Weekly Wrap-Up: February 09-13
This week on Wamda was marked by mobile applications news from around the Arab World; starting with Turkey where Gram Games got $600,000 USD in investment, led by Hummingbird Ventures, to Saudi Arabia with the surprising success of a Harwil Ya Wahsh!, a new release by Na3m games, then Iran as two developers gamify a 1,000 year-old poem. You can also read about the latest citizen journalism initiative in Egypt, and learn more on how important strategic planning is to your startup. -Maya
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Articles you Might have Missed
Arabic weather portal outshines Yahoo, reigns in Saudi Arabia
JordanWeather.jo, now ArabiaWeather, has steadily been blossoming into one of the region's largest portals, with about 1.2 million unique visitors a month. Here's the story behind the startup and their recent rise in Saudi Arabia.
Avito.ma and Bikhir announce merger: a win for the Moroccan classifieds market?
Leading online classified ads platforms in Morocco, Avito.ma and Bikhir, have just announced merging their operations. Here's what we know.
Why Hanan Abdel-Meguid stepped down at OTVentures
After being with the company for almost 20 years, Hanan Abdel-Meguid is ready for yet a new exciting challenge. We chatted with her for more.
Another Turkish Venture Capital fund looks to enter the Middle East
Turkey's economic struggle may have hampered startup activity, yet this Turkish Venture Capital fund seeks to offset the tough climate. Here's how.
Can this Bahraini couple's startup help fight childhood obesity in the Gulf?
Bahrain's Jump Gym caters to a very specific clientèle: children between the ages of 5 and 13. With child obesity at around 26% in the kingdom, this couple may be onto something.
Zee3 Enta provides a forum for expression for Egyptians of every persuasion
Citizen journalism saw a rebirth in Egypt's revolution. Here's more the newcomer outlet Zee3 Enta, the YouTube channel enabling ordinary citizens to play news anchor by expressing themselves to the public.
3 lessons in startup culture from Beirut's sudden success, Jai Kitchen
Beirut's culinary darling, Jai Kitchen, has a lot in common with startups. With only one table and a model focused on deliveries, here's what chef-turned-entrepreneur Wael Lazkani learned from his venture.
Iranian developers gamify a 1,000 year-old poem
The Shahnameh is no longer only a 1,000 year-old epic Persian poem; thanks to cofounders Amir-Esmaeil Bozorgzadeh and Hossein Jalali of GameGuise, it is now also a social game, Seven Quests, targeting the Iranian diaspora.
Egyptian pharmacist creates Dawaa, a digital pharmaceutical drug index
Dawaa provides information about a variety of drugs in the Egyptian market- but that's not all. Here's what the modern digital drug index also offers.
