ME startup investment nears $1bn in 2017
Twenty entrepreneurs were selected to receive access to fundraising, resources, and mentorship at the first ChangemakerXchange Summit.
The event targeted entrepreneurs from across the Middle East, and was sponsored by social entrepreneurship platform Ashoka and digital transformation enabler SAP.
Eighteen regional entrepreneurs attended, while two additional Syrian entrepreneurswerealsoselectedas“Changemakers” but could not attend.
Showing the strong business potential for entrepreneurs, startup investment in the Middle East and North Africa will near $1 billion in 2017, according to the World Economic Forum.
Ahmed Al-Faifi, managing director, SAP Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen, said: “Saudi youth are the best-educated and most-connected generation in history, and are eager to make a positive difference in society. In line with Saudi Vision 2030, Ashoka and SAP are dedicated to supporting Saudi entrepreneurs who are delivering innovative projects that will transform daily lives and businesses.”
Mohammed Alaqil’s Saudi Antibiotics Integrated Regulatory Program (SAIR) medical research program is partnering with leading universities to research antimicrobial resistance.
Alaqil said: “By joining Ashoka ChangemakerXchange, I’ll be able to bring together the global health care community to fight anti-microbial resistance, optimize health care budgets, and enhance citizen health.”
In the UAE, Noha Mahdi’s The Mawada Project offers community service learning programs for children aged 9-18, and has touched the lives of more than 500 people.
Mahdi said: “Becoming an Ashoka ChangemakerXchange alumna is helping my coordination with fellow ‘Changemakers’ in using education to support youth development across the Middle East, and build empathy and goodwill.”
In Egypt, Dahlia Elorabi’s Baladini program supports rural women in producing healthy food.
“As a Changemaker, I’ll be able to scale up Baladini’s support for Egyptian farmers to grow nutritious food, their economic participation, and cross-cultural exchange,” said Elorabi, project manager at Baladini.
For people with disabilities in Pakistan, Tanzila Khan’s Creative Alley promotes talent and capacity building through arts and culture activities and social events. Madeeha Raza became a “Changemaker” for the women-empowerment program Women Through Film, while Azeem Hamid’s Independent Theatre Pakistan and Saad Hamid’s School of Skills support youth development.