Archived Event · 01 · E2I : GCC Connect

Entrepreneurs to Investors.

Kuwait City · Four Seasons Hotel
Saturday · 31 January 2026 · 09:00 — 18:00
Recap Agenda Speakers Partners
DIAVENTURE · EVENTS
ARCHIVE · KUWAIT 2026
STATUS · INDEXED
SPEAKERS · 20+
PANELS · 4
KEYNOTES · 2
DIAVENTURE · KUWAIT CITY · E2i FORUM · 31 JAN 2026 · FOUR SEASONS · GCC CONNECT · ARCHIVE · THE SAHARA IS RISING · DIAVENTURE · KUWAIT CITY · E2i FORUM · 31 JAN 2026 · FOUR SEASONS · GCC CONNECT · ARCHIVE · THE SAHARA IS RISING
DIAVENTURE · ARCHIVE · ∞
Recap
A day that set the tone for the GCC's innovation agenda.

On 31 January 2026, founders, funders, and operators from across the region gathered at the Four Seasons in Kuwait City for the inaugural GCC Connect — the first of a regional series convened by DiaVenture to bring entrepreneurs face-to-face with the capital and counsel they need to scale.

The day opened with keynotes from Kuwait's National Fund for SME Development and the U.S. Embassy's economic affairs office, and unfolded across four panels spanning innovation infrastructure, global capital, GCC governance, and digital transformation — closing with a VIP business lunch and an afternoon of curated 1:1 investor–startup sessions.

10+
Speakers
4
Panels
2
Keynotes
Full
Day
Agenda
Saturday · 31 January 2026 · Four Seasons Hotel, Kuwait City
09:00 — 10:00
Registration & Networking Elsy Badour — Master of Ceremonies التسجيل والتواصل
10:00 — 10:10
Opening Remarks Deiaa AlOthman & Aaron Richmond — DiaVenture
10:15 — 10:25
Keynote · SME Sustainability Eng. Basma AlJasem — National Fund for SME Development استدامة محرك الشركات الصغيرة
10:30 — 10:40
Keynote · Economic Affairs Brad Stilwell — U.S. Embassy
10:45 — 11:20
Panel I · Innovation Infrastructure بنية الابتكار التحتية
11:25 — 11:30
Spotlight · Arzan Financial Group / Arzan VC
11:35 — 12:10
Panel II · Global Capital & Social Enterprise رأس المال العالمي والفرص المحلية
12:15 — 12:30
Coffee Break
12:30 — 13:10
Panel III · GCC Governance & Scaling الحوكمة والتوسع الخليجي
13:15 — 13:50
Panel IV · Tech & Digital Transformation التكنولوجيا والتحول الرقمي
14:00 — 15:00
VIP Business Lunch Speakers, investors, and VIP guests
15:00 — 16:30
1:1 Investor–Startup Sessions Curated private meetings
16:30 — 17:00
Closing & Networking الختام والتواصل
Speakers

A regional roster of founders, investors, regulators, and operators — the people who set the day's tempo.

Speakers — slide 1 Speakers — slide 2

Master of Ceremonies

Elsy Badour — Marketing Director, DiaVenture

Keynotes

Eng. Basma AlJasem — National Fund for SME Development  ·  Brad Stilwell — U.S. Embassy  ·  Asia Kabel — Arzan Financial Group  ·  Fawaz AlMunee — Arzan VC

Panel I · Innovation Infrastructure

Rakan Al Fadhala — SACGC  ·  Nouf Al-Mashaan — Ooredoo  ·  Dr. AbdulAziz AlOsaimi — Economist  ·  Mohamad AlRasheed — Almowazi Capital

Panel II · Global Capital & Social Enterprise

Shaikha AlOthman — MIT  ·  Gaurav Mehta — MIT / Emerging Tech  ·  Dr. Firas AlSalim  ·  Abdulla AlKhabaz — Warba

Panel III · GCC Governance & Scaling

Hesham AlSaati — Siin Ecommerce  ·  Sheniun AlBarwani — Metro Muscat  ·  Munira AlAmawi — UHY Pillars  ·  Dr. Talal AlBadrani — Rasēd  ·  Alaa AlSaedi — AlJadara Legal

Panel IV · Tech & Digital Transformation

Abdulrahman AlHadheri — AWS  ·  Richard Jones — Limestone Ventures  ·  Chiru Bhavansikar — Arhasi AI  ·  Joseph Byene — Johns Hopkins VC

Partners
Strategic Partners
Strategic Partners
Platinum Partners
Platinum Partners
Gold Partners
Gold Partners
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