Riyada Ventures wins Best MENA Capital Venture Fund Award

Khaldoon Tabaza, Chairman and Managing Director of the firm, received the award on behalf of the company.

The "Private Equity World Awards MENA" was started in 2007 and recognizes leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and pioneers in the MENA private equity and venture capital industry and provides a mechanism and a platform to identify and applaud the truly outstanding achievements therein.

Speaking at the awards' ceremony, Mr. Tabaza said, "This is a monumental award that goes to all of our team members, partners, and clients, and we are proud to have won it." Riyada Ventures has a long history of achievements in venture capitals, global and regional linkages in addition to a track record of success stories and hands-on work approach in projects that has leveraged it to the prominent standing you have witnessed today."

Venture capital funds have played a determinant role in the launch and growth of many leading companies around the world. "Hence", added Mr. Tabaza, "Riyada Ventures plays its part in this global movement by supporting start-up opportunities with world-class technical backup expertise and linkage to strategic investors through a set of innovative, institutional and operational systems and solutions that push companies forward towards maturing and realizing their whole potential."

Over the last 18 months of its 12-year tenure, Riyada Ventures has completed more than 15 cross-border international and regional investments in its core focus sectors totaling more than $125m in investments, thus positioning itself as the number one firm in terms of number and size of deals in the venture capital sector in the Arab world.

In addition to its regional and international growth and late stage venture capital deals, the company encourages and promotes incubation, seed innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives and has assisted in the establishment of technology business incubators in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Riyada has also acted as an advisor to the Arab Business Angels Network during the latter's first year of operations.

"Riyada Ventures is an investor, entrepreneur and society-minded establishment." added Mr. Tabaza. "We work toward the betterment of all through encapsulating talent, capital, relationships and markets for knowledge-based opportunities that constitute the primary drive for achieving economic growth and wealth as well as the creation of jobs."

The 2nd annual Private Equity MENA 2008 conference and awards' ceremony was attended by more than 150 private equity specialists, bringing together highly liquid investors within the region to meet and forge business relationships with some of the best fund managers and venture capital firms in the world.