CATEGORIES

CONSCIOUS INVESTING

VentureSouq's cofounders and general partners, Suneel Gokhale, Sonia Gokhale, Tammer Qaddumi, and Sonia Weymuller, are actively reshaping the investment landscape. With $250 million in assets under management, the thematic fund manager is forging a distinct path, with a focus on fintech and climate tech.

VENTURING BEYOND CAPITAL

In just seven years, Shane Shin and Mahmoud Adi, Founding Partners of Shoroog Partners, have turned their startup into one of the Middle East’s biggest startup investors, with 500 million in assets under management. With ambitions far beyond venture capital, they’re now expanding further into credit markets and looking at where they can be pioneers.

ROCK STAR

WHAT IF THE REVOLUTIONARY TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED TO FRACK ROCKS FOR OIL COULD BE MODIFIED TO UNLOCK LIMITLESS CLEAN ENERGY FROM THE HEAT OF THE EARTH’S CRUST?

Breaking New Territory

Moroccan-Canadian singer and 30 Under 30 alumna Faouzia is having her biggest year yet and enjoying newfound fame in China. As her stardom rises, she’s now exploring new projects and possibilities.

5 Biggest MENA IPOs of 2024

This year has been pivotal for MENA, marked by a series of high-profile IPOs that drew interest from local and international investors. Here’s a look at the five biggest IPOs that defined 2024.

TOP VENTURE CAPITALISTS

MENA has emerged as a vibrant hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, fostering a dynamic landscape for startups.

Top Funding Rounds in MENA 2024

This year has seen some of MENA’s largest-ever funding rounds. Here’s a look at five standout deals. Only startups that were founded less than 10 years ago and had disclosed their funding rounds as of November 27, 2024, were considered.

Key Insights From MENA's Funding Landscape

MENA saw a mixed performance in the first nine months of 2024.

A Look Ahead: Travel Trends Shaping 2025

What will drive wanderlust in 2025? Here’s a look at the key travel trends set to dominate the year.

Codebreakers

Backed by 200 million in funding, 28-year-old SCOTT WU and his team of competitive coders at Cognition are building an Al tool that can program entirely on its own, potentially disintegrating the whole industry. Is its 2 billion valuation the result of a true breakthrough, or just more Al hype?

CLOSING THE GAP

Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at 500 Global MENA, has spent over a decade shaping the region's vibrant startup ecosystem. Now, she's driving efforts to bridge funding gaps, scale startups, and solidify MENA's position as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Top 3 Billionaire Gainers & Losers 2024

In 2024, various factors influenced the net worth of billionaires, including the Al boom, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts, and Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential elections. Here are the top three gainers and losers among billionaires this year, since March 8. Net worths as of November 21, before the U.S. market opened.

Reshaping Saudi Healthcare

Paul Hudson, CEO of French pharma giant Sanofi, has been overseeing the company as it plays an increasing role in Saudi Arabia’s biopharmaceutical market and vaccine production. Now he’s looking to broaden its ambitions even further.

World's Billionaire Venture Capitalists 2024

Seven global billionaires featured on Forbes' 2024 Midas List. Here's a glimpse at the moguls. All but one are American citizens. Net worths are as of November 22, 2024.

Celebrating Emirati Businesswomen and Entrepreneurs on Emirati Women's Day

As part of the U.A.E.’s annual Emirati Women’s Day celebrations, the Abu Dhabi Business Women Council and the Abu Dhabi Chamber hosted an event on August 28, 2024, under the theme “We Collaborate for Tomorrow,” celebrating the role and achievements of Emirati women.

THE MIDDLE EAST'S TOP 100 HEALTHCARE LEADERS 2024

MENA’s healthcare landscape is evolving towards integration, marked by the rise of fully comprehensive ecosystems. Industry giants are setting future trends, driven by systems that thrive on data abundance, accessibility, and intersectoral collaboration.

SCOUTING FOR OPPORTUNITIES

Ayman Cheikh-Lahlou, Chairman and CEO of the Morocco-based Cooper Pharma, took the helm of the family-owned pharmaceutical company in 2005 and has seen business boom over nearly 20 years. Now, he’s exploring expansion opportunities in new markets.

TURNING THE TIDE

Irina Zaporozhets, President and General Manager for Eli Lilly Suisse S.A. in the META region is driving expansion, focusing on innovation and patient-centric care. As she navigates regional challenges, her commitment to expanding access to medicine remains at the forefront.

Supercharging AI

Armed with a newly raised 640 million, GROQ thinks it can challenge one of the world’s most valuable companies with a purpose-built chip designed for Al from scratch.

How Technology is Accelerating Digital Equality in Diverse Markets

The rise of smartphones and digital technologies has transformed our daily lives, contributing to the evolution of connected consumers.

Rare Fortune

Money manager JAMES LITINSKY turned a bad junk bond bet into a $400 million fortune. His MP Materials operates a strategic mine and will begin manufacturing supermagnets for electric vehicles next year.

The State of Mental Health in the Middle East

While mental health awareness is on the rise, the Middle East faces some challenges in providing care. Still, we're seeing some progress.

Big Breakthroughs

From gene therapy to nasal sprays, these were some of the most significant healthcare breakthroughs in the last year.

MENA's 5 Most Valuable Healthcare Companies 2024

The combined market cap of 57 healthcare companies listed on MENA's stock exchanges hit $83.7 billion on August 13, 2024, with the top five companies accounting for about 62.4% of the total market cap. These are MENA's five most valuable healthcare companies in 2024.

Saudi Arabia Drives MENA Healthcare IPOS

Saudi Arabia has dominated MENA's healthcare IPOs so far this year, with all four healthcare IPOs listed in the region being listed on the Saudi Exchange as of August 2024, totaling $920 million in proceeds. Here's a closer look.

Meet the World's 5 Richest Healthcare Billionaires

The world's five richest healthcare billionaires have pioneered hospital networks, pharmaceutical innovations, and medical device technology. All net worths are as of August 23, 2024.

5 Notable Healthcare M&As in MENA

Despite PwC reporting a 35.6% drop in deal volume in the Middle East's healthcare sector last year, the region witnessed a wave of high-profile mergers and acquisitions in 2023, as companies consolidated their positions, expanded globally, and innovated within the industry.

NEW AGE

Mahmoud Ghrghar, CEO of the Ghrghar Group, is steering the family business with a democratic approach that prioritizes people. By blending tradition with innovation, he aims to future-proof the company and prepare it for a public offering by 2028.

GLOBAL MEETS LOCAL 2024

International companies play a crucial role in MENA, significantly impacting its economic, technological, and social landscapes.

MONEY MATTERS

Talal AI Ajmi, Founder and CEO of Kuwait-based online broker VI Markets, believes education is key to helping clients understand financial markets before they begin trading. Having found ways to target women and the youth, he's now looking at new ways to increase awareness and access to markets.