield University, England, and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Kuwait University.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Abdullah Al Zabin</span>
Abdullah Al Zabin
Founder & CEO, Lamba Company

Mr. Al Zabin is the Founder and CEO of Lamba Company that was created in 2012 and is managed between San Francisco and Dubai. Lamba develops and publishes games targeting smart phone users in the Arab markets.

Over the past five years, Lamba has launched 4 gaming apps on Apple and Android devices. These games have more than 8 million downloads and have been positively received by players, with two of them being shown as the top 2014 and 2015 games respectively in the Apple App Store.

Prior to founding Lamba, Mr. Al Zabin worked as an administrative consultant at Bain & Company in San Francisco. He also worked in the field of investment where he held several positions in NBK Capital, Morgan Stanley and Wafra.

He holds an MBA from Harvard University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Mohammed Jaffar</span>
Mohammed Jaffar
Deputy Chairman & CEO, Faith Capital Holding

Mr. Jaafar is the Deputy Chairman & CEO of Faith Capital Holding, a Kuwait based venture capital fund which focuses on young, e-commerce businesses, based in the GCC that have high growth potential for the future.

Prior to Faith Capital, he was the CEO of Talabat.com an e-commerce business he acquired in 2010. Under his leadership the firm moved from a Kuwaiti domestic player to a market leading business throughout the GCC.  

Mr. Jaafar previously was the Deputy Chairman of  Danah Al Safat Foodstuff Company, a Kuwaiti listed company holding a prominent position as one of the leading companies in its field, and was a board member of Al Safat Dhiafa Company.

 He is currently a board member of Azzad Trading Group Company, Nexgen Group Company and Tujjar Events Management & Execution Company. 

Mr. Jaafar completed his education in England and graduated with a BSc in Economics from the University of Surrey.

13:30 - 14:45
Session 3: Investments and funding strategies amid current Changes
  • Impacts of economic reforms on investment climate
  • Reforms needed to develop investment climate
  • Financing public expenditures and development projects: the role of Banks and financial institutions
  • Private sector role and the prospects of PPP’s
  • The role of financial markets in attracting investments
Moderator:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Mohammed Yousef Yaqoub</span>
Mohammed Yousef Yaqoub
Assistant Director General for Business Development, Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA)

Mr. Yaqoub is the Assistant Director General for Business Development at Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA)

He has 17 Years working experience in ME and Africa in brand development, evaluation, research, Channeling, Marketing & Communication strategies, Advising , Corporate communications and PR, retail concepts branding project, PMO and most recently Digital and social Media. 

Mr. Yacoub holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Kuwait University. 

Panelists:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Saleh Al-Selmi</span>
Saleh Al-Selmi
Vice Chairman, Union of Investment Companies in Kuwait (UIC),

Mr. Al-Selmi is currently the Vice Chairman of the Union of Investment Companies.

He has over 35 years of expertise in the field of financial advisory and asset management in addition to active involvement in derivatives, particular to the Kuwaiti market. He is regarded as one of the influential traders in the Kuwaiti Stock Exchange. Moreover, he has actively pursued diversified international investments all over the globe, with a focus in optimal return/risk portfolios.

He sits on the boards of many companies where he was the Chairman of International Financial Advisors Co. & IFA Financial Services Co., as well as Vice Chairman of First Takaful Insurance Company (FTIC) &Union Insurance Federation.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Business administration and Finance, from University of Kuwait.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Dr. Bart van Ark</span>
Dr. Bart van Ark
Executive Vice President & Chief Economist, The Conference Board

Bart van Ark is Executive Vice President and chief economist of The Conference Board. He leads a team of almost two dozen economists in New York, Brussels and Beijing, who produce a range of widely watched economic indicators and growth forecasts, as well as in-depth global economic research.

A Dutch national, he is the first non-U.S. chief economist in the nearly one century history of The Conference Board. Van Ark is also responsible for the entire research program at The Conference Board which, in addition to Economics and Business Environment, includes research on Human Capital and Corporate Leadership.

