Kuwait - MENA Herald: CFA Society Kuwait, CFA Institute’s local association of investment professionals consisting of portfolio managers, financial analysts and investment advisors, held a Fintech conference on 24th April, 2017 at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce. The event was in collaboration with the Union of Investment Companies (UIC), Ajar, StartupQ8 and Sirdab Lab as part of CFA Institute’s global “Putting Investors First” initiative.
Prominent figures from Kuwait’s investment industry attended the conference. Speakers such as Saalim Chowdhury, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at 500 Startups – the world’s most active Fintech investor –, Shaheen Al-Khudari, co-founder and CEO of Ajar Online – a cloud service platform that simplifies the rent collection process for landlords and tenants – and Haider Al-Mosawi, CEO and co-founder of Sirdab Lab – a startup hub that aims to empower entrepreneurs – addressed the latest developments in financial technology, its benefits, and the challenges it's presenting to the industry.
Mijbel AlQattan, CFA, President of CFA Society Kuwait, said: “The investment management industry is undergoing a significant disruption due to Fintech innovations, which are offering both opportunities and challenges. It is critical for organisations and professionals to adapt their business models and services to technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, smart machines, data analytics systems and blockchain; which are changing the way the industry works.
By supporting CFA Institute’s “Putting Investors First” initiative, we want to inspire our community to make real impact and foster a market environment where investors can thrive. Hence CFA Society Kuwait has chosen to partner with some of the country’s leading investment entities, in order to educate professionals on protecting investor interests amidst the changes these developments are causing to existing practices.”
Fadwa Darwish, Director of Technical Support at UIC & Acting Director of Investment Studies Center, commented: “Factors such as big data and artificial intelligence will impact current models for investment research and asset management, although the GCC has been relatively slower in its adoption of Fintech innovations; compared to other regions around the world. Since the need for specialised investment advisory will always be necessary, it is important for professionals to understand how to ethically implement these tools for growth purposes.
CFA Institute’s “Putting Investors First” initiative is aimed at building awareness of investor rights and encouraging investment professionals to shape a trustworthy, forward-thinking financial industry that better serves society.
