Total coverage - Kanessa Muluneh - to date

Our second issue of September 2025 is headlined by Ziad Melhem, Group CEO at UAE-based CFI Financial Group/CFI Group English (CFI). Following CFI’s record $1.51 trillion Q2 trading volume, Melhem is eyeing global growth and platform upgrades—while keeping customer trust at the core. “My vision as Group CEO is to elevate CFI from a leader in online trading to the premier global hub for trading and investment opportunities, where both novice and seasoned traders can develop confidence and unlock their full financial potential,” he says.

Also in this issue: Kawa Junad, the founder of Iraq’s first digital bank, First Iraqi Bank, says he refuses to be led by trends—for him, every decision is rooted in a singular purpose: improving the lives of his people; Andrea Fornari, Head of GCC Export, at EssilorLuxottica, explains how his brand is “helping people see more clearly, and as a result, live more fully”; and Stefan Schmied, Leader of LIXIL International's (LIXIL（リクシル）) IMEA region, on uniting bold sustainability ambitions with long-term business growth.

In a brand new series by Entrepreneur Middle East, the MENA region's leading venture capitalists share practical advice to help founders navigate the challenges of building and scaling a startup. Head from: Global Ventures’ Noor Sweid, @Shorooq ’s Shane Shin, KBW Ventures’ Ekta Tolani, DASH Ventures’ Aboudi Al-Qattan, HALA Ventures' Ali A. Abussaud, 500 Global’s Amjad Ahmad, Key Capital’s Basil Moftah, Plus.vc's Hasan Haider.

PLUS: Read all about UAE-based serial entrepreneur Kanessa Muluneh who has launched Rise of Fearless, the first African-inspired battle royale game; and Aaron Illathu, Managing Director at Jack Taylor, on how data, sleep, and AI are reshaping health

Also, check out the full list of winners of the Sustainability Innovation Awards 2025, hosted by BNC Publishing, which took place on August 29, 2025 at Dubai’s Al Habtoor Palace. Also read a review on MIORI by the Sea– a coastal world shaped by salt, light, and effortless belonging!

📍All this and more can be found on Issuu using the following link: https://issuu.com/entmagazineme/docs/entrepreneur_middle_east_september_15_2025_lega