Wamda

U.A.E

Short term thinking: fertile grounds for MENA’s Airbnb-inspired startups

If not a turnkey development, the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s MoU with Airbnb in May 2016 was proof of the...

uae Airbnb

U.A.E

When governments embrace entrepreneurship [Podcast]

From South Korea to Finland, to the UK, to Chile, governments are engaging with startups. In Finland, the government gives loans to...

Government Sheraa 1776

U.A.E

What I know about AI: Damu Winston

Ever since he first saw Star Trek as a child Damu Winston has had a lifelong fascination with futuristic technology. The founder and...

What I Know AI WIK

U.A.E

Waiting for change: the UAE’s art world

The UAE’s art world has experienced a remarkable evolution in the past few years, with events like Art Dubai, Sikka Art Fair and...

uae drawdeck emergeast

U.A.E

Emirati fund wants to create next Google or Tesla

Sandooq Al Watan, a national initiative launched in April 2016 by prominent Emirati businessmen to support research projects, has announced...

uae tesla Google

Regional

Techstars and GINCO launch an accelerator program in Dubai

Techstars in partnership with GINCO has announced the launch of a new accelerator program in Dubai. Applications will open in July of 2017...

accelerator Dubai techstars

U.A.E

Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge and Awards 2017 [Call for registration]

The annual Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge and Awards (EFICA) returns in 2017 for the 5th time to inspire and assist initiatives that...

uae Islamic banking

U.A.E

RTA inks agreement with Volocopter for flying taxi

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) yesterday announced its extension of the test run of its manned Autonomous Aerial Taxi (AAT) to...

Dubai RTA Transport

U.A.E

UAE sees first sharia compliant cryptocurrency

Ibrahim Mohammed moved from London to Dubai 10 years ago. In those years he launched and developed a series of successful financial...

Bitcoin Fintech uae

Regional

Bloovo receives $3M in investment

Bloovo, a Dubai-based algorithmic online recruitment platform founded in 2016, closed a $3 million funding round. The co-investment was...

recruitement online platform

U.A.E

Beauty and wellness platform Shedul.com raises $6M

Dubai-based Shedul.com, a free booking platform for salons and spas, closed this week a $6 million round of Series A funding. The funds...

MEVP BECO Capital Shedul

U.A.E

Opportunities behind challenges of fintech in the Middle East [Podcast]

Fintech is hot. Globally, investments in fintech have been rising since 2012, and while they might drop slightly in 2017, according to CB...

Fintech podcast Wamda Capital

Lebanon

Lebanese Car wash app Blink My Car raises $1.2 million

The brainchild of two Beirut natives, Blink My Car received $1.2 million in a seed round last week. The investment round was led by...

U.A.E

Dubai launches a smart city accelerator

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), opened the Dubai Smart City Accelerator,...

dubai smart city accelerator dubai silicon oasis

U.A.E

GITEX Technology Week 2017

This year’s GITEX Technology Week will be happening on October 8-12 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, where hundreds of startups,...

GITEX Technology GITEX2017

U.A.E

GITEX announces its 2017 Startup event, $180K in prize money

GITEX Startup 2017 has announced that it will be taking place this year in Dubai October 8-12 as part of the GITEX Technology...

uae GITEX news watch

Saudi Arabia

What I know about building a happy company: Alper Celen

You cannot spread happiness without being happy yourself. This tenet is the driving force behind Alper Celen’s aim to build the...

Joi What I Know Employment

U.A.E

Compareit4me.com raises $3.5M

Comparison site Compareit4me.com announced today securing $3.5 million from existing investors including Wamda Capital, STC Ventures, Dubai...

Compareit4me.com Investment Wamda Capital

U.A.E

Emaar Malls acquires 51% stake of online fashion retailer Namshi for $151M

Global Fashion Group (GFG), an international online fashion destination, announced today a strategic partnership with Emaar Malls, the...

Namshi Emaar Malls Mohamed Alabbar

Egypt

Arabnet Dubai promotes investments in the MENA's emerging markets

As Arabnet CEO Omar Christidis took his last strides on the Arabnet Digital Summit stage in Dubai and shared some telling numbers, the...

Aqar Map Astrolabs Oman Technology Fund

U.A.E

Careem and OSN partner for discount rates and enhancing customer experience

Careem and OSN announced a strategic partnership May 22. The partnership promises to deliver enhanced benefits to customers of both...

careem OSN Telcos

U.A.E

Why telehealth is so attractive to investors [Opinion]

In his book ‘Healthcare Disrupted’, Jeff Elton comments that ‘until recently, the world changed and healthcare –...

Opinion Healthcare telehealth

U.A.E

Intelak Incubator startups are one step closer to reality

Earlier this month, the four winning teams from Intelak, which means ‘take off’ in Arabic, successfully pitched to investors,...

Intelak MEMakersGE

U.A.E

MENA's Agile community is on the rise

When it comes to building a movement organically, a sense of community often plays an instrumental role. Think of the startup scene in...

agile uae

Thought Leadership

All the information you need to navigate Mena's startup ecosystem

Thank you