Ecosystem Arabia: The Making of a New Economy
About this book
Ecosystem Arabia captures the perspectives, insights, and ideas of over 100 of the most influential international thought leaders and experts on developing thriving startup and tech ecosystems, as well as some of the most prominent public and private figures in the Arab world.Through hundreds of hours of one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders—including global and local leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, incubators, accelerators, service providers, media professionals, educators, policy-makers, and ministers—it distills the key drivers of building a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem anywhere.Amir Hegazi uses the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as his research laboratory and case study of a thriving ecosystem in the making. His underlying findings, however, can be used in any environment to drive innovation and transformation. Overall, this book provides a principled, well-structured, and practical approach to seeing and navigating such a complex topic using a comprehensive, multi-lens perspective that is unlike common methods.Ecosystem Arabia building blocks of a thriving ecosystemwhat is not working in ecosystem development globallythe current state of the MENA startup and tech ecosystem, its evolution and outlookwhere are the gaps in such areas as funding, talent, cost, and regulationsthe main challenges entrepreneurs face in this region and what can be done to tackle themhow to attract international talent, companies, and investmenthow to foster practical education and 21st century skills traininghow to create a more innovation-friendly culture and regulationsthe most exciting sectors and tech opportunities in this part of the worldinternational best practices on ecosystem developmentEcosystem Arabia provides a comprehensive blueprint of how communities, cities, and countries can approach nurturing and growing their own new, knowledge-based economies. Whether you’re a global-minded entrepreneur or investor interested in tapping opportunities in MENA; an educator or policy-maker seeking a more holistic understanding of the inner workings of ecosystem development; or an ecosystem builder looking to be more impactful—this book is for you.