TiE Dubai has announced the five regional winners of the 2026 TiE Women MENA program, who will compete for the MENA title at GITEX Global in December.
The winners are Naglaa Mohamed, co-founder of Egypt’s P-Vita; Lea Mehaweg, co-founder and CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Maison Safqa; and Anuscha Iqbal, co-founder and CEO of the UAE’s Qanooni AI. Rowan Alawi, CEO of Trase, won the Rest of MENA track, while Aisha Alyassi, founder and brand director of SCULP, won the Emirati track.
The program attracted more than 250 licensed, women-founded businesses, up from nearly 200 in 2025. Of these, 228 founders were shortlisted and 46 pitched in virtual regional finals held from September 8 to 17.
The finalists represented sectors including AI and SaaS, AgriTech, FoodTech, HealthTech, sustainability and fashion. They were evaluated on factors including their go-to-market strategies, teams, competitive positioning, product-market fit and financial objectives.
At Expand North Star during GITEX Global 2026, the five winners will receive dedicated pods to showcase their businesses and connect with investors and other stakeholders. They will also continue working with assigned mentors to prepare their pitches and investor materials for the December finals.
Source: Wamda
