How do M&A professionals source deals in MENA region? Are there any networking opportunities here?
Rashad, Yes, there are networking opportunities in MENA. I would contact local universities, especially engineering and business programs. There are burgeoning tech parks and tech transfer programs for startups and emerging businesses. For mature companies, I would contact local guilds and trade associations. There are many country based chamber of commerce type organizations. I would also go through international banks, although they will be more protective of their contacts and relationships. Some countries are more open (Lebanon, Algeria, Morrocco) when it comes to business relationships for M&A’s, others are closed and xenophobic (Jordon, Syria, Iraq) and others are becoming more open (Libya, Iraq near Kurdistan). We have a few open channels into that market if you need some help. We’ve worked with Lebanon, Egypt, and Cyprus.
