Wamda

Regional

MENA startups raise $1.7 billion in H1 2026 despite regional uncertainty

The Middle East and North Africa's startup ecosystem attracted $1.7 billion across 242 funding rounds during the first half of 2026, as...

Investment investments

Regional

MENA startup investment falls to $148.2 million in June 2026

Investment activity across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) cooled in June 2026, with 41 startups collectively raising $148.2...

Investment investments

Regional

500 Global and Sanabil back eight startups in latest accelerator cohort

500 Global and Sanabil Investments, a wholly owned company of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), have announced the 11th...

500 Global Sanabil Investments Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global

Regional

Propeller concludes first Kernel Camp, graduating five AI startups from MENA

Propeller has graduated five startups from Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt in the inaugural edition of Kernel Camp, its eight-week...

Propeller Kernel Camp

Regional

GCC asset management grows to $2.7 trillion as AI rewrites the rules of competition

Assets under management (AuM) across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) climbed to $2.7 trillion in 2025, marking a 10% year-on-year...

Assets Under Management AUM GCC

Regional

When funding slows, silence becomes a startup's biggest risk

An article by Jürgen Salenbacher, Personal Branding Strategist & Leadership Advisor In a slower funding market, the biggest...

oped

Regional

Arabic AI has a trust problem, not a language problem

Why global AI models still struggle with Arabic.. and how region-specific technology is turning accuracy into a business...

oped generative AI LLM

Regional

Applications open for the 7th edition of TiE Women MENA Program 2026

TiE Dubai has opened applications for the 7th edition of the TiE Women MENA Program 2026. Applications are open until 25 June 2026 for...

TiE Women MENA

Regional

MENA startups raise $454.7 million in May 2026, led by debt financing

At first glance, investment activity across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) appears to have rebounded strongly in May 2026....

Investment investments

Regional

Venture capital’s most underrated skill: knowing when NOT to invest

An article by Husameddin AlMadani, angel investor and aviator There is a moment before every flight that matters more than takeoff...

oped

Regional

In MENA, the day after the crisis begins today

As we in the GCC navigate yet another political and security crisis, founders, CEOs and investors need a blunt reminder: cash is the only...

oped

Regional

The strategic role of GCC sovereign funds in rebuilding post-war economies

An article by Majd Zghyer, a Palestine-based economist. During the past two decades, the emergence of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs)...

oped

Regional

Founders still building in MENA understand what others miss

An article by Darya Nikulina, Director of Operations & Marketing at Dubai-based travel tech company Visarun Whenever a crisis hits,...

oped

Regional

After March slump, MENA startup funding rebounds to $150 million in April 2026

Investment activity across the Middle East and North Africa showed early signs of recovery in April 2026, with total funding climbing to...

Investment investments

Regional

A new playbook for founders navigating uncertainty in MENA

Uncertainty has returned to the centre of the MENA startup ecosystem, and this time it is not cyclical. It is structural. After a strong...

oped

Regional

Arabic.AI partners with HeyBreez to scale Arabic voice AI for enterprises

UAE-based Arabic.AI has partnered with HeyBreez to deliver production-grade Arabic voice AI solutions for enterprises and...

Arabic AI HeyBreez

Regional

Speedinvest launches MEA fund backed by Mubadala, QIA, and EIB Global

Austria-based VC firm Speedinvest has launched its first flagship fund dedicated to the Middle East and Africa (MEA). The fund is...

Speedinvest QIA Mubadala

Regional

MENA startup funding slips to $941 million in Q1 2026 amid heightened geopolitical risk

Startup funding in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) fell to $941 million in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 21.5%...

Investment investments

Regional

Propeller brings five MENA deeptech startups to Silicon Valley with Kernel Camp

Jordan-rooted, AI-focused VC Propeller has launched the first cohort of its Kernel Camp residency, bringing five deep-tech startups...

Kernel Camp Propeller

Regional

MENA startup funding falls to $48.3 million in March 2026

Investment activity across the Middle East and North Africa’s startup ecosystem slowed sharply in March 2026, with just 17 startups...

Investment investments

Regional

The Middle East’s butterfly effect on the global economy

For years, the Gulf has quietly become one of the most influential forces shaping the global economy. This influence extends not only to...

oped

Regional

The real cost of undervaluing human capital in the GCC

An article by Natasha Hatherall, the founder and CEO of TishTash Group. Human resources are still too often treated as a support...

oped

Regional

AI capital is flooding the world, with the GCC emerging as the next hub

An article by Alexander Rugaev, the Founder of AR Ventures. Artificial intelligence has rapidly become the primary destination for...

AI GCC oped

Regional

Investment in MENA startups hits $327 million in February 2026

Investment activity across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) startup ecosystem slowed notably in February 2026, as the region...

investments Investment

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