BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Al-Zuhair is currently the executive chairman and head of the Kuwait National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development, which was established in accordance with Law 98/2013 as an independent public corporation.
Before assuming this role, he served in various public positions including
–member of the Supreme Council for Privatization, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister;
– professor of finance andinternational business at the College of Business Administration (Kuwait University);
– advisor to the director of the Government Performance Monitoring Agency (Council of Ministers);
– advisor in the Office of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs;
– special advisor to the minister of commerce andindustry; and
– advisor to the state minister for planning anddevelopment affairs.
In addition to representing Kuwait University on multiple steering committees and taskforces, under the supervision of the Council of Ministers, he alsoaddressed various reform initiatives and development programs.
During his tenure in Washington, DC, Dr. Al-Zuhair worked as a lecturer and research fellow for corporate governance studies at the George Washington University; as vice president for private equity at a DC-based boutique investment firm; and served at the Office of the Executive Director for the Arab Countries at the World Bank.He spent a number of years before that in Europe with a multinational oil company, where he held various positions including manager of strategic pan-European projects; manager of product development; and senior planning andinvestment officer.
Dr. Al-Zuhair holds a PhD in finance andinternational business and an MBA in finance andinvestments from the George Washington University, and a bachelors of science degree in petroleum engineering from Tulsa University (Oklahoma).
In April 2013, the Government has enacted law number 98 of 2013 to establish a National Fund for SME Development (the “SME Fund”). The law is intended to help the country make a major stride in the efforts to support the youth, combat unemployment, and enable the private sector to drive economic growth. As an independent public corporation, with a total capital of KD 2 billion, the SME Fund will finance up to 80 percent of capital for feasible small and medium projects submitted by Kuwaiti nationals. The law defines eligible SMEs as enterprises that employ 1 to 50 Kuwaiti workers, with financing requirements that do not exceed KD 500 thousands.
Vision
Build an inclusive, collaborative, and innovative ecosystem for entrepreneurs to lay the foundation for economic opportunities in Kuwait.
Mission
Build a world-class institution that leverages the power of entrepreneurs to generate national economic prosperity.
Objectives
1. Create jobs for Kuwaitis in the private sector
2. Increase SME participation in the economy
3. Help create a business-friendly environment for SMEs