Over the past five years, the Middle East has experienced an extraordinary influx of startup capital.
The region raised more than $4 billion in venture funding in 2023 alone, according to MAGNiTT, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia accounting for over 70% of the deal volume.
Capital is no longer the bottleneck, execution is.
As startups race from Seed to Series B, the operational gap widens. Founders are often visionary but overwhelmed. They need more than capital and boardroom advice — they need structured, embedded support to drive growth. This is where a new figure is rising: the Operating Partner.
Why the region’s next wave of startup growth won’t be driven by capital - but by execution.
From capital injection to capacity building
MENA venture capital is evolving fast. Traditional investors played a passive role — funding rounds, board seats, light follow-up. But newer players like Nuwa Capital, Shorooq Partners, Khwarizmi Ventures and Global Ventures are adopting a more active, value-creation-oriented approach.
This mirrors global shifts. Firms like a16z and Insight Partners have long integrated Operating Partners into their portfolio model — not as consultants, but as execution enablers.
In MENA, where many startup teams lack depth in operational leadership, this model is becoming essential. The Operating Partner bridges the strategy-to-execution gap, builds internal capabilities, and helps deliver real traction.
As Shoroooq’s GP Shane Shin puts it: “ We want to be the founders’ first call - not just with money, but with help buiding.” - Wamda, 2023
Who are Operating Partners- and why now?
An Operating Partner is a senior operator who embeds within a startup to drive execution alongside the team.
They differ from consultants (who advise), coaches (who guide), or investors (who oversee). They act.
The best Operating Partners are:
Their core expertise often includes:
In a region where over 60% of startup founders are building their first venture (MAGNiTT, 2024), these hybrid profiles are invaluable.
The MENA opportunity: Talent gap meets execution
The scale-up ecosystem in MENA is still young.
While funding is abundant, senior operating talent remains scarce, particularly in post-Series A environments.
According to Flat6Labs, nearly 40% of MENA startups cite “lack of experienced talent” as a top barrier to scaling.
Operating Partners fill this void in a flexible, cost-effective way. They:
They act as fractional CMOs, CROs, COOs — not forever, but just long enough to build the foundation.
Highlighting Success: Industry Examples
In Europe, Operating Partners are already a well-known lever for private equity and early-growth funds. They intervene in missions such as redesigning go-to-market strategies, structuring revenue engines and commercial dashboards and leading international rollouts.
In the Middle East, though the role is newer, it’s gaining traction:
The new generation of Operating Partners is defined not just by experience — but by mindset.
They are:
And increasingly, they are independent professionals, not just full-time fund employees. This allows for greater agility — and the ability to support multiple companies without conflict.
In the Middle East, this opens the door to more global-local connectors, more entrepreneurial thinkers and to more women leaders joining the ecosystem — not as founders, but as force multipliers.
The Future of Operating Partners in the Middle East
As the MENA ecosystem matures, value creation is no longer about access to capital — it’s about the ability to operate at scale.
Operating Partners offer a pragmatic, flexible solution.
They accelerate commercial performance, unlock new markets, build internal capabilities — and leave founders stronger, not more dependent.
For investors, this is not a cost — it’s a hedge.
For founders, it’s not a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of focus.
So if you're building in the Middle East, don’t just ask “Who should we hire next?”
Ask: “Who can help us execute better, faster, smarter — starting now?”
by Lise Yacoub
© 2025 All Rights Reserved
