General Motors provides $150K to 11 Arab innovators across seven countries, supporting projects in AI, electric mobility, education and medical technology.
GM announced the support alongside a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) between GM and the Arab Youth Center (AYC) in Abu Dhabi on 15 October 2026. The agreement extends a partnership established in 2021, with a renewed focus on youth development, innovation and career opportunities through the Young Arab Pioneers initiative.
Also Read: Nigeria Pushes for More Inclusive AI at Global Development Dialogue
The beneficiaries represent the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Algeria and Syria. GM’s funding will help them advance their existing projects, research and businesses, while the wider partnership continues to provide access to training, mentorship, specialised expertise and professional networks.
Several beneficiaries are working on technologies with applications across emerging industries.
Kareem Ayyad, founder of ai.Uktob, has developed an Arabic generative AI platform that serves more than 400,000 users. Meanwhile, Algerian researcher Yousra Farhani is working in quantum computing, and Emirati innovator Rashid Ahmad Al Salmi is developing electric mobility technologies.
In defence training, Akram Amir, founder of AR Engineering, is developing digital twin and augmented reality technologies for immersive training environments.
Healthcare innovation is also represented. Biomedical engineers Nisreen Almadi and Hekma Jabouli are developing prosthetics and robotic exoskeletons designed to help people with mobility impairments move more independently.
The funding also covers projects focused on developing skills, supporting young professionals and helping entrepreneurs build businesses.
Mohamed Gawish, founder of iSchool, provides children across the Middle East and North Africa with training in coding, AI, game development and data science.
Mohammed Saud Al-Otaibi, founder of Wathba, helps young Saudi professionals develop their careers through peer mentoring. Through Blackbox and Bridges for Entrepreneurship, Ahmed Bayram works with Syrian youth and refugees to develop business ideas and turn them into startups.
Go deeper on GCC & Africa tech — $9.99/month.
Deep dives and investor insights the free digest doesn't cover.
Egyptian entrepreneur Hadeer Shalaby has trained approximately 350,000 women and young people and contributed to the creation of nearly 10,000 jobs in underserved communities. Meanwhile, Sharifah Alhinai supports creative talent across the Gulf through Sekka and the Khaleeji Art Museum.
The range of projects reflects the program’s focus on supporting established young innovators across different fields, rather than limiting the funding to technology startups alone.
The new MoU builds on five years of cooperation between GM and the Arab Youth Center, including webinars, interactive sessions, training and mentorship involving regional and international experts.
The renewed agreement provides a framework to expand that work and strengthen support for members of the Young Arab Pioneers initiative.
Fatima Al Hallami, executive director of AYC, said partnerships with the private sector can connect young people with the resources and expertise needed to advance their ideas.
For GM, the support also coincides with its centenary in Africa and the Middle East. Jorge Plata, president and managing director of GM Africa and the Middle East, said the company wants to help young innovators develop projects with the potential to create an impact across the region.
Why it Matters to Arab Startups
The initiative highlights a practical challenge for emerging innovators: developing a promising technology or business idea does not automatically provide access to the expertise, networks and resources needed to advance it.
For early-stage founders and researchers, support from an established company can complement existing development programs by connecting their work with industry knowledge and professional opportunities.
The next measure of the partnership’s impact will be how the 11 recipients use the funding to advance their projects, from Arabic-language AI and electric mobility to assistive technology and education. The renewed MoU also creates a framework for GM and AYC to continue developing opportunities for young Arab talent beyond the current group.
Engagement
