Entrepreneurs

Faisal Zaidi, President of Exscape, joined Mina Vucic on Paradigm to discuss how gaming is evolving in the age of the attention economy, why engagement, not just downloads—is the real metric that matters, and how Exscape is building a global, telecom-powered ecosystem designed to keep users playing, competing, and coming back.

ORA Developers is doubling its footprint in Ghantoot with a AED 30 billion vision, but beyond the scale, Chairman Naguib Sawiris is focused on something less tangible: building communities that prioritize lifestyle, wellbeing, and long-term impact over short-term returns.

The winners of the second edition of the FemTech Hackathon at the Women’s Pavilion, Expo City Dubai have been announced. An AI-powered decision engine designed to eliminate clinical misdiagnosis, a menstrual-cycle-synced nutrition app and a wearable device to prevent and treat mastitis are among the winning innovations. The hackathon brought together 46 students, aged 16-18 […]

With roots dating back to 1863, SADER’s long-standing foundations and strategic evolution have enabled it to sustain operations without interruption amid the latest escalation in Lebanon.

Joseph El Khoury, founder of Joseph El Khoury Design Studio, and Managing Partner at Ex Nihilo S.a.r.l., is shifting his businesses toward more scalable, less locally exposed models—while maintaining confidence in Lebanon’s enduring strength as a hub for creativity and talent.

Lebanese entrepreneurs explain that running a business in Lebanon brings both frustration and pride: “Frustration from instability, but pride in building something meaningful despite it.” I need to begin this story by sharing my own doubts about how to navigate reporting on Lebanese entrepreneurs during a period of escalating uncertainty. In early March 2026, I […]

RAW Coffee Company in Dubai is opening its mezzanine as a family-friendly workspace, offering children a supervised area for online classes while parents work.

The festival will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and government stakeholders for free panels, workshops and consultations aimed at supporting startups and creating investment opportunities.

Within just the first two months of its launch, BrainScroller recorded around 1,500 installs across 40+ countries, alongside strong retention, frequent daily usage, and largely five-star user reviews indicating high early engagement.

Under the “Qashio For You” initiative, SMEs will be able to access Qashio’s platform with no setup fees and may qualify for deferred payments to help ease short-term cash flow pressures.

Ahmad Al-Zaini, Founder and CEO of Foodics, shares how intuition, resilience, and a people-first mindset have shaped one of the region’s leading F&B tech platforms—proving that building a lasting company starts with purpose, not just scale.

The funding will help UAE-based online butcher shop and smokehouse CarniStore expand its operations, introduce new products, and prepare for growth in regional markets.

As businesses evolve, many founders find themselves at a crossroads where old strategies no longer deliver the same results, making mindset transformation essential for clarity, resilience, and confident leadership.

The size of the 50-hotel AYARA network places the Patel Family Office-AHQ partnership among the largest individual hotel investment deals in Saudi Arabia to date.

In the Founders on the Frontline series, Kushal Desai and Sagar Chotrani of Publsh share how doubling down on communication, prioritizing people, and protecting core fundamentals is helping them navigate uncertainty, while building a reputation that lasts beyond it.

Both parties aim to strengthen the presence of homegrown businesses, startups and SMEs across modern sales channels.

As the gaming industry evolves beyond downloads and into engagement-driven ecosystems, Exscape is positioning itself at the forefront of this shift.

A10’s strategy is rooted in staying ahead of the curve, says its Group CEO Amiral Elmehdawi.

As global headlines distort the reality on the ground, startups across the Middle East are facing a new challenge: perception. While ecosystems remain active and resilient, shifting investor sentiment is quietly reshaping capital flows, forcing founders to adapt to a more disciplined and selective funding environment.

On Paradigm, Finvasia Group Co-Founder and CEO Tajinder Virk shares why long-term investing, disciplined leadership, and building real value still matter in today’s fast-moving financial world.

“Dubai allows ambitious ideas to take shape quickly. You can bring together investors, creatives, and innovators and start building at scale almost immediately.”