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Gulf Startup Growth Outpaces Capital Traction
The article explains that the startup sector in the Middle East and North Africa is experiencing rapid growth, with the number of unicorn companies reaching 33 and attracting $1.7 billion in venture capital funding during the first half of 2026, spread across 242 investment rounds. However, the share of women-founded companies remains very limited, receiving only $2.5 million, which accounts for just 0.14% of the total, compared to $1.6 billion for companies founded by men. Data shows that the funding gap between women-led and men-led companies continues to surpass 97%, despite the rising number of women entrepreneurs in the region. Women own 51% of small businesses, but the likely reasons include the limited diversity of investors and weak female participation in funding decision-making. Female entrepreneurs heavily rely on self-funding, and experts emphasize the importance of expanding the investor base and increasing women’s involvement in capital management to stimulate the growth of women-led companies and enable their expansion.
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