Startup Arabia: Stories and Advice from Top Tech Entrepreneurs in the Arab World

by Amir Hegazi

Overview

Startup Arabia captures the untold stories of the high-tech entrepreneurs in the Middle East who are creating one of the most vibrant and fertile tech hubs in the world today. Through their bold vision, creativity, and tenacity, they are transforming business in this region at record speed, ultimately giving rise to an endless stream of new opportunities for wealth creation and social impact.

Through a collection of interviews, Startup Arabia touches on the early days of those entrepreneurs and the startups they created. It explores how they got their initial ideas, what challenges they faced and how they overcame them, what lessons they learned from those experiences, and what advice they have for the next generation of Middle East entrepreneurs. They also share what they believe is required to ensure continued development of a startup ecosystem in the region.

Not only did these entrepreneurs conquer the usual challenges of new tech startups; they managed to break from deep-seated tradition and societal limiting beliefs, cut through red tape, and navigate an often unfriendly startup environment.

While some consider their achievements a potential cure for many of the region's socioeconomic problems—such as unemployment, poverty, poor education, corruption, and terrorism—whether they can make a significant and lasting difference in those areas is yet to be seen. Still, their stories offer more than business lessons; they represent an insightful case study of how technology and innovation can affect long-standing social barriers, paving the way for a better and more promising future.

Ultimately, Startup Arabia provides an eye-opening, refreshing look at the entrepreneurial journey and a much-needed call to action to aspiring entrepreneurs across the region to help shape the future of the Arab world.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940155704799
Publisher:	TRANSFORMENA PUBLISHING
Publication date:	07/18/2018
Sold by:	Draft2Digital
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Amir Hegazi is a lifelong entrepreneur, with more than fifteen years of startup, tech, e-commerce, and digital media experience. He is the co-founder and managing partner of intoMENA Group, a consulting firm that helps international companies do business in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). Prior, Amir was the director of marketplace at Souq.com, the region's largest e-commerce platform (recently acquired by Amazon.com), where he helped build its marketplace from the ground up to account for a sizable portion of overall sales volume. Amir is also one of the early pioneers of digital media in the region, having launched and managed the largest online TV network in the Arab world at such companies as JumpTV and Talfazat. Amir is passionate about entrepreneurship, technology, and promoting the startup ecosystem in MENA. Amir lives in Los Angeles and Dubai.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Catalyzing the tech revolution in the Arab world

3. Creating the go-to online shopping destination for mothers

4. Reinventing the local ride experience

5. Building a trusted brand for online payments

6. Creating the ultimate entertainment platform for premium and affordable video content

7. Building an onine fashion and lifestyle publishing empire

8. Disrupting pickup and delivery

9. Making buying and selling luxury apparel seamless

10. Making finding and booking home services easy

11. Making music accessible anytime, anywhere

12. Debugging applications

13. Making travel planning and booking easy

14. Introducing the rent-to-dress model

15. Providing comparison of insurance services

16. Making international shopping easy

17. Making restaurant reservations seamless

18. Mobilizing Events

19. Revamping personal healthcare services

20. Redefining food ordering and delivery

21. Facilitating cross-border B2B trade in Africa

22. Making personal and professional feedback easy

23. Connecting entrepreneurs with local investors

24. Conclusion: Are You Ready?

Acknowledgments

About the Author

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