Hussain Najadi Tells It Like It Is

On the Breakfast Grille, Hussain Najadi the chairman and CEO of Arab Investments for Asia Kuwait Limited Group (AIAK).

He talks about his rebellious youth in Bahrain: from the setting up the Bahraini Liberation Front (BLF), to staging one of the first street demonstrations in Bahrain, that culminated in him being expelled from the Kingdom.

On his work in Malaysia, Najadi explains why he sold his shares to Tan Sri Azman Hashim and exited the banking scene. He talks of the then limiting regulatory parameters in the banking scene, and how vital it is to have the right connections.

He also writes, in reference to Bahrain, that during the course of his career he had to deal with “the elite world of high finance, the power play of big oil and the fickle fancy of politics” and how some signs of this are emerging in Malaysia.

Najadi talks about the circumstances that led to his 7-year imprisonment in Bahrain, as well as the ensuing international lobby for his release. Listen to the podcast to find out why he hasn't be able to return home to Bahrain since.