He continues to steward the longstanding research collaboration of The Conference Board with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands; a professor there since 2000, he holds the university’s chair in Economic Development, Technological Change and Growth.

Dr. Van Ark has been extensively published in national and international academic journals, and is frequently featured in major international business media, including Bloomberg, CNBC, the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Dr. Fayez Al-Kandari</span>
Dr. Fayez Al-Kandari
Consultant, Boubyan Bank

Dr. AlKandari is a Professor of Private Law at Kuwait University. He is also the General Legal Counsel of Boubyan Bank and its subsidiaries, as well as the Legal Counsel for the Kuwait Banking Association.

He is a Judicial Arbitrator at the Ministry of Justice and a Local and International Arbitrator and Conciliator.

He previously held several positions including Cultural Advisor & Head of France Office at the Ministry of Higher Education, Legal Advisor to the Minister of Information, and Acting Dean of Students’ Affairs at Kuwait University.

Dr. AlKandari holds a Bachelor’s of Law from Kuwait University and LLM and PhD of Law specializing in Private Law from France.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Bader Al-Refai</span>
Bader Al-Refai
Assistant Secretary General for Planning and Follow-up, Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Jeffrey R Culpepper</span>
Jeffrey R Culpepper
Senior Advisor, IBCM, Africa and Middle East, Credit Suisse

Jeffrey Culpepper has over 40 years of experience working in the Emerging Markets, starting in Upper Volta in 1977 to present. He is currently Chairman and Co-Founder of AgriSecura Partners. He is also Chairman and Co-Founder of SecuraCapital Partners, and a Senior Advisor to Credit-Suisse.

Before establishing AgriSecura and SecuraCapital, he was a Vice Chairman in Investment Banking for Credit-Suisse International, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to this, he was CEO of Merrill Lynch Middle East and Africa, a Vice Chairman of Deutsche Bank Investment Banking and Head of Middle East and Africa Investment Banking for Chemical Bank / Chase Manhattan. He has also been involved in setting up, chairing and leading various joint venture companies including Dar Al Istithmar, an Islamic advisory firm in partnership with The Oxford Islamic Center.

Before starting his banking career in 1986, he worked for the Vatican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs in the CARITAS department, specializing in refugee and migration projects.

14:45 - 15:45
Lunch and Closing of the First Day
09:30 - 10:45
Session 4: Outlook of Gulf Banking Industry
  • Challenges of the banking industry in an environment of slow growth, declining government and tight liquidity
  • Challenges and opportunities of economic reform
  • How can bank face the risks of declining assets quality and rising NPLs
  • Prospects of banks mergers in the Gulf 
  • Future of foreign banks in the Gulf markets
Moderator:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Yousef Jassem Al-Obaid</span>
Yousef Jassem Al-Obaid
Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Kuwait

Mr. Al-Obaid serves as the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait.

Prior to his current position, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the Control Department & Director of the Office Control Department.

Prior to his job at the Central Bank, he held several executive positions at local banks, most recently as General Manager of Boubyan Bank's banking services group. He also served as the Chairman of Credit Information Network & Boubyan Takaful Insurance Company and was a board member in several other companies.

He also represents the Central Bank of Kuwait as a member in the Public Debt Management Committee, after being the bank’s representative in the Kuwait Stock Exchange Committee.

Mr. Al-Obaid holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami and a Graduate of the General Manager Program from Harvard University.

Panelists:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Isam Jassem Al Sager</span>
Isam Jassem Al Sager
Group Chief Executive Officer, National Bank of Kuwait

Mr. Al Sager is the Group Chief Executive Officer of National Bank of Kuwait since March 2014. Previously, he had been the Deputy Group CEO since 2010.

He began his banking career in 1978 at NBK, rising from a Relationship Officer in the Corporate Banking Group to become the Head of Domestic Credit and Marketing in 1987, General Manager of Retail and Wholesale Banking Group in 1992, Deputy CEO of NBK Kuwait in 1998 and CEO of NBK Kuwait in 2008.

For over 35 years at NBK, Al Sager has played a major role in turning the bank into a leading regional institution, around USD 79.1 billion in assets and a wide international presence in 16 countries.

