In 2023, MENA, excluding Israel, is expected to reach VC funding around US $3.9 billion, of which 48% is projected to go towards growth stage startups.
By 2028, STV's latest report suggests that the MENA (ex. Israel) region will be investing $9.7 billion into the startup ecosystem, of which 75% will be geared towards more mature, growth stage start-ups.
The report suggests that there is a growth stage funding gap currently, upwards of $20 billion, that must be invested in the coming years.
Dubai's Venture Capital Ecosystem
There are 749 scale-ups that have raised over US $1 million in fundraising in the Middle East and North Africa region; collectively raising over US $19.5 billion, cumulatively, as of December 2022. Over 40% of these scale-ups call Dubai home.