Founders Club

05/29/2026

On May 17th, we witnessed the power of meaningful connections in action.

The FCI Networking Event brought together an exceptional community of entrepreneurs, investors, founders, and high-growth scale-ups under one roof with a shared goal: building relationships that move ideas, businesses, and opportunities forward.

The energy in the room reflected what happens when ambitious people and ecosystems align. Conversations went beyond introductions and evolved into discussions around partnerships, investment opportunities, market expansion, and creating long-term impact.

A special thank you to our incredible hosts and partners, including and Center of Digital Entrepreneurship, for helping create a platform where innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration can thrive.

As part of the event, we were excited to announce a collaborative initiative between a leading intellectual property law firm that helps brands protect their IP and expand globally with the right legal foundations in place, , , and . The initiative is designed to strengthen the international expansion capabilities of Saudi venture-backed companies by helping equip high-growth brands with the intellectual property protection and strategic support needed to scale confidently across the GCC region and into global markets.
This is only the beginning.

Riyadh continues to demonstrate why it is becoming one of the most exciting hubs for entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation globally.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to making the evening such a success. We look forward to building on these conversations and turning connections into action.

For an invite to our next event comment below with your email

riyadh gcc

05/27/2026

Eid Mubarak from Founders Club International.

As we celebrate this special occasion, we extend our warmest wishes to our global community of founders, investors, entrepreneurs, partners, and innovators. May this Eid bring peace, prosperity, happiness, and renewed opportunities for growth and meaningful connections.

Together, we continue building bridges across borders and creating impact that extends beyond business.
Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed and joyful Eid.

Founders Investors Leadership Growth

05/23/2026

Multi-Exit Founder | CEO, Founders Club International
As an experienced FDI, Trade & Economic Development Leader, specializes in bridging global markets and driving sustainable growth across North America, the GCC, and Europe who is focused on fostering strategic partnerships and investment opportunities that contribute to the economic development of regions and industries.
At Founders Club International, we collaborate closely with ministries and governments to design programs that promote:

•Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
•Strategic Collaborations
•Business and Technology Innovation Bridges
•Economic Development Initiatives

With a deep understanding of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), he helps governments, businesses, and organizations unlock cross-border investments, create impactful trade policies, and develop strategies for long-term economic success.

His expertise brings about advancing innovative projects and supporting both public and private sector stakeholders in realizing their potential through FDI, fostering trade, and driving sustainable economic development initiatives.
With experience spanning 30+ countries, including the USA, UAE, KSA, UK, Singapore, and the broader GCC, he has had the privilege of working alongside ministries, governments, and business leaders to build transformative opportunities that lead to long-term success.

Let’s connect and explore how we can collaborate to create lasting, impactful growth across borders.

Offices-
Vashington DC/AustinTX/Riyadh KSA



🎥

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

Saudi Arabia is scaling its AI infrastructure at speed.

HUMAIN has selected Goldman Sachs to advise on financing for major data centre development in the Kingdom, with reported plans exceeding SAR 20 billion.

As capital, energy access, and institutional backing converge, the Gulf continues to strengthen its position within the global AI infrastructure landscape.

For deeper insights into AI infrastructure and emerging capital corridors, Founders Club International connects founders, investors, and operators across key markets — with access to curated deal flow and private member networks.

05/18/2026

Oman's sovereign wealth fund, the Oman Investment Authority, recorded a net profit of $7.79 billion in 2025, its highest on record, with total assets reaching $59.74 billion.

The OIA manages both a domestic development portfolio driving national infrastructure and industrial projects, and an international Future Generations Fund focused on global equities and private equity.

Capital is being actively deployed across logistics, renewable energy, food security, and technology as Oman continues its strategic shift away from oil dependence.

For founders and investors tracking where GCC sovereign capital is moving, Oman is a market worth watching closely.

FCI works with founders, investors, and IPAs navigating market entry and investment opportunities across the GCC. If you are looking to get positioned in these markets with the right relationships already in place, apply for membership at foundersclubint.com

05/16/2026

Recognizing leaders driving investment across the GCC.

Noor Sweid has built her career across both sides of the table, as an operator, founder, and investor. She scaled Depa, her family's interiors business, tenfold and took it public on NASDAQ Dubai and the London Stock Exchange in a $1.1 billion IPO in 2008, becoming the first woman in the MENA region to lead a company through an IPO. She later founded ZenYoga, the first yoga studio in the region, building it into the largest wellness chain in the Middle East before exiting to a private equity firm in 2014.

She went on to serve as Chief Investment Officer at the Dubai Future Foundation before founding Global Ventures in 2018, a UAE-based Series A venture capital firm now managing $400 million in assets and rated a top decile fund.

Since inception, Global Ventures has made 96 investments across ten markets, deliberately focused on fintech, digital health, edtech, and agritech. Portfolio companies have created 14,500 jobs, powered financial inclusion for over 64 million people, and expanded healthcare access to more than 6.8 million patients across the Middle East and Africa.

Named by Forbes as one of the World's Top 50 Women in Tech, Noor is also the Founding Chairwoman of the Middle East Venture Capital Association (MEVCA) and a member of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders.

At FCI, we recognize the people shaping the next chapter of global investment.

05/14/2026

📍Riyadh , CODE HQ -> register using the 🔗Link in bio

Founders Club International is hosting its annual founders & investors networking event in Riyadh, a curated gathering with founders, investors, and operators focused on meaningful conversations, networking, and potential collaborations.
Spots are limited, so register today.

05/12/2026

Founders Club International is hosting its annual founders & investors networking event in Riyadh — a curated gathering with founders, investors, and operators focused on meaningful conversations, networking, and potential collaborations.

DM for the registration link!

Limited spots available.

05/10/2026

Recognizing leaders driving investment across the GCC.

Khaled AlKhattaf has spent his career where capital decisions are actually made. He has underwritten cross-border investment projects at the World Bank's MIGA across South America and Central Asia, run investment banking at Nomura International across Saudi Arabia and the GCC, and served as CFO at both the Saudi Stock Exchange and Ma'aden.

Along the way, he has served on the boards of institutions spanning energy, insurance, and investment banking, including ACWA Power, and represented Saudi Arabia at the G20 Technical Team and the Santiago Principles Working Group for Sovereign Wealth Funds, forums where the frameworks governing global capital were being actively shaped.

Saudi Arabia's FDI reached $31.7 billion in 2024, nearly 37 percent above prior estimates. SIPA sits at the center of that growth.

Today, as CEO of SIPA, Khaled is one of the people most directly responsible for that trajectory, building bilateral investment frameworks with governments across Korea, Azerbaijan, Europe, and beyond.

At FCI, we recognize the people shaping the next chapter of global investment.