Wamda

Regional

AI Goes mainstream as MENA SMEs join the race

An article by Ahmed Mahmoud, CEO, DXwand Artificial intelligence was once the preserve of large enterprises with deep pockets and...

smes AI Artificial intelligence

Regional

The balancing act of innovation and growth for scale-ups

An article by Daniel Bryant, CTO of iyris. In the GCC, scale-ups — SMEs that have proven their business models and are targeting...

oped scale-ups

Regional

GCC family offices shift from preservation to innovation investing

Family offices are becoming pivotal players in MENA’s investment landscape. Initially focused on wealth preservation, these...

family offices

Regional

MENA family offices explore the future of frontier investments

Family offices are becoming pivotal players in MENA’s investment landscape, but their strategies are evolving fast—and not...

family offices oped

Regional

The emerging VC gamble for family offices

Family offices are increasingly courted by emerging venture capital managers, drawn in by the promise of outsized returns and early access...

family offices oped

Regional

What if the unicorn obsession is holding MENA back?

An article by Imad Eddine Oubiri For over a decade, the term “unicorn” has defined what success looks like in the startup...

Unicorn oped

Regional

Inside the evolving role of advisors for MENA family offices

Following our deep dive into how MENA-based family offices are rethinking their approach to direct startup investments, this piece explores...

family offices

Regional

Time for MENA businesses to lead with digital discipline

An article by Andrey Fedorov, the Founder of Velter When I walked into my first business meeting in the UAE, I immediately...

oped

Regional

MENA founders: stop obsessing over profit, start tracking cash

An article by Moataz Mukhaimer, Strategy & Finance Advisor The income statement, often regarded as the pinnacle of financial...

oped

Regional

AI, digitisation could hold the key to MENA’s food security challenge

An article by Belal Zahran, Foodics' International Managing Director, Egypt & UAE The food and beverage (F&B) industry...

oped f&b foodtech

Regional

Why should MENA family offices rethink direct startup investments

When a family sells a company, cashes out of a long-held asset, or completes a lucrative IPO, a common question often arises: What...

family offices

Regional

Why startups can't afford to ignore customer experience

An article by Georges Al Feghali, Board Member, Executive Vice President, Consulting & Transformation at CXG In a recent...

oped customer experience

Regional

The future of MENA SMEs depends on smarter CFO tools

An article by Adnan Murudi, Associate, and Simon Sharp, Partner at Global Ventures CFOs sit at the centre of strategic...

CFO

Regional

Agentic AI is here to stay in MENA’s foodtech landscape

An article by Alexander Ponomarev, CEO of Syrve MENA, a MENA-based restaurant technology provider. The food and beverage industry, along...

f&b Agentic AI

Regional

MENA’s entrepreneurs must think in ecosystems, not silos

An article by Wael Jaber, founder & CEO, CLAN Investment Entrepreneurship used to be about solving a singular problem or offering a...

oped

U.A.E

The UAE’s formula for startup success: vision, investment and innovation

An article by Maryam A. Hassani, Head of Trends & Innovation at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) The United Arab...

smes Investment

Regional

Central banks, CBDCs, and the new digital economy in MENA

An article by Ghady Rayess, co-founder and managing director at FOO Stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are poised...

CBDC Cryptocurrencies digital currency

Regional

Community-led commerce fuels MENA’s shopping shift

An article by Irina Tatarinova, Brand Director at Flowwow From Instagram-driven shopping to WhatsApp business groups, businesses...

community-driven commerce E-commerce

Regional

The hidden cost of rushing funding for MENA startups

An article by the CEO of Atiom, Matthew Spriegel. Startups often chase large early funding rounds, believing that more capital...

oped Funding

Regional

Five proven strategies for winning the GCC B2B market

An article by Andrew Baturin, CMO of Tumodo, an online business travel platform The GCC region provides a corporate environment...

oped b2b

Qatar

Beyond the hype, what actually happened in Web Summit Qatar: Pt. 2

An overview of key trends, investment climate, and real opportunities for regional startups from the floor of Web Summit Qatar 2025. An...

Web Summit Qatar 2025 oped

Qatar

Beyond the hype, what actually happened in Web Summit Qatar: Pt.1

An overview of key trends, investment climate, and real opportunities for regional startups from the floor of Web Summit Qatar 2025. An...

Web Summit Qatar 2025 oped

Regional

Convertible debt could be the right solution for MENA funding gap

An article by Hannah Curran, the founder & CEO of PureBorn In many ways, we are in an exciting era for SMEs. Accessible...

oped funding gap Convertible debt

Regional

Think local, act local: The secret to thriving in GCC e-commerce

An article by Mohamad Salah Khouzam, COO of the Kuwaiti online classifieds platform, 4Sale For over 30 years, while...

oped

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