Global Entrepreneur Roman Ziemian unpacks the bold, purpose-driven mindset of Gen Z founders in the Middle East. From Dubai’s digital natives to Saudi Arabia’s innovation hubs, Ziemian explores how a new generation is reshaping the region’s startup culture — one mission-led venture at a time.
Breaking Stereotypes: Gen Z Is Building Movements, Not Just Startups
Step aside, stereotypes. The entrepreneurs of tomorrow are not just pitching apps and chasing unicorns — they’re building movements.
I’ve spent over two decades investing and mentoring across Europe and the Middle East, and there’s one truth I can’t ignore: Gen Z in the Middle East is rewriting the entrepreneurial rulebook. They’re not just digitally native — they’re digitally fearless. They’re not just profit-driven — they’re purpose-fueled. And perhaps most importantly, they’re not waiting for permission.
From Riyadh’s innovation zones to Dubai’s startup accelerators, Gen Z founders are turning cultural nuance, technology, and social conscience into their advantage.
Gen Z: Entrepreneurs by Default
Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z grew up amidst smartphones, social media, climate anxiety, and economic uncertainty. These experiences shaped a generation that values freedom, flexibility, and impact — all cornerstones of entrepreneurship.
In the Middle East, these traits are amplified by a unique convergence: visionary leadership (like the UAE’s National Strategy for Entrepreneurship), government-backed tech initiatives, and a rapidly transforming private sector that increasingly values disruption over tradition.
Take Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, for example. It’s not just about economic diversification — it’s a blueprint for empowering the youth. Programs like Misk Foundation and NEOM’s innovation hubs are encouraging Gen Z Saudis to launch startups in sustainability, AI, mobility, and more. These young founders aren’t afraid to fail — they’re afraid of staying irrelevant.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z doesn’t believe they have to choose between doing good and doing well. Their ventures are often rooted in mission before margin.
Real-World Examples of Gen Z Innovation
From Jordan’s tech talent boom to Kuwait’s fintech wave, Gen Z is proving that passion-led business models, when supported by the right digital infrastructure, can scale fast and meaningfully.
- In Jordan, startups like Abwaab, a Gen Z-founded edtech platform offering bite-sized video lessons, have raised millions in funding while reshaping how students across the region learn.
- In Kuwait, Raseed, a youth-driven investment app, is helping democratize access to U.S. stock markets for everyday users, with a sleek UX designed by and for Gen Z.
These ventures show how digital-first, impact-minded ideas are not only viable — they’re thriving.
Digital Is Their First Language
Gen Z doesn’t adapt to tech — they breathe it. Social media is not just a channel; it’s their ecosystem. A TikTok campaign replaces traditional marketing. A Discord server substitutes for a boardroom. An idea can become a business in a weekend — no office, no seed funding, just a smartphone and a vision.
They’re building pitch decks with Beautiful.ai, creating logos in seconds with Looka, automating outreach via ChatGPT plug-ins, editing content on the fly with CapCut’s AI tools, and even using Runway ML to generate video content from text prompts.
While many millennials are still warming up to generative AI, Gen Z has already turned it into their co-founder.
This digital fluency allows Gen Z to experiment at a pace older generations often fear. Whether it’s launching AI-powered chatbots for customer service or selling NFTs as part of their product strategy, they build with agility and iterate in real time.
Platforms like Hub71 in Abu Dhabi and Area 2071 in Dubai are capitalising on this energy, offering Gen Z innovators access to mentorship, funding, and global networks. And these entrepreneurs aren’t just building for the region — they’re building for the world.
Community Over Competition
Another defining trait of Gen Z entrepreneurship? Collaboration over competition.
In Egypt, I’ve seen young founders co-launch ventures, not out of necessity, but out of belief in collective creativity. They crowdsource ideas, co-create content, and aren’t afraid to ask for help. Platforms like Twitter Spaces, LinkedIn audio rooms, and Reddit AMAs are where real business conversations happen — raw, honest, and open.
This community-first mindset fosters resilience. When one startup fails, ten others learn. When one campaign goes viral, others replicate and evolve. It’s entrepreneurship as a shared journey, not a solo climb.
So, What Do They Need?
Gen Z doesn’t lack ambition — they lack patience for bureaucracy and access to mentorship.
What they crave is:
- A space to experiment
- Mentors who speak their language
- Investors who understand that ROI today also means Return on Impact
As business leaders, we must evolve on how we engage with them. Instead of asking, “What’s your five-year plan?”, we should ask, “What problem do you care about right now?” Instead of questioning their lack of experience, we should amplify their instinctive innovation.
Conclusion: Trust the Gen Z Wave
The Gen Z entrepreneurial wave in the Middle East isn’t coming — it’s already here. It’s bold, it’s fast, and it’s beautifully messy. These young founders are not just building apps or raising rounds. They’re building communities, shifting cultures, and designing futures we’ve only dreamed of.
As someone who’s built businesses across borders, I’ve never been more optimistic. If we listen, invest, and trust this generation, they won’t just create the next unicorns — they’ll redefine what it means to be one.
