U.A.E STEP gets $2M Series A, plans a digital media empire STEP Group has closed a Series A funding round with a $2 million investment from regional investors, including Wamda Capital,... Maya Rahal • 23 January, 2017 Step Conference Step music Wamda Capital
Tunisia The business of art: Tunisian artists-turned-entrepreneurs Even as the city of Tunis buzzed with excitement over a 50 year old annual film festival, the state of the arts in the country is dire,... Lilia Blaise • 23 November, 2016 tunisia Art
Saudi Arabia A Saudi startup invents VR glasses that could change books for ever By 2020, the global virtual reality (VR) market is projected to reach $150 billion. It is expected to reach its first billion this year... Abdulghani Kataya • 08 November, 2016 BeThere Saudi Arabia KAUST
U.A.E From mortgages to Nancy Ajram, one man makes his digital mark on pop culture Celebrity beta website Najem is three-months old and dedicated to the lifestyles of MENA's rich and famous. Think Buzzfeed with glamor.... Lucy Knight • 22 September, 2016 Vinelab lebanon uae
Saudi Arabia Foodics: the Saudis taking on Gulf restaurant giants In Saudi, the food and beverage (F&B) sector is one of the largest in the Gulf. Probably no surprise there, as in MENA food and... Ahmed Gabr • 14 August, 2016 Foodics ksa Alwans
Regional Tamatem: Gaming for 18 million users As global gaming publishers overlook the Arab region’s hunger for localized mobile games, regional publishers are... Tala El Issa • 07 August, 2016 tamatem Gaming localization
U.A.E In5 Media Hub, latest incubator with industry approach Dubai-based incubator In5 is finally putting the finishing touches to its media-focused hub. First announced in November 2015 they... Daria Solovieva • 06 July, 2016 in5 In5 media hub Payfort
Qatar What I know about digital Arabic content: Nawaf Felemban In 2015 Wamda produced a report that showed 60 percent of Arabs wanted to read online content in Arabic. That would be great... Lucy Knight • 28 March, 2016 Kooora Kasra WIK
Maghreb Artists build businesses at Disrupt!/Media! Tunis Audiovisual, tech, and culture lovers and professionals working together over the weekend. (Images via Mideast Creatives) Is three days... Emna Ghariani • 11 February, 2016 Audiovisual disrupt!/Media! Cogite
Palestine 72-hour gamer comp tests Ramallah talent Palestine has joined Game Zanga’s 72-hour design competition as game developers converged on Ramallah over the weekend to try and beat the c... Rafat Abushaban • 04 August, 2015 game competition game jam game zanga
Regional Ramadan advice and exercise tips: how this women's Arabic platform is attracting viewers With more than 13 million total views on its YouTube channel, Loolia, a digital platform that connects Arab women with lifestyle experts in... Esraa Haidar • 08 July, 2015 Loolia arabic media Digital Arabic Content
Egypt How these Egyptians are building a digital community for pet lovers Ideas and ventures often spring from a common problem that entrepreneurs and their communities face. This was true with Sarah Zohdi and... Eman Mostafa • 06 July, 2015 dog lovers pet lovers The Dogs Network
U.A.E Geekonomics: MENA geek culture and the superpower of entrepreneurship The force is strong in these ones (Image via Flickr) On the occasion of Geek Pride Day, we take a look at geek culture in MENA and see... Omar Al Fil • 25 May, 2015 ExtraCake Arafaat Ali Khan MEFCC
Egypt Egyptian startup aims to offer entrepreneurs a change of pace An innovative idea coupled with a business plan, a profit model, solid execution, all followed by a growth phase - these are the... Eman Mostafa • 15 June, 2015
Bahrain How entrepreneurs are shedding light on Bahrain's underground music scene Aalaat performed at Malja Bahrain last month. (Image via Malja's Facebook page.) Tiny Bahrain has been making a lot of noise lately. The... Stephanie d'Arc Taylor • 14 April, 2015 malja malja bahrain mideast tunes
Lebanon 5 things I learned from making a video game in 30 hours Sten Selander of Media Evolution (Sweden) briefs Arabic Game Jam participants As a kid, I had two main hobbies: drawing and playing video... Omar Al Fil • 02 April, 2015 video games arabic game jam MENA Games
Palestine Why this high-fashion startup is prioritizing Palestine ElMuda's founders Ruba Abdulhadi (left) and Badea Jaber. High fashion is big business in the Middle East. In fact, the Arab region is one... Rachel McArthur • 06 April, 2015 elmuda palestine Fashion
Regional 'They're not there yet but they will be soon': Ubisoft analyst on MENA gaming [Wamda TV] No matter how you slice it, the gaming industry in the Middle East lags behind European, Asian, and American markets when you look at... Stephanie d'Arc Taylor • 12 April, 2015 mena games conference beirut mena games conference teut weidemann
Lebanon Data key to the growth of the MENA gaming industry [Wamda TV] For the gaming industry of the Middle East to grow, developers need to expand to other markets. Equally, the region needs to present a... Lucy Knight • 08 April, 2015 MEGA 2015 gaming industry
Maghreb A Moroccan answer to BuzzFeed is expanding into the Arab world Young Arabs never cease to amaze us. After Ouedkniss in Algeria, EMC in Morocco and Saily in Lebanon, it’s n... Aline Mayard • 05 March, 2015 Arabic Content
Saudi Arabia The quick rise of online video content in Saudi Arabia This post was originally published on firnas.org Making the most of the access now had to basic filming equipment, such as... Ahmed Gabr • 22 December, 2014 online video content Saudi Arabia YouTube
Regional New Diwanee site seeks to feed growing interest in MENA celebrity news When Paris-based digital publishing company Webedia acquired a majority stake in Diwanee in March, the Dubai-based Arabic content... Lucy Knight • 11 November, 2014
Regional Former Maktoob exec raises 800K to bring social TV app to MENA The Los Angeles-based, MENA-focused app Vyu has just closed an $825,000 USD round led by Jordan’s Jabbar Internet Group. The company will u... Stephanie d'Arc Taylor • 20 October, 2014
U.A.E TechForum Dubai: how will wearables impact our daily lives? Organizers of the 16th TechForum, held on September 16 at Dubai Silicon Oasis in partnership with the Emirati telecom Etisalat,... Pamela Kesrouani • 24 September, 2014 Dubai Silicon Oasis Techforum Wearable devices