How Women in Investment Are Using Collective Efforts to Catalyse the Middle East Venture Capital Landscape

In a region that is inherently relationship-driven, cross-border, and fast-moving, isolated decision-making is becoming increasingly inefficient. Series B gaps are real. Capital is more selective. Exits are slower. And deals don’t sit neatly in one market, they flow between the UAE, Saudi, Europe, and the US, often all at once.

Yet despite the complexity and innovation in the market, I can’t help but notice the private capital landscape is still largely shaped by a handful of dominant (mostly male) voices. This isn’t new. Decision-making power has historically been concentrated, networks inherited, and access shaped by those who already have a seat at the table.

But beneath the surface, the women in finance here are quite literally changing the script.

Instead of competing for proximity to power, communities of women are pooling insights, comparing notes and opening doors for each other across markets. It’s happening over casual breakfasts that turn into two-hour conversations, ocean-side lunches where real deals are getting discussed, and off-the-record gatherings where there’s space to be honest about what’s working and what isn’t.

Rather than trying to operate within structures designed for a different era, many women are instinctively creating something more collective.

If I’m being honest, what’s emerging can’t be reduced to “community” or “network-building.” It’s the cultivation of a collective intelligence, one that deepens, sharpens, and compounds with every connection.

In this environment, having a collective intelligence isn’t just a nice-to-have. It becomes the backbone of everything you do and can achieve.

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Join the Collective of Women in Investments:

Over the next few months, we’re hosting a series of Women in Investments breakfasts, lunches, and closed-door gatherings across the GCC, designed not as events, but as collaborative sessions for women shaping the next phase of private markets in the region.

• January 28^th, 2026 – FutureFunds – Women in Investment Session, led by Sara AlAteeqi, Al Mal Investment Company (🔗 https://www.me-in.com/futurefunds)

• February 1^st, 2026 – Web Summit – Women in Tech/VC Breakfast, co-led by MEIN, Utopia, VentureSouq, Doha Tech Angels, Plus VC and Ibtikar Fund (🔗 https://luma.com/210s5rtq)