Start-ups and entrepreneurship

Analysis

Gulf investors emerge as key players in US social media giants TikTok, Snap, X

With UAE tech investor MGX set to take a stake in TikTok's US operations, investors from the Middle East could cement their role in America's social media landscape.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

PayPal headquarters pictured in San Jose, California, on Oct. 15, 2015.

PayPal bets $100M as Middle East’s Gulf fintech giants amplify competition

The move from the US payments giant comes amid a flurry of activity that has further cemented the Gulf’s fintech sector on the map for global investors — including Saudi Arabia's Tamara, which recently secured a $2.4 billion financing deal.

United Arab Emirates

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

KFC’s Turkey relaunch tests Western brands’ resilience in Gaza boycott era

From KFC to Carrefour, the Middle East's consumer brand landscape is undergoing significant shifts as the two-year anniversary of boycotts linked to the Gaza war approaches.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

An image of Karim Attiyeh.

Meet Karim Attiyeh, youngest Arab American billionaire of Lebanese origin

Karim Attiyeh, a Lebanese-born technologist, has been named by Forbes Middle East as the youngest billionaire of Arab origin in the United States, joining the list of the 125 richest immigrant billionaires in the US.

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Analysis

Syria’s internet reboot takes shape amid outreach to Gulf telecoms

Men walk past shops selling mobile phones in the Damascus Tower market, which specializes in the smart phone business, in the Syrian capital on January 12, 2025.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

US stock plunge poses dilemmas for Gulf investors while exposing PIF, Mubadala risks

NYSE

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

China’s DeepSeek triumph sparks billion-dollar AI dilemmas for Gulf investors

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

Oman’s sleepy tech sector showing signs of promise

Preparations for 44.01's first project in UAE are well underway. This DAC + mineralisation pilot with ADNOCGroup , Masdar and FNRC will be the first carbon negative project by an energy company in the Middle East.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Newlywed Tala, 14, brushes the hair of her 15-year-old husband Ahmed Soboh, at their home four days after their wedding in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, near the border with Israel on September 28, 2013. The young couple live in the family's three-room home, sharing it with nine other relatives. Ahmed works with his father as a road cleaner earning $5 (US dollars) per day. AFP PHOTO / MOHAMMED ABED (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images)

Homemade beauty remedies mean ugly business in Gaza

Desperate for income, many Gaza women are selling homemade beauty products without letting obstacles like testing or permits get in their way.

Can new startup law revitalize Tunisia’s economy?

Tunisia’s startup scene has grown in the past several years, but some question whether a new law aimed at encouraging entrepreneurs can have a significant impact amid numerous economic woes.

Egyptian women take on men in technology

As the Egyptian government tries to increase participation of women in the labor market, Egypt’s tech-savvy women aim to get ahead in a sector traditionally reserved for men.

Animators with passion bring humor to digital content in Gaza

Three young Palestinians are determined to create socially relevant and sometimes-humorous digital content in Gaza despite some obstacles.

Thousands find informal gigs at Cairo International Book Fair

The Cairo International Book Fair is not only an exciting event for publishers and readers, but also a bustling temporary workplace for those who labor behind the scenes, doing all the odd jobs that power the fair and earn them a tidy sum.

Egypt's taxis continue court fight against ride-sharing apps

A lawsuit calling for the suspension of Uber and Careem in Egypt continues to be delayed as efforts to accommodate the two companies alongside regular taxis progress.

Amna_El_Shandaweely,.jpg

Young designer aims to promote Egyptians' African roots

A young Egyptian fashion designer strives to launch the Afropunk Festival in Egypt to promote African identity and fashion.

Could alternative farming save Gaza’s agriculture sector?

A young Palestinian graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture at Al-Azhar University in the Gaza Strip has built a hydroponic farm to grow lettuce without the need for soil, in a bid to overcome soil-related problems and high salinity levels in the water in Gaza.

Olives, pistachios inspire young Gaza designers

Two students from the Gaza Strip won a regional package-design competition using sustainable materials to meet local needs, and their work is now being evaluated for world recognition.

Gaza e-clinic crosses borders to offer medical advice

Two engineers from the Gaza Strip are preparing to launch an app where patients can communicate with doctors from the Palestinian territories and other countries.

Gaza fashion house combines tradition, style

A female-run fashion house in Gaza boasts two boutiques that sell its original designs melding traditional Palestinian aesthetics with modern tastes.

A man uses his smartphone to follow the presidential election results, at the Grand Bazaar in central Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RC1FE18841B0

Israeli tech puts Iranian ride-hailing startups in bind

Drivers for Iranian ride-hailing companies have been using an Israeli navigation app, causing conflict between the relatively new businesses and judicial authorities.