My Professional Profile
My name is Abdullah Faisal Al-Sabah, and I am currently studying towards a PhD in Economics at the University of Birmingham, supervised by Prof. Oleksandr (Sasha) Talavera. My research mainly examines stock returns with a focus on events of information arrival.
Having obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – Finance Concentration from the American University of Kuwait in 2008, I then joined the corporate finance department of KIPCO Asset Management Company (KAMCO). It was here that I worked on the valuation of a variety of both listed and non-listed companies, deepening my knowledge of quantitative and qualitative company analysis.
I graduated with a Master's degree in Business and Administration (MBA) from Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) in 2010, where I developed my understanding of the capital market structure and was exposed to the draft of the Capital Markets Authority new law (Law No. 7 of 2010 regarding the Establishment of the Capital Markets Authority and Regulating Securities Activities) in the business law module. Upon completion of my MBA, I joined the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) as an Assistant Financial Analyst within the office of the General Manager. My responsibilities within this role included the conduct of due diligence on the Kuwait Stock Exchange’s newly established index (Kuwait 15 Index) and the preparation of quarterly reports on KSE for the Kuwait Capital Market Authority (CMA). My time in this role led to a new interest in market development and allowed me to explore the application of innovative research methods in an authentic setting.
Alongside my corporate roles and academic education, I have continued to devote time to my professional development, with the aim of enhancing my current skillset and solidifying my scientific knowledge base. I have attended specialist courses and a range of expert-led seminars, most notable of which include the Stockholm Exchange Seminar, the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Level I Training Program (six-month duration), Financial Statement Analysis, 2009 Euro-Money Conference, Valuation in the Middle East and Business Financial Modelling in Excel. A recent professional achievement was my role as a core member of the team which established the new Kuwait 15 Index for the Kuwait Stock Exchange. This experience employed all aspects of my academic training and business experience, and honed my ability to collaborate effectively.
I am a keen advocate of working and collaborating with individuals of all personal and professional backgrounds, as I have witnessed the way that this allows for the blending of ideas and encourages people to view a situation from a different perspective than their own. The University of Birmingham nurtures a socially and culturally diverse environment, which fully complements my own research vision and methods for knowledge exchange, and has enabled me to expand my academic and corporate network. In addition to my research activities, I also play an active role in assisting the National Union of Kuwaiti Students - UK Branch in the organization of events.
If you are a researcher or organization interested in collaborating or learning more about my research interests, do not hesitate to contact me.
