Kuwait– Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz” proudly sponsored an intensive Business Valuation Masterclass, organized by Kuwait University’s Financial Trading Center, as part of the College of Business Administration, and conducted by Professor Aswath Damodaran from New York University (NYU), Stern School of Business. This sponsorship highlights Markaz’s commitment to fostering knowledge, financial literacy and excellence in the financial sector, and the investment banking realm.

As a prominent academic in corporate finance and business valuation, Professor Damodaran has been the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships, including the David Margolis Teaching Excellence Fellowship, and the Richard L. Rosenthal Award for Innovation in Investment Management and Corporate Finance.

The comprehensive course provided a unique opportunity for participants to expand their knowledge in the field of business valuation. Under the guidance of Dr. Sulaiman Al Bader, Assistant Professor of Investments and Finance at Kuwait University, and the recipient of the Excellence-in-Teaching Award from the University of Illinois in 2010 exceptional students were selected to join this highly insightful training. The course covered key valuation principles and advanced techniques including discounted cash flow models, valuation best practices, estimation vs. economic uncertainty, and analyzing and comparing complex scenarios.

Commenting on Markaz’s role in sponsoring this course, Mr. Ahmad F. AlFalah, Managing Director of Investment Banking at Markaz, said: “We are proud to have supported the efforts by the Financial Trading Center, to give students an opportunity to learn and thrive in evaluating investments. We would like to highlight their role in bringing such initiatives to Kuwait and offering programs that advance the students’ knowledge, emphasizing the importance of Investment Banking and benefiting from Professor Damodaran’s global experience. We value educational programs that aim to foster knowledge and build human capacity in Kuwait, as that is one of our key pillars of our Corporate Social Responsibility strategy.”

As part of the sponsorship, Markaz invited the participating students to present their learnings, and showcase their ability to apply the learned principles in real-world scenarios and enhanced skills. The session was attended by Mr. Diraar Y. Alghanim, Chairman, Mr. Ali H. Khalil, CEO, Mr. Abdullatif Al-Nusif, Managing Director of Wealth Management and Business Development and Mr. Ahmed F. AlFalah, Managing Director of Investment Banking, at Markaz. Following the presentation, Markaz awarded the students with certificates, recognizing their dedication and passion in completing this impressive training program.

Markaz’s sponsorship stems from its efforts to support the building of human capacity, which is one key pillar of the company’s corporate social responsibility pillar. In line with this, Markaz often sponsors educational events and programs This sponsorship is one of Markaz’s many initiatives to support educational and professional events and programs in the financial industry, that aim to teach Kuwait’s youth valuable skills, making them an asset to Kuwait’s future and the needs of the Market.

About Kuwait Financial Centre “Markaz”

Established in 1974, Kuwait Financial Centre K.P.S.C “Markaz” is one of the leading asset management and investment banking institutions in the MENA region with total assets under management of over KD 1.39 billion (USD 4.56 billion) as of 30 September 2024. Markaz was listed on the Boursa Kuwait in 1997. Over the years, Markaz has pioneered innovation through the creation of new investment channels. These channels enjoy unique characteristics and help Markaz widen investors’ horizons. Examples include Mumtaz (the first domestic mutual fund), MREF (the first real estate investment fund in Kuwait), and Forsa Financial Fund (the first options market maker in the GCC since 2005), all conceptualized, established, and managed by Markaz.