Maha Al Ghunaim is something of a celebrity in the Arab world of banking and finance. She founded Global Investment House, one of the region’s largest investment companies, in 1998. When she took the firm public on the London Stock Exchange in 2008, it became the first Kuwaiti company to the list on the exchange. The firm is also listed on the Kuwait, Dubai and Bahrain bourses.
The onset of the global financial crisis has meant the last few years have been tough for Al Ghunaim. The firm has been hit hard by turbulence in regional markets and in October reported losses had widened to $56m. American-educated Al Ghunaim has said she will focus on repaying $1.7bn of debt, selling assets and targeting key growth markets including Saudi Arabia.
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