Suffix

Locals fight the odds to raise awareness on the importance of sports and healthy lifestyle

CEO Ahmed AlMajed of Suffix talk about the long road to success for the company and the importance of innovation in remaining competitive.

In a country known for its thriving oil industry and sandy desert, one does not immediately think of sports. However, CEO Ahmed AlMajed of Suffix has flipped the dime on what is considered traditional in Kuwait through the introduction of the sporting consultancy Suffix. The company is split between two departments, Suffix Management and Suffix Events, with the former providing construction and management of sports facilities and the latter promoting and managing sporting events. Since it was established in 2007, the company has become a national leader in sporting tournaments and helping citizens band together in the names of health and community.

“We saw a gap in the market that no one could notice, nor did anyone see the importance of sports or healthy lifestyle. We did our intensive study for a long period and with a lot of careful planning decided to fill the void ourselves by establishing Suffix,” says Almajed. The CEO sees the birth of the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon as the turning point for the company’s events division, which drew more than 10,000 participants before the pandemic.
Suffix now runs between 60 and 80 events per season. The company boasts a ticket sales ratio of 90% for all events. So far, the company has set up 280 sporting experiences and manages 57 locations including 17 sports facilities and 57 courts.

One of the company’s key drivers is its innovative use of technology. The company offers its novel Li3ib app, which provides citizens with direct and personalized contact with athletic leisure in the user’s vicinity. In addition, the company’s events division runs an automated registration platform, which was revolutionary in the nation and beyond.

“There were no companies specialized in these types of services. We had no choice but to make it happen all in-house, which was very difficult. Today, this gives us a very big advantage since everything is automated. It’s a service that does not exist anywhere in the world,” explains AlMajed.

Becoming a successful vehicle for social change was not easy. Almajed describes the company’s journey: “The mindset of the country was not in favor of what we were doing. We were not receiving much support from any entity because they did not see a vision for sports or healthy living like we did. Changing this mentality was our biggest challenge.” However, Suffix has been led through adversity to become the country’s prime sporting events and facility management companies. “Today, we're in a very different position because of our passion, consistency and persistence. We did not want to miss this wave until we reached it,” says Almajed. The company now wants to expand into Saudi Arabia in 2023 and ultimately grow to be the largest and oldest sports management and entertainment company in the GCC region.