Lubna Olayan’s family office, Dara Holdings, is reshaping its investment strategy to champion female-led ventures, targeting a long-overlooked gap in the region’s financing landscape. With a focus on sectors like AI and biotech, Dara Holdings is deploying capital to fuel startups that could redefine innovation in the Middle East.
Since mid-2024, Dara Holdings has made a series of strategic investments in UAE-based startups founded by women. Most notably, the firm joined a $10 million seed funding round for qeen.ai—a Dubai-based AI startup co-founded by former Google executive Dina Alsamhan—following an earlier pre-seed round that raised $2.2 million. “Grateful and proud,” Alsamhan celebrated in a LinkedIn post, marking one of the MENA region’s largest-ever seed rounds.
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In December, Dara also participated in a $5.5 million capital raise for BioSapien, an Abu Dhabi drug delivery platform founded by physician Khatija Ali, recently spotlighted on Tim Draper’s startup competition series, Meet the Drapers. Additionally, Dara Holdings has backed the second fund of Systemiq Capital, a climate-tech venture led by ex-Goldman Sachs banker Irena Spazzapan, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and innovative investments.
Supporting female entrepreneurship isn’t just about deploying capital—it’s a strategic priority. “If an investment ticks the boxes and supports women in the region, that for us is a big additional plus. It’s a big focus,” said Walid Haram, Chief Investment Officer at Dara Holdings.
These moves bolster Olayan’s stature as one of the most influential business figures in the Middle East, especially in a market where female-founded ventures account for less than 7% of funded startups and capture just 1.2% of total funding, according to Wamda. With a legacy rooted in the multibillion-dollar Olayan Group, founded in 1947, Lubna Olayan has transitioned from her role as CEO of Olayan Financing Co. to now steering strategic investments as chair of the executive committee and board member of Saudi Awwal Bank.
Sector shifts are also on the horizon. Dara Holdings has recently established branches in the UK and Cyprus, complementing its diverse portfolio, which includes stakes in Italian confectionery brand Venchi and US power-transmission startup Veir. These strategic moves come as Saudi Arabia’s regulatory reforms empower women to launch businesses independently and travel freely—a change that has already boosted the nation’s GDP by about 12%, according to Capital Economics.
“We are very keen on creating an investment climate that focuses on R&D and entrepreneurship,” Haram added, emphasizing the firm’s drive to cultivate opportunities that not only generate returns but also foster social impact. Across the globe, women are increasingly taking on senior roles in family offices, a trend reflected by prominent names like Michael Dell and James Dyson, with new family offices emerging from leaders such as Alannah Weston and Demet Mutlu.
Olayan’s aggressive push into the realm of female-led ventures signals a transformative shift in the region’s investment paradigm—one that could unlock untapped potential and redefine the future of innovation in the Middle East.