Mr. Al Sager is the Chairman of NBK- Egypt. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of many NBK subsidiaries including NBK (International) PLC.

He also serves on the Board of Directors of Mastercard.

Mr. Al Sager holds a Bachelor degree of Science in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Ali Al-Mousa</span>
Ali Al-Mousa
Chairman, Commercial Bank of Kuwait

Mr. Al-Mousa is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Commercial Bank of Kuwait.

His career spans over 45 years during which he held several posts in public service, which were mainly focused on Social Economic Development, Oil Industry, & Finance.

He previously was the Minister of Planning & State Minister for Administrative Development following his appointment as a member in the Higher Planning Council. He also held the position of Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Kuwait.

Throughout his career, Mr. Al-Mousa had taken part in several research Development-related projects in Kuwait. Some of which were contracted by globally reputable organizations such as Stanford Research Institute SRI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research KISR, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU ) in UK  and the World Bank.

In the Oil Sector, he served as a Director of the Central Internal Audit for Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Mazen Al-Nahedh</span>
Mazen Al-Nahedh
Group CEO, KFH
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Michel Accad</span>
Michel Accad
Chief Executive Officer, Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK)

Michel became Chief Executive Officer of Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait in May 2014, after having successfully led the turnaround of Gulf Bank, another Kuwaiti lender, and its return to profitability following the 2008 crisis. Gulf Bank was upgraded by Fitch, Moody’s and S&P (twice), during Michel’s tenure (2009-2014), and had regained its investment grade status in 2011.
Prior to that, from 2006 to 2009, Michel was the Assistant Chief Executive of Arab Bank PLC, based in Amman, with direct responsibility over all banking businesses globally, including Corporate and Investment Banking, Consumer Banking, Private Banking and Wealth Management, Treasury, and Credit.
Before moving to Arab Bank, Michel spent 27 years with Citigroup, which he joined in 1979. His last post with Citi was Managing Director and CEO for the Middle East and North Africa Division (MENA), a Unit that spanned 10 presence countries and contributed over $1 BN to Citi’s bottom line.
Michel spent most of his youth in Switzerland. He obtained his MBA with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1978. Michel is married and has 3 children.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Usman Ahmed</span>
Usman Ahmed
Head of Citi Bahrain, Kuwait & Qatar, CEO, Citi Bahrain and Citi Islamic Investment Bank
  • Usman Ahmed was appointed as the Head of Citigroup for Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, with effect from January 01st, 2017. Usman is concurrently the CEO of Citi Bahrain and also the Global Head of Citi’s Islamic Banking business.
  • Usman was appointed as the CEO of Citi Bahrain and Citi Islamic in October, 2015 and has been based in Bahrain since then.
  • Prior to this appointment, Usman was the Managing Director, Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for the Philippines and concurrently the Managing Director, Head of Global Islamic Banking for the Asia Pacific region. Usman was based in Manila from August, 2012 to September, 2015 and was also as an Executive Director on the Board of Citicorp Capital Philippines, Inc.
  • Usman was appointed as Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Corporate Banking as well as Managing Director, Head of Global Islamic Banking for the Asia Pacific region in August 2011 and was based in Hong Kong till July, 2012.
  • Between April, 2008 and July 2011, Usman was the Managing Director and Head of Corporate Banking for Emerging Markets at Barclays Bank, with responsibility for 14 countries across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
  • Usman was the Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of Global Islamic Banking at Citi, based in Dubai prior to joining Barclays Bank and has also worked with Citi in various other roles, including as a Director in Capital Markets Origination, London, and as a Product Manager and Relationship Manager in Bahrain and Pakistan. Usman‘s total banking experience spans over 20 years, in various roles across the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.
  • Usman has also been a Senior Credit Officer at Citi since 2013.
  • In addition to Citi Islamic Investment Bank, Usman is also a Board Member of the American Chamber of Commerce, Bahrain, the Bahrain International School Association (a US Department of Defense Education Activity school) and Injaz Bahrain (a member of Junior Achievers Worldwide).
10:45 - 12:00
Session 5: Prospects of the Islamic Banking
  • Adapting to a new economic environment
  • Coping with compliance and international regulatory and accounting standards
  • Stimulating sukuk’s markets and developing Islamic financial instruments     
  • Potential of expansion into new markets
Moderator:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Adel Al-Majed</span>
Adel Al-Majed
Vice-Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Boubyan Bank
Panelists:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Abdulmohsen A. Al-Fares</span>
Abdulmohsen A. Al-Fares
Managing Director & CEO, Alinma Bank

