In an interview, Al-Terkait speaks about his journey as a young leader in a competitive market

KUWAIT: Chairman of Al-Safat Investment Company Abdullah Al-Terkait has won an award for his achievements and efforts at the 'CEO Today Middle East Awards 2019', that was held in February 2019. In a detailed interview that was published in the magazine's Middle East issue, the chairman talks about the company, its history and his experience while being the Chairman since 2013.

Al-Terkait spoke about his struggles with the company when he first joined and how his role as a leader evolved from there. Al-Safat's financial crisis back then was in a state of despair and chaos, with the company having to tackle the pressures from its shareholders, clients and the banks. He also spoke about how he worked together with the company's senior management and departments to restructure and revive Al-Safat.

In his interview, Al-Terkait said, "Loyalty towards our clients and determination to succeed was what drove us to being able to have high profits for the next three to five years after the crisis. Our priorities now are to have the company listed again, grow our equity base through solid and constant profits and cash dividends distributions to our shareholders."

Today, the Al-Safat Holding Group has over 1,000 employees and around 25 companies under it, in the investments, real estate, energy, oil and gas, F&B, industrial, chemicals and carpet manufacturing sectors. Al-Safat Investment is the mother company with 25 employees at its head office, where the chairman officiates from.

The article also throws light on Al-Terkait's work ethic and his journey as a young leader in a competitive market. According to him the two most vital factors in leading a company are communication and having a clear vision. The chairman stressed on how important team work and harmony between departments are and how he encourages open communication in the workplace.

When asked what the award means to him and the company, he simply stated that the award will be the embodiment of everything Al-Safat has worked for and accomplished to date and congratulates his team for their undying support and hard work and hopes the award motivates them to reach their new heights and their goal of being amongst the 'best investment company' in Kuwait in the next five years. Al-Terkait also spoke about his vision for the company to not only grow in the finance sector in Kuwait but also on the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) front. In relation to his October 2017 article in 'The Investor' magazine about start-ups in Kuwait, he detailed one of Al-Safat's ongoing projects to support young entrepreneurs and SMEs through financial advice, investment opportunities and sponsorships. Al-Terkait concluded the interview by expressing how grateful he is for the award and to represent Kuwait internationally.

The CEO Today Middle East awards are dedicated to recognizing strong and innovative businesses operating in the Middle East across all key sectors and industries. The CEO Today Middle East Awards recognizes the companies and leaders who are driving success in their respective fields and beyond. The magazine is committed to providing C-level executives with the latest corporate developments, business news and technological innovations.