Start-ups: Changing the Arab World

Start-ups: Changing the Arab World

This week I had the opportunity to attend the STEP Conference 2016 here in Dubai, as well as the privilege to mentor a few start-up companies. I must say I was blown away with the energy, passion, and spirit of all attendees. They are all there, alive with ideas and with the right focus to bring them to life. What a time to be here in this region, and to be a part of it all!

Youth consist of over 32% of the population of the Arab region, and they are hungry for new online content. The market remains highly untapped, presenting large opportunities for start-ups to fill this gap. This is where technology, the disrupter to everyday life, can bridge this gap. I got to see many truly unique examples of websites/Apps here in the region, from selling live stock (a young 2-year old camel, anyone?) to using the services of “Um Khadija” to find a husband/wife.  

With youth unemployment in the Arab region among the highest in the world, I believe that allowing this start-up spirit to grow and evolve is the key to actively engaging this youth and reducing the unemployment rate. And after what I saw this week, I am optimistic that today’s generation of young Arabs will be the ones to truly bring forth this change. These new entrepreneurs are not only innovating or making money, they are doing real social good, making a meaningful and lasting impact on their communities. We all owe it to them to success, by providing guidance and support.

Mohammad Musleh, MBA, PMP?

Digital Health Strategy & Transformation | AI/ML in Healthcare | +20 Years in Healthcare Industry Business & Growth in the Middle East

8 年

Great article wajih.

回复

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Wajih Atallah的更多文章

  • How Today's Video Games Keep Reinforcing a Generation of Instant Gratifiation and Low Resilience

    How Today's Video Games Keep Reinforcing a Generation of Instant Gratifiation and Low Resilience

    Video games have come a long way in the past 30 years. In the early 90s, games were primarily played on consoles such…

    1 条评论
  • Humanity Can and Should Partner with AI

    Humanity Can and Should Partner with AI

    As the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to solve problems has…

    2 条评论
  • Re-framing Processes as Momentum and Debt

    Re-framing Processes as Momentum and Debt

    I would not call myself an engineer if I was not a lifelong fan of Dilbert. Here is one of my favorites.

  • When I Realised Depression Can Happen To Anyone

    When I Realised Depression Can Happen To Anyone

    I have not written articles in a while, seems fitting that my first one since the last one would be a topic that has…

    9 条评论
  • Thank you Quarantine

    Thank you Quarantine

    Worldwide, introverts are rejoicing and extroverts are crying as they find themselves quarantined indoors. The world is…

    15 条评论
  • How Time Travel Can Change Your Life

    How Time Travel Can Change Your Life

    There are countless books and movies about traveling to the past and meeting your past-self. What a grand adventure it…

  • Common Toastmasters Feedback

    Common Toastmasters Feedback

    Having attended most of the Toastmaster meetings over the past three years in GE, I have noticed a pattern in the…

    2 条评论
  • Ballroom Dancing and Leadership

    Ballroom Dancing and Leadership

    Between 2000 and 2006, I have had the pleasure of learning the wonderful art of ballroom dancing. While the mere…

    2 条评论
  • Don't Just Drop Prices

    Don't Just Drop Prices

    Over the past few years I had various discussions with various sales people across multiple industries about who…

    2 条评论
  • Medical Data on the Cloud

    Medical Data on the Cloud

    Let me tell you a story..

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了