KIB Accelerates Startup Growth with 'Move & Build'

Kuwait International Bank (KIB), through its Business Center specializing in incubating and accelerating the growth of startups, hosted the “Move & Build” event, which brought together a select group of sports club owners, fitness studios, and wellness centers from across Kuwait for an interactive networking and knowledge-sharing session.

According to a bank statement, the event was held within the framework of KIB’s comprehensive corporate social responsibility efforts, aimed at providing a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange in the sector, and supporting business development to contribute to sustainable economic growth. The event enabled participants to access specialized market data and insights, benefit from their peers’ experiences, and exchange views, helping them identify emerging opportunities in their sector.

On this occasion, Abdulaziz Al-Shammari, Assistant General Manager of Retail Banking at KIB, said: “Our role in serving the business community and entrepreneurs in Kuwait goes beyond providing banking solutions, driven by our belief that the growth and development of local companies are fundamental pillars in building a stronger and more sustainable business ecosystem. Local business owners play a pivotal role in stimulating economic activity, creating jobs, and supporting innovation, thereby ultimately enhancing the economy’s resilience and growth. Through our corporate banking services and initiatives like ‘Move & Build,’ we strive to provide business owners with financial solutions tailored to their needs, alongside the knowledge, insights, and connections they seek to explore growth opportunities and build their business future.”

“Move & Build” was organized in collaboration with strategic partner “Boutiqat” and EXCPR for Consulting and Business Management (the data partner), with the aim of enhancing networking among entrepreneurs operating in various segments of Kuwait’s growing fitness and wellness sector, including CrossFit, strength training, Pilates, reformer Pilates, yoga, various forms of fitness, as well as rehabilitation and physical therapy. The event also provided participants with exclusive data and analytics on the local market for the sector, along with opportunities to share experiences and discuss common challenges faced by business owners, enabling them to build new relationships and expand their professional networks within the industry.

On his part, Hamad Al-Awfan, a manager in the Corporate Banking Department, said: “We strive at the Center to leverage our proximity to our corporate banking clients to deliver experiences and initiatives that serve the reality of business management and development in Kuwait. ‘Move & Build’ embodies this approach by providing a specialized space that highlights a rapidly evolving sector and addresses the key issues and challenges relevant to business owners within it. This closeness also allows us to better understand the factors influencing our clients’ businesses and continue developing high-quality, relevant initiatives that meet their ambitions and changing needs.”

Ali Al-Tayyar, Senior Manager of Corporate Communications at “Boutiqat,” stated that the fruitful collaboration with KIB reflects the company’s commitment to building sustainable community partnerships aligned with its vision of supporting a better future. He noted that this collaboration provided an opportunity to exchange views and expertise on the most significant shifts in consumer behavior and lifestyle patterns, and to highlight their impact on the fitness and health sectors.

The pilot clarified that the meeting provided a space for direct dialogue with business owners and professionals in the fitness and health sectors, to discuss evolving consumer aspirations and needs, and the importance of developing services and experiences in line with these shifts. He emphasized that Boutiques continues to support initiatives that bring together various sectors around shared goals, contributing to knowledge exchange and enhancing companies’ ability to understand their customers and respond to their evolving requirements, thereby supporting the growth of vital sectors and serving society in a sustainable manner.

In the same context, Nayef Bastaki, CEO of EXCPR, said: “We were honored to collaborate with KIB through the Move & Build Business Center, contributing our market expertise to an initiative that makes relevant insights and data accessible to Kuwaiti business owners. The event provided fitness and wellness sector business owners with a deeper understanding of customer behavior, competitive dynamics, as well as factors influencing pricing and customer retention decisions. We believe that combining relevant data with direct communication gives business owners greater confidence when planning for sustainable growth.”