Showcasing 10 Kuwaiti entrepreneurial success stories

• Lujain Al-Qenaei: We are keen to spread a culture of entrepreneurship among local youth and support Kuwaiti youth projects

As part of its ongoing efforts to spearhead social sustainability, and in line with its continuous support of small and medium-sized enterprises, Gulf Bank is wrapping up the second season of its “Let’s Talk Business” podcast. This season included a series of conversations with young entrepreneurs, all of which highlighted their entrepreneurial journeys and the stories of how each project grew from a simple idea into a successful business.

The second season was hosted by Tareq Al-Saleh, the Deputy General Manager of the Economic Research Unit at Gulf Bank, and presented the entrepreneurial success stories of 10 local Kuwaiti businesses. The podcast presents each story within a simplified economic framework, with the aim of spreading a culture of entrepreneurship by highlighting the key aspects behind each business’s success, failures, and challenges. The podcast also touches on how each founder manages their respective business and diversifies their sources of income, in addition to highlighting some of the businesses’ financing, acquisition, and exit strategies.

This season, “Let’s Talk Business” hosted: Aziz Albahar, the CEO and Operations Manager at The Taken Seat; Bandar Bouresli, Head of Investment at CAF Cafe; Ayat Al-Ali, the CEO of SRVME; Bader Albanna, CEO of Circuit Plus Fitness; and Khaled Al-Otaibi, one of the co-founders of Talabat, a principal investor in Floward and Oogoo, and owner of the integrated solutions company, Trend.

The season also hosted Sheikh Fahad Al-Sabah, the founder and CEO of Khibra; Khaled Al-Sayer, managing partner at Local Flavor; Ali Al-Ibrahim, the general manager at COFE app; Ahmed Al Majed, General Manager at the Suffix company for sports events management; and Athbi Alenezi, the CEO of JustClean.

The Manager of Corporate Communications at Gulf Bank, Lujain Al-Qenaei, commented: "Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a priority at Gulf Bank, which is why the Bank is so keen to provide SMEs with a diverse package of services designed to help them develop and expand their projects locally and regionally. Our podcast is also a testament to our support of SMEs, as Gulf Bank is keen to highlight local entrepreneurs’ success stories of how, in spite of multiple challenges, small ventures can grow from simple ideas into well-known brands and enterprises.”

Al-Qenaei added: “Gulf Bank is keen to disseminate a culture of entrepreneurship among the local public as part of its social, economic, and environmental sustainability program. We are also keen on supporting local and Kuwaiti youth projects, whether through our banking services, or by giving local entrepreneurs a platform to highlight their success stories and business challenges. In doing so, we hope to present local youth with successful role models that will inspire them to pursue their dream projects.”

She pointed out that economic sustainability has become a necessary requirement in Kuwait, in light of the increase in youth entrepreneurship and rates of self-employment. By learning more about economic sustainability, local youth can achieve financial independence and contribute to the development of the national economy.

Gulf Bank's vision is to be the leading Kuwaiti Bank of the Future. The Bank is constantly engaging and empowering its employees as part of an inclusive and diversified workplace in recognition of every employee’s role in delivering customer excellence and serving the community at large. With its extensive network of branches and innovative digital services, Gulf Bank is able to give its customers the choice of how and where to conduct their banking transactions, all while ensuring a simple and seamless banking experience.

Gulf Bank is committed to maintaining a robust sustainability program at the community, economic, and environmental levels through sustainability initiatives that are strategically selected to benefit both the country and the Bank. Gulf Bank supports Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait” and works with various parties to achieve it.