Building a case for the future of the nascent technology sector in the Arab world might start by following in the footsteps of visionaries from the past.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the liberal and farsighted economic policy of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Hasher paved the way for Dubai’s story of rapid progress.
Now, in the midst of the 21st century, the city is making more giant leaps – this time on the back of the tech revolution.
“Why is Dubai so successful?,” asks Dany Farha, co-founder and CEO of BECO Capital, a regional venture capital firm focused on technology investments in the Middle East. “Because it built itself in the middle of the world between east and west as an incredible hub of moving containers and goods.
“The same thing happens with technology. There’s no difference. That’s it.
“That philosophy is what we are doing today, but on a grander scale. It’s important, it’s culture.”
Through BECO Capital, Farha backs tech start-ups across the MENA region with early-stage growth and hands-on operational support, grooming them to become ‘unicorns’ – a term for companies valued at $1 billion or more.
But this is more than his everyday job – it has become his mission.
Original article by Tamara Pupic
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