Mr. Al-Fares holds the position of Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at Alinma Bank since May 2006. With an experience spanning over 30 years, he started his professional career at Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) in 1983 where he worked for 18 years in various positions, until his appointment as the Director General of the Accounting Department. 

Previously, he occupied various positions in a portfolio of international and regional companies, such as Ernst & Young in Los Angeles-USA, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Abdul Latif Jameel Group (ALJ).

Mr. Al-Fares is a board member in several corporations including Alinma Bank, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, and the Saudi Association for Certified Public Accountant (SACPA).

He is a former board member at many corporations and organizations such as SABIC, Riyadh Regional Council, General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI), Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), Saudi Agricultural Fund (SAF), & the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). 

He holds a degree in Accounting from King Saud University, and MA degree in Accounting from Western Illinois University (WIU) USA, and he obtained his CPA in 1995.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Dr. Abdul Razzaq Al-Shayji</span>
Dr. Abdul Razzaq Al-Shayji
Professor, Faculty of Sharia, Kuwait University

هو أستاذ في كلية الشريعة في جامعة الكويت.

وقد تدرج في المناصب من معيد عضو بعثة بجامعة الكويت إلى مدرس في قسم التفسير والحديث، فأستاذاً مساعداً فأستاذاً، فعميداً مساعداً لشؤون الأبحاث والتدريب. ثم عميداً مساعداً للشؤون الأكاديمية والدراسات العليا ، وأخيراً رئيساً لقسم التفسير والحديث وكان عضوا بمجلس كلية الشريعة والدراسات الاسلامية.

درّس في كلية الدراسات العليا وأشرف وناقش عدد من رسائل الماجستير وكان رئيس مجال الشريعة بكلية الدراسات العليا وعضو في مجلس كليتها .

حاصل على درجة البكالوريوس في الشريعة من جامعة الكويت، والماجستير من جامعة الأزهر، والدكتوراه من نفس الجامعة.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Ahmed Zulficar</span>
Ahmed Zulficar
Senior Deputy Chief Executive officer – Banking Support Group, Ahli United Bank (Kuwait)

Mr. Zulficar is currently the Senior Deputy Chief Executive officer – Banking Support Group at Ahli United Bank (Kuwait). 

He is also a board member in each of the United Bank for Commerce and Investment in Libya and the Commercial Bank of Iraq (CBIQ).

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Issam Altawari</span>
Issam Altawari
Managing Partner, Newbury Economic Consultancy Co.

Mr. Al Tawari is currently the Managing Partner for Newbury Economic Consultancy and he was the Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Rasameel Structured Finance Company,  a Capital Markets focused Investment Company 

supervised by the Capital Markets Authority/Central Bank of Kuwait and Chairman of Rasameel Investment Bank a Dubai based, DIFC regulated bank. His latest area of interest is the development of Islamic debt capital markets.

He started his career with Arab Banking Corporation (ABC), Bahrain working in the Commercial Banking area.

He then worked extensively on Corporate Finance issues with ABC’s what then was a newly incorporated subsidiary in 1994 ABC Islamic Bank to become Associate Director for syndications and marketing. He joined The International 

Investor (TII), Kuwait in 1998 in the Structured Finance area. His last position with TII was the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

He served on the board of directors of a number of companies and funds. He was also the ex- Chairman of Ain Takaful Insurance Company, Kuwait, Kuwait and ex-Chairman of Binaá & Namaá (Sorooh) Investment Company specialized in financing B.O.T. projects and a co-founder of Ritaj Investment Company. He regularly speaks at Islamic Banking industry conferences and seminars.

