1. Introduction Iraq stands at a critical juncture in its economic history, transitioning from decades of conflict and isolation to become one of the Middle East’s most promising reconstruction and investment frontiers. With vast oil wealth, a young population exceeding 44 million, and an unprecedented reconstruction agenda requiring over $400

By Saeed Zeinali, Founder & CEO, NextStars Canada has quietly emerged as a global powerhouse in energy technology innovation, ranking second worldwide on the Global Cleantech Innovation Index in 2024. With over $160 billion in federal support through 2035, a robust ecosystem spanning 20+ research universities, 45+ major energy technology

By Saeed Zeinali, Founder & CEO, NextStars While analyzing global startup ecosystems for NextStars’ international expansion strategy, I discovered something remarkable: India’s innovation economy isn’t just recovering, it’s transforming into something that could reshape global entrepreneurship. And Canada is perfectly positioned to capture this opportunity. India’s venture capital ecosystem just

Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are engineering a remarkable transformation of East Asia’s innovation landscape, collectively producing 47 unicorns worth over $250 billion and challenging Silicon Valley’s dominance in deep tech. While each country leverages distinct advantages—Japan’s research excellence, Korea’s digital-first culture, and Taiwan’s semiconductor supremacy—they face shared challenges of

The startup ecosystems of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam have evolved into an increasingly integrated innovation corridor worth $263 billion, generating $89 billion in revenue and achieving historic profitability of $11 billion in 2024. This marks Southeast Asia’s transformation from fragmented national markets into a cohesive regional force producing 63

1. Introduction Qatar stands as a testament to strategic economic transformation, evolving from a small Persian Gulf state into one of the world’s wealthiest nations per capita. With its National Vision 2030 driving comprehensive economic diversification beyond natural gas dependency, Qatar’s high net worth individuals (HNWIs) and its sovereign wealth

1. Introduction Oman stands at a pivotal juncture in its economic evolution, guided by Vision 2040’s transformative blueprint for sustainable growth and global integration. As the Sultanate systematically reduces its dependence on oil revenues, Omani high net worth individuals (HNWIs) and the nation’s sovereign wealth fund are recalibrating investment strategies

Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem represents the most ambitious economic transformation in modern history—a petrostate deploying unprecedented capital to build a post-oil future, with startups at the center of a $3 trillion economy reinvention. Despite starting from near-zero just five years ago, Saudi startups raised a record $1.4 billion in 2024,