IS THE GCC BECOMING A NEW STRATEGIC ANCHOR FOR THE GLOBAL VC ECOSYSTEM?

The discussion centers on the evolving landscape of venture capital, particularly the emergence of the GCC region as a strategic anchor. Prince Fahd bin Mansur Al Saud highlights Riyadh as a global meeting point for fundraising. Hussain Abdullah emphasizes the region's shift towards technology and venture capital. Khaled Al Khattab sees the GCC's inherent risk-taking nature as conducive to venture capitalism. Dr. Bilal Balouch points out that capital alone isn't sufficient and stresses the need for value creation and ecosystem development. Nouris Waid discusses the growth of venture funding in the MENA region and the challenges of the Series B gap. The panelists explore the exit strategies, with calls for more local IPOs and consideration of alternative models like tokenization. The discussion also touches upon the potential of the GCC region to rival Silicon Valley as a global VC hub.