This week, we'll be heading to Bahrain for Mix N' Mentor Manama. Make sure to tune in to live.wamda.com as we'll be broadcasting opening remarks and part of the mentorship hangout session live!

WamdaCard Out of Private Beta, Now Accepting Applications

This week, we were thrilled to announce that Wamda's benefits program is out of private beta. Entrepreneurs more often than not have to save on both money and time when starting up. Find out how WamdaCard can help, and sign up for yours!

Upcoming Events

• 10 May - Queen Rania National Entrepreneurship Competition
• 11 May - OuiShare Drink Damascus #1
• 11 May - Mix N’ Mentor Manama
• 14 May - The Mobile Show Middle East 2013
• 15 May - E-commerce.ma
• 15 May - Google IO - Extended Beirut 
• 15 May - Middle Eastern Tech Entrepreneurs Big Bang Tech Meetup
• 16 May - The Young Entrepreneur Forum
• 16 May - Startup Weekend Algiers and Startup Weekend Giza

Make sure to check wamda.com/events, or follow @WamdaME on Twitter to stay updated about more events! 

Articles you Might have Missed 

MarkaVIP Announces Deal with PayPal; Will Consumers Warm to Online Payment?

MarkaVIP has just signed a deal with PayPal, making it the first e-commerce site in the region to offer direct billing via the international payment platform. How does MarkaVIP hope to further enhance shopping experiences by linking up with PayPal? Find out in this post.

The Rise of Virtual Currency: A Look at Bitcoin and Ripple

Would you use a virtual currency? Although many concerns remain about Bitcoin, its quick rise along with the fact that it can't be taxed has definitely made it a hot topic. So how does it work? Find out in this post.

Which Countries Have the Lowest Costs for Startups? [Infographic]

If you're starting up and are looking for a more entrepreneurship-friendly environment, then you should consider one of the 13 countries in this infographic. Find out what country has the lower living cost of entrepreneurs in this post.

Can this Arabic App Recommender Escape the Fate of AppGratis?

Launched in 2012, App3ad now boasts around 66,000 users. Calling it a 'developer community platform', the app's team hand-pick, test, and review apps that they think can be useful to their audience, predominantly from the Arab world. Find out if it can escape the fate of AppGratis, and what its most downloaded apps are, in this post.

Saudi Arabia's Untapped Tourism Opportunity

Saudi Arabia is probably not the first destination that comes to mind when thinking of taking a vacation in the Gulf - yet, this might be changing soon. Here's why.

 

Accelerator Flat6Labs Jeddah Launches in Saudi Arabia

Sawari Ventures-backed Flat6Labs has quickly become one of Egypt's most well-known accelerators- and now, they've just launched in Jeddah in collaboration with Qotuf AlRiyadah. Find out what this means for entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia.

Meet the Jordanian College Graduate who Rose to Startup Success by Telling the Weather

Did you know that ArabiaWeather.com was initially launched as Jordanweather.jo when 16 year old then high school student Mohamed Al-Shaker started reporting local weather? Find out how this young entrepreneur transformed his passion into tangible success.

STC Ventures Invests $3 million in Jabbar's Ad Network ikoo

This week, regional advertising network ikoo announced that they've secured $3 million in investment from STV Ventures. Find out what this means for ikoo as well as other investors Jabbar Internet Group in this post.

Lebanon’s Game Cooks Releases Mobile Multiplayer Title NERDS

Have you played NERDS yet? Not long after the release of Captain Oil, Lebanon's Game Cooks studios just launched NERDS, an addictive multiplayer game requiring sharp knowledge of math, quick reflexes, and a competitive spirit. How can do beat your rivals? Read this post for more details on the game.