Based on the real incidents of the Kuwait Stock Exchange, “The Exchange” on Netflix is a 2023 Arabic series that was inspired by the idea of women’s empowerment through the real-life stories of two different women who stepped into the male-dominated world of the stock exchange. The series comprises six episodes, and each episode includes a new mystery to crack. The first episode began with past events that date back to the last seven months. These months pass by as Farida has to deal with her daughter Jude’s pending tuition payments and a painful divorce from her husband, Omar.
As time moved on, Farida struggled with the overbearing pressures of her family to get married again, but all this time, Farida just wanted to be an independent and strong woman for herself and Jude. It is pretty clear that Farida had been dependent on her husband for financial stability, and now, her parents have been supporting her since her divorce. Omar had stopped communicating with them and had never been interested in Farida’s problems. She would often spend her days sulking over the depressing moments that she had to face. No matter what, Farida didn’t give up and tried her best to communicate with Omar, but he would never respond to Farida’s calls. This time, Farida was anxious about everything because it had been more than 13 years since she had last worked. Now, all of a sudden, her life was taking a different turn since she had a daughter to look after. Despite all her struggles, people around her seem to neglect her feelings and often force her to earn on her own.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happened At The Charity Event?
The charity event had been held for the female athletes, but that wasn’t the main attraction for the people at the auction. As people continued to focus on the sisters, Farida and her cousin Munira, well, their arguments quickly heated up as they envied each other for almost everything. It was clear that both of them had unresolved differences with each other. While Farida dealt with the overbearing gossip around her, Munira’s arrival created more chaos for her. Moreover, women were judged on their marital status and their lifestyle, and Farida was already caught up in the web of judgments. Her presence at the party had been difficult for many to understand. They couldn’t swallow the fact that Farida chose to attend a party despite her divorce. Meanwhile, two fencing artists were performing on the stage, and their battle was symbolic of Farida and Munira’s cold war. It went on the whole night as both of them competed in the auctions as well. Despite her financial struggles, Farida ended up buying an ancient sculpture for 450 dinars. The sisters were manipulated by societal pressures to please everyone at the event.
Eventually, the duo associated with each other on their way home; Farida couldn’t arrange a ride for herself, and Munira decided to drop her off. Their conversations hinted towards Farida’s unhappy marriage. Even though they had a strained relationship, Munira stepped into her life like a ray of light. She worked at the Kuwait Stock Exchange for Bank of Tomorrow as a clerk, but Munira’s job wasn’t always easy since men at her workplace often underestimated her for being a woman. Munira aspired to become a portfolio manager, and Saud, the portfolio manager, was quite impressed by Munira’s work and promised to promote her soon enough. Munira had been an excellent mathematician and negotiator. These two skills are extremely important for a trader, and she managed to set herself apart from the others. Farida had had quite a hectic day, but Munira gave her a different insight into life.
Did Farida Manage To Pay Jude’s Tuition Fees?
Omar was never interested in Farida and Jude. With the auction money pending, Farida had too much to take care of. On the other hand, she had to pay off Jude’s tuition fees too. Farida couldn’t always rely on her father, so she decided to visit her husband for the same because the school had informed Farida that Omar had refused to pay for Jude’s school bills. Now, she had no choice but to ask Omar for money, but again, Omar insulted her as he used to in the past. He belittled her, and it was pretty clear that, as a dominant man in society, he wanted to claim control over Farida’s actions, as he made the most of every opportunity to embarrass her in front of everyone in the school. Farida wanted Omar to be a part of her life because their separation took a huge toll on Jude’s mental health. She couldn’t bear to see her parents’ separation and believed that her mother would leave her just like she had left Omar. Moreover, Jude was an excellent violinist, but she couldn’t motivate herself with everything that happened around her. Luckily, Munira and Farida’s meeting at the auction turned out to be beneficial for her since Munira offered her the task of digging up more information on the Kazima shipping.
Omar was the manager of Kazima Shipping, and getting their hands on information about their securities might benefit both ladies. The next morning, Farida sneaked into Omar’s place and stole all the information that was required to help Munira. At this point, Farida had been ready to take any measures that were necessary for her child’s well-being, and for now, this was the only option she had. Munira agreed to pay her 450 dinars for the sculpture from the auction, and in return, Farida got her the information that was necessary to upgrade Munira’s position. In the end, Farida played her cards right and managed to get a job at the Kuwait Stock Exchange with Amir’s help. Even though dealing with men can be difficult, Farida was ready to give it her all since it was her only option to escape Omar’s clutches. Instead of begging Amir for the job, she traded Kazima’s information with him to secure one. Women were often misunderstood for their capabilities, but society failed to understand that women could handle many roles. She could be a homemaker, a mother, and a wife, but that won’t stop her from becoming a philanthropist and the greatest trader of all time.
