Keiretsu Forum MENA
MENA chapter of the Keiretsu Forum angel network, connecting startups with angel investors, family offices and venture capital firms in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Morocco.
Industry: Angel investor network | Location: United Arab Emirates
About Keiretsu Forum MENA
Keiretsu Forum MENA is the Middle East and North Africa chapter of Keiretsu Forum, an angel investor network. It connects startups with accredited angel investors, family offices, venture capital firms and corporate and institutional investors, and offers startup advisory, fundraising support, investor engagement programmes and partnerships. Its press releases are datelined Dubai, and it has hosted investor events there.
The parent network says it was founded in the San Francisco East Bay in 2000 by Randy Williams. The chapter page on the Keiretsu Forum website describes a regional launch planned for the first quarter of 2023, starting with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, while TechScoop reported in June 2026 that the chapter launched in early 2024. The same page names Mahmood Shaker as chapter president, Haitham Samman as advisor and Madonna Hanna as head of operations. In June 2026 Mahmood Jassim was quoted as a board member and Amal Shabib was named as chief operating officer.
The chapter's website lists programmes including the Angel Institute, Venture Prep, Government Programs, University Programs, Research and Insights, and KeiretsuX, which it describes as a venture studio, as well as pilot corporate venture programmes with regional enterprise partners. It says the global network has more than 60 chapters, over 4,000 members and more than 2,000 funded companies. Keiretsu Forum MENA says it works in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Morocco, with recent activity including entrepreneurship programmes in Morocco, investor engagement in Qatar and expansion work in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
In June 2026 Keiretsu Forum MENA announced a partnership with FinBursa, a deal infrastructure platform for private markets. The chapter moved its full investment workflow onto FinBursa, covering pipeline management, deal staging, virtual data rooms, investor relationship management, investor portals and fundraising management. Wamda reported the announcement on 23 June 2026.
Leadership
- Mahmood Shaker, Chapter President, Keiretsu Forum MENA
- Mahmood Jassim, Board Member, Keiretsu Forum MENA
- Amal Shabib, Chief Operating Officer, Keiretsu Forum MENA
- Haitham Samman, Advisor, Keiretsu Forum MENA
- Madonna Hanna, Head of Operations, Keiretsu Forum MENA