The author's dedication in the opening pages of Startup Arabia is "to anyone who dreamed of changing the world and decided to do something about it".
As such, Amir Hegazi aims to inspire the next generation of technology entrepreneurs in the Middle East with the stories of and advice from the Arab world's current crop of chief executives, founders and disruptors who are changing the economic landscape.
These 23 entrepreneurs have demonstrated their innovative approaches to solving problems, building businesses and providing services across a number of sectors from transport to fashion and retail, to logistics, music and networking.
They come from across the region, including Lebanon, Egypt, Kuwait but predominantly the UAE, which Hegazi views as the new land of opportunity. He himself has experience as an entrepreneur with an online streaming platform and later worked at e-commerce company Souq.com.
Hegazi's Startup Arabia follows in the traditions of the vivid and groundbreaking book Startup Rising: The Entrepreneurial Revolution Remaking the Middle East,
written by the American investor Christopher Schroeder, which also explores the “quiet revolution” of entrepreneurial spirit that has been going on these last few years.
Hegazi and Schroeder challenge the typical narrative as told in the United States and elsewhere, of the Middle East as a place of conflict and stagnation. While Schroeder’s book is written as narrative non-fiction and tells a kind of history of the start-up scene in the region, Hegazi has pitched his book almost as a reference resource, giving each of his subjects a full question and answer format in which to convey their experiences, wisdom and points of view.
“This book is meant to shed light on a few of those insightful and inspiring stories being created by remarkable tech entrepreneurs in the Middle East who refused to accept the status quo, managed to transcend cultural beliefs and limitations, and are now rewriting the region’s destiny,” Hegazi writes in his introduction.
The Q&A aspect makes the book easy to navigate, if you know which of the 23 you are keen to read about most, but also quite frustrating because not all are household names, so to speak, and the interviews would have benefited from some more of Hegazi's frame of reference – leading the reader to and through each case study, with a linked narrative. Instead readers are left to connect the dots between each entrepreneur by themselves.
There are many patterns to be found, however. Pretty much a common feature of their stories is that their businesses emerged intact having passed through the crucible of fierce competition.
“There’s nothing like competition to get you running really, really fast,” says Mudassir Sheikha, the Pakistani co-founder of ride hailing platform Careem, which has taken on Uber.
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Middle East's e-commerce majors focus on grocery for growth
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Samih Toukan, who says he Arabised the computer game "Football Manager" when he was just 16 years old, right from the beginning fought off competition from a competitor backed by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal to the tune of $22 million (Dh80.7m). His online portal Maktoob had only $2m to play with, in contrast, but it was the one that was eventually bought by Yahoo! in 2009 for $164m.
Toukan is the daddy of the sector in the Middle East. His early efforts with Maktoob spawned Souq and also online payments company Payfort. The latter’s co-founder Omar Soudodi also features in Startup Arabia.
Last year, Amazon agreed to buy Souq.com for a figure reportedly in the region of $650m, representing the largest exit for a Middle East and North Africa start-up and creating real belief in what is happening in the region. Many of the entrepreneurs also have experience of working outside of the Middle East – often in the United States – and also, in different ways, felt the pull of wanting to be closer to home. There is a sense of a circle being completed with many of these characters.
As Mumzworld founder Mona Ataya says: "I was driven by the constant urge to do something relevant for the region I loved and was proud of." She comes from a family of high-achieving entrepreneurs. Her brother Rabea Ataya, started Bayt.com, the jobs website, which was the reason Mona came back to the UAE. This is fundamentally the really exciting aspect of this collection of the experiences of these talented individuals.
They are building a whole new generation of corporate institutions that will have an influence well beyond profits, helping to develop the social fabric in the countries in which they operate.
Many of them were successful elsewhere and did not necessarily need to come to the Middle East for any other reason than they wanted their businesses to be here, to mean something more than just becoming another Silicon Valley winner.
They also, as the author intends, really do serve as inspiring examples for generations to come, who will see that they too can accomplish such things here at home.
In many ways those featured in this book are the pioneers that have made it easier for those to follow by building up the entrepreneurial ecosystem from scratch, setting the bar high and showing that money can be made from a host of concepts and ideas.
It is a liberation of sorts for the economies of the region that have traditionally been quite risk averse, making business challenging in terms of upward mobility and wealth creation.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20race%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Tigist%20Ketema%20(ETH)%202hrs%2016min%207sec%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ruti%20Aga%20(ETH)%202%3A18%3A09%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dera%20Dida%20(ETH)%202%3A19%3A29%0D%3Cbr%3EMen's%20race%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Addisu%20Gobena%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A01%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lemi%20Dumicha%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A20%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20DejeneMegersa%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A42%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (87')
Athletic Bilbao 1
Williams (14')
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
HOW TO WATCH
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THE%20SWIMMERS
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