He holds MBA (Dist.) from Hull University, UK and he is an Alumni of Harvard Business School and Henley Management College.

12:00 - 12:30
Coffee Break
12:30 - 14:00
Session 6: GCC banks in the Era of Digital Transformation
  • Global trends and developments in digital banking
  • GCC banks digital strategies
  • Impact of electronic services and digital platforms on services, cost  structure and customers
  • The rising threat of cyber security
Moderator:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Shawki Daou</span>
Shawki Daou
Executive Manager Client Relationship, Banking & Finance, Gulf Business Machines (GBM)

Mr. Daou is currently the Executive Manager Client Relationship, Banking and Finance at Khorafi Business Machines/Gulf Business Machines (GBM).

Prior to that, he held leading positions in several companies including his role as the Regional Manager for Middle East and North Africa at CI Agent Solutions, Manager Cards and Payment Systems at Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait, and IT Manager at Al-Mawarid Bank in Lebanon.

He also worked as strategy management and IT management Consultant in several countries including Lebanon, Kuwait, UAE and Australia.

Mr. Daou holds a Master of Business Administration from California University in USA, an MA Computer Science Diploma from the Middle East Center of Computer Studies in Egypt, and a Diploma in New Models of Business in Societies from University of Virginia, USA.

Panelists:
<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Abdulla Khaled Al-Ajmi</span>
Abdulla Khaled Al-Ajmi
CEO, KNET

Mr. Al-Ajmi started working early on with KNET since its establishment in 1993. He dedicatedly led various group functions within Technology, Operations, and Business, before moving up the corporate ladder to head the company as GM in 2009, and eventually, CEO in 2012.

Mr. Al-Ajmi has been a member of the GCCNET Technical Committee since 1997. He has presented numerous papers on E-payments and the role of KNET in Kuwait, the GCC and the International sphere.

Mr. Al-Ajmi holds a BS in Computer Engineering from Kuwait University, and a GMP certification from Harvard Business School.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Ronald Alan Fons</span>
Ronald Alan Fons
Global Head, Financial Services Sector, Huawei Technologies Limited,

Mr. Alan Fons is the Global Head of Financial Services Sector at Huawei Technologies, Limited.  His responsibilities encompass developing Huawei’s business and technology strategies addressing retail banking, payments, financial markets, and insurance sectors, including new product features, industry certification requirements, Go to Market and business relevance strategies, as well as leading workshops in Omnichannel and Enterprise Architecture methodologies.

He has 30 years’ experience in the fields of network infrastructure operations in banking, enterprise architecture planning, branch transformation, and high performance trading architectures for regulated exchanges and sell-side firms.

He has worked on Wall Street for Morgan Stanley, The New York Stock Exchange, and Loeb, Rhoades & Partners managing network infrastructures and technology innovation planning.

Besides working on Wall Street, Ronald has worked for ICT companies such as Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Wang Computers in the financial services sector as well as founding NetworkAsia Systems Integration Limited in Hong Kong and Beijing specialising in network infrastructures for retail banking and regulated exchanges in China.

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Somnath Menon</span>
Somnath Menon
Chief Operations Officer, Ahli Bank Kuwait

Mr. Menon is currently the Group COO at Ahli Bank Kuwait.

He has over 35 years experience in various banking disciplines and across multiple geographies. 

He started his career as a Management Trainee with a public sector bank in India and then joined Citibank N.A. where he worked for around 20 years in India, Nigeria, Poland, and United Kingdom, besides stints in Asia and the U.S. 

He moved from the UK to the Middle East in 2005 with Mashreq Bank UAE, as Group Head of Operations and Technology. During his tenure the bank undertook several transformational changes, including third party outsourcing and implementation of core banking and other best in class technologies.

Mr. Menon holds a Master’s degree in Change Management from the UK and has successfully completed his AMP from Oxford University, UK. 

<span class='agenda-slot-speaker-name'>Eng. Baraka Al Rashidi</span>
Eng. Baraka Al Rashidi
Projects Manager, Malla International Co.,
14:00 - 14:30
Closing of the Forum