The Middle East’s female founders are on the rise. Why isn’t the funding following?

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's startup scene has blossomed in recent years, but female founders still struggle to access funding. According to tech accelerator Wamda, the region attracted $1.7 billion in VC funding across 242 rounds in the first half of 2026, with female-founded startups receiving just $2.5 million or 0.14% of this total.

This disparity has been consistent over the past few years, with female-founded startups making up less than 4% of equity transactions in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) between 2019 and 2025. Despite more women entrepreneurs establishing businesses in the region, their share of funding hasn't grown proportionally. Experts attribute the funding gap to a lack of female investors in the decision-making process and biased views among male investors.

Female founders often rely on bootstrapping, using side hustles and alternative income streams to fund their businesses. To address this issue, some suggest that Gulf governments should mandate gender equity in startup funding and build a pipeline of female investors.