Kuwait International Bank (KIB) today announced the official opening of the headquarters of its KIB Mubader Center, a start-up incubator and accelerator, with special events, targeted campaigns and a new partnership. This comes as part of the Bank’s ongoing efforts to provide support to Kuwait’s aspiring entrepreneurs and SME business owners in every way possible and to help position Kuwait as an economic and commercial hub within the region.
Speaking about the official inauguration of KIB Mubader Center, Abdullah Al-Awadhi, Head of Strategy and Change Management at KIB, said: “We have come a long way since we first announced the center that aims to serve the needs of Kuwait’s entrepreneurs; starting with the initial introduction of KIB Mubader, Kuwait's all-in-one hub for everything entrepreneur, and Mubader Account, a current account tailored specifically to entrepreneurs, to the development and launching of our Mubader App, which provides all the services that entrepreneurs need at their fingertips." Al-Awadhi added: “Today, KIB Mubader Center serves as a full-fledged platform to aspiring entrepreneurs, offering information, training, counsel and mentorship to enable local start-ups to create sustainable business models that generate revenue and profits over the long term.”
The opening ceremony, which was held at the Center, was enriched by two unique events, where Al-Awadhi introduced attendees to the main vision and mission of KIB Mubader, which aims to empower and support local and regional entrepreneurs and SMEs by providing a comprehensive range of financial and business management solutions, as well as access to resources, tools, and mentorship to help them achieve their goals and maximize their potential.
During the first event, which was organized at the opening ceremony, motivational keynote speaker Paul Sloane gave an interactive talk about entrepreneurship and innovation to influential leaders in the entrepreneurial space in Kuwait. Sloane, a Cambridge Engineering graduate, has published several books on lateral puzzles, creative problem-solving and lateral leadership, in addition to countless articles on innovation and leadership in leading business publications. The talk was moderated by Mohammad Ebrahim, Founder and CEO of ALGAS Events – a Kuwaiti agency specialized in training and development solutions, entertainment, media production, creative solutions, sports and esports events, and talent management.
In terms of collaborations, Al-Awadhi affirmed the cooperation between KIB Mubader Center and Rainmaking – the world-leading corporate innovation and venture development firm – as it aims to present a series of hands-on entrepreneurship workshops. He also expressed confidence that the Center’s collaborations with new entities in the coming days will prove fruitful and be the key to opening more doors for Kuwait’s local entrepreneurs.”
The second event, which was organized on the evening of the opening ceremony, featured another presentation about KIB Mubader from Al-Awadhi, who addressed a new audience comprised of well-known entrepreneurs in the local market, KIB’s entrepreneurial employees, and other entrepreneurs who signed up to Mubader. Sloane, meanwhile, held a workshop about innovation, which was also moderated by Ebrahim. The workshop provided the attendees with a truly unique, real-world experience, focusing on the basic and advanced techniques of innovation and the skills necessary for entrepreneurial development.
In parallel with the kick-off ceremony, KIB launched a new campaign, dubbed “Balesh” or “Start”, to encourage people to start up, skill up and scale up through KIB Mubader, which offers incubator and accelerator services to local and regional entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs. In this vein, Al-Awadhi said that the campaign would run for an entire month, calling on young people and divergent thinkers to begin learning the entrepreneurial mindset and skill required for success.
Furthermore, as part of its Ramadan campaign for this year, KIB invited and encouraged entrepreneurs in Kuwait to sign up to its Mubader Center. Throughout the holy month, the Bank will be offering free one-on-one consultations to people who will be selected on a first come, first serve basis, in addition to special Ramadan bundles. This falls in line with the Bank’s efforts to continue playing a key role in encouraging entrepreneurial development across different segments in Kuwait.
It serves to note that KIB is very keen on continuing the Mubader Center’s initiatives and activities, as it understands the importance of entrepreneurship and the role it plays in the world today and in the future. The Bank, through its KIB Mubader Center, will continue to develop creative solutions that enable entrepreneurs to overcome challenges and become effective players in the market.
