MONEY MATTERS

Talal AI Ajmi, Founder and CEO of Kuwait-based online broker VI Markets, believes education is key to helping clients understand financial markets before they begin trading. Having found ways to target women and the youth, he's now looking at new ways to increase awareness and access to markets.

- JASON LAS RADO

It’s a bright summer’s evening in the U.K. in June, and Talal Al Ajmi, Founder and CEO of online broker VI Markets, is sitting under a tree in a park, taking a break from planning for his graduation ceremony. Having just completed his master’s degree in financial services management from the University of Salford, the CEO is discussing his thoughts on the importance of educating investors. “Education is the most important input for a successful trader,” says the Kuwait-based entrepreneur.

As he speaks, he says that VI Markets is simultaneously conducting seminars to teach people about financial markets in its Kuwait and Dubai offices, with training scheduled in Egypt and AlAin the next day. “Before we established VI Markets, the reputation of FX and assets trading was very bad in the region, but now we increase awareness and teach everyone about the market,” Al Ajmi explains. “Every day we’re doing seminars for a minimum of 200 and 250 people, and all the courses that we do are free.”

Founded more than 14 years ago, VI Markets is an online brokerage that enables its clients to trade financial assets and derivatives, including forex and CFDs on indices, commodities, energy, equities, futures, and cryptocurrencies. The company today has offices in London, Dubai, Kuwait City, Cairo, and Muscat.

With an eye on future growth, the CEO believes that education is key to individuals making money from financial markets, which in turn helps him grow his business. Before VI Markets’ clients start funding their accounts, they undergo a 10-day seminar to teach them the basics. They are then taught strategies like fundamental and technical analysis and risk management, tested, and given scores on various aspects of their trading skills. Once they’ve learned the right tools and skills, they begin to trade with real money.