Join us for an engaging conversation with investor, operator, and author Bilel Al Souaied as he explores the realities, opportunities, and contradictions of building startups and venture-backed companies across the MENA region.

Drawing from insights in his new book, Can Unicorns Walk on Sand?, Bilel will share a candid perspective on the region’s evolving venture capital landscape, the role of sovereign wealth and family office capital, the unique dynamics of scaling startups in MENA, and the lessons founders, investors, and ecosystem builders need to understand to succeed.

This session will move beyond the headlines and funding announcements to examine how innovation ecosystems actually function, where value is being created, and what it takes to build enduring companies in one of the world’s fastest-evolving entrepreneurial regions. It promises to be a thought-provoking discussion for founders, investors, corporate innovators, policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of technology and venture capital in the Middle East and North Africa.

Moderating the discussion is Elyas Felfoul, Director at WISE (Qatar Foundation), who leads WISE Partnerships and the WISE EdTech Accelerator, supporting innovators and entrepreneurs shaping the future of education and technology.