The biggest story to emerge this year was Uber’s acquisition of Careem in March. The deal, worth $3.1 billion, was the largest startup exit for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), marking a pivotal moment for entrepreneurship in the region.

Over this past year at Wamda, we have strived to create content that analyses the trends, opportunities and challenges for the startup ecosystem. With each passing year, Mena’s startup ecosystem develops and cements itself as one of the key pillars of the economy.

Below is a small sample of the most-read articles of the year, highlighting interest not only in the Careem exit, but wider developments in entrepreneurship across the region. 

• The hidden costs of starting up in the UAE
• The reasons behind Egypt's startup boom
• Careem's sale to Uber and how it affects the Mena startup ecosystem
• The state of social media in the Middle East
• Dubizzle stake acquired for $190 million
• How did Kuwait produce some of the Middle East's largest exits?
• Game of hubs: The battle for the Middle East's startup capital
• E-groceries: The fastest growing e-commerce segment
• Banking for the unbanked: The growth of fintech in Egypt
• Oman's startup opportunity