At the MIT Enterprise Forum Workshop last month, Salim Akil of searchinmena.com discusses the challenges of moving out of Syria due to the current political strife, and establishing his startup in Dubai to crack into the Gulf market. Akil describes having a difficult time finding investment and agreeing on the valuation of his company, mentioning an investor who asked for too large an equity amount. Heading to Startup Weekend Dubai and talking to DubaiSME has helped tremendously, he says.