Al Markaz Evaluates Projects Led by Female Entrepreneurs
Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) concluded its participation in the Women Creating Wealth Summit 2026 in Riyadh, where a female delegation judged and assessed the investment viability of projects led by female entrepreneurs.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Kuwait Finance House (KFH) concluded its participation in the “Women Create Wealth 2026” summit, held on September 28 and 29 in Riyadh, with Dina Al-Rafai, Executive Vice President and Head of Wealth and Business Development at KFH, serving as a judge on the panel for the Live Pitch Day.
The KFH women’s delegation at the summit also included Rasha Osman, Executive Vice President for Investment Banking (Capital Markets and Fixed Income); Sandus Saad, Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications; and Lisa Amin, Head of European Real Estate Business Development within the International Real Estate division.
KFH’s contribution to the competition’s judging was based on its extensive expertise in wealth management and investment opportunity evaluation, including assessing the clarity of the business model and its alignment with market needs, growth potential, capacity to build sustainable value, and the entrepreneur’s readiness to secure appropriate funding.
Commenting on the event, Al-Rafai said: “Innovation is the starting point for any promising venture, but turning an idea into an investment-attractive project requires a clear business model, a precise understanding of the market, genuine growth potential, and a compelling path to building sustainable value. Live Pitch Day allowed us to closely examine projects led by female entrepreneurs and assess their ability to address real needs in wealth management, investment, and financial services.”
She added: “Financial institutions and investors can play a crucial role in helping promising ventures attract capital by clarifying what investors seek and translating evaluation criteria into actionable feedback. This type of guidance helps female entrepreneurs refine their business models, identify areas requiring further development, and build the capabilities needed for the next stage of growth. At KFH, we have leveraged our deep expertise in wealth management and investment opportunity evaluation to provide maximum support to the participating female entrepreneurs.”
KFH’s participation in the summit extends its role in regional platforms that bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and sector experts. At the MoneyTech 2025 conference, KFH participated as a strategic partner for the fourth consecutive year, while Professor Al-Rafai spoke at a session discussing the needs of the new generation of founders and investors, and the transformations reshaping wealth management.
Additionally, KFH sponsored the GCC Connect: E2I - Kuwait 2026 forum at the Gold level, contributing to enriching discussions on startup financing, innovation ecosystem development, and strengthening links between entrepreneurs, capital sources, and expertise.
Through its presence at these and other platforms, KFH continues to enhance investment dialogues by sharing its practical expertise, helping promising ventures understand market and investor requirements, and contributing to elevating business models in Kuwait and the region, as well as their capacity for growth and sustainable value creation.
