Some of the fastest growing companies from across the Middle East and North Africa are headed home with rekindled ambition and fattened address books after meeting some of the biggest names in US tech.
Nineteen companies participated last week in what is being described as the first-ever immersion program designed to bridge the Arab World and Silicon Valley. Entrepreneurs got to visit some of the world's top tech firms, including Google, Facebook and Twitter, and were offered one-on-one opportunities to tap would-be mentors for advice and even seek out potential investors.
The weeklong program was organized by the MIT Enterprise Forum's Pan Arab chapter and sponsored by Saudi Arabia's Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives. Building on the Arab startup competitions MITEF has been running across the Middle East for the past eight years, the program aims to give young entrepreneurs the boost they need to take their projects to the next level.
"For the very first time we felt like there are really true innovations that have global outreach, and it's time for them to get exposure," Pan Arab chapter Managing Director Joelle Yazbeck told Al-Monitor. "The purpose was to be an eye-opener to Silicon Valley resources and for them to learn how and what they should do to get their stuff go global."
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
