About Me

I am an Associate Professor of Finance at the College of Business, Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia. Before joining Alfaisal University, I worked at Cardiff and Kent Business Schools in the UK. I hold a Ph.D. degree in Finance from Hull Business School, UK (2016). I also received an MSc degree (with Distinction) in Financial Management (2011) from Hull Business School and a BSc in Economics (2007) from Damascus Faculty of Economics in Syria.

My main research interests are in the areas of empirical corporate finance, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, managerial behavior, and energy investments. In my recent work, I try to understand the reasons behind the voluntary delisting decisions from exchanges and identify the optimal time to delist.

I have published in journals such as the Journal of Finance (contribution only under the Fincap initiative), Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Financial Markets, European Financial Management, and Energy Economics, among others. I am on the editorial board of Corporate Governance: An International Review (ABS 3, ABDC A), an Associate Editor of the International Review of Economics and Finance (ABS 2, ABDC A) journal and conduct reviews regularly for other journals in the field.

I have received approximately £200,000 of research funding. One of the latest projects was funded jointly by the prestigious UK government institution National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Research Institute in Sociotechnical Cyber Security (RISCS). The project aimed to support SMEs with cyber-security decision-making and to assist them with creating a healthy cyber-security environment. The first draft of the guide can be found HERE. 

Before embarking on my PhD in Finance, I had several years of professional working experience in the banking sector. My experience in the industry coupled with my academic achievements allowed me to deliver high-class customised corporate training and to act as a consultant for several corporations.