Entrepreneurship in the Arab World

Entrepreneurship in the Arab World is a pioneering academic reader and research companion offering an in-depth exploration of entrepreneurship in the Arab world. Edited by leading scholars with deep regional expertise, the book addresses the cultural, institutional, religious and socio-economic dynamics shaping entrepreneurial activity in Arab countries. With contributions from local and international experts, the book provides a rich, contextualized analysis across a broad spectrum of topics, including women’s entrepreneurship, youth entrepreneurship, social innovation, family enterprises, digital entrepreneurship, green entrepreneurship, Islam and entrepreneurship and more.

This book is designed for university students, educators, researchers, business support agencies, international aid agencies, and policy-makers working in or focused on supporting entrepreneurship in the Arab world. Its structured chapters include case studies, key learning points, and discussion questions to enhance teaching and learning.

The book fills a critical gap in contextualized entrepreneurship education resources by offering a tailored, region-specific deep dive. It promotes culturally relevant learning, provides practical insights for students and practitioners and offers policy recommendations for fostering inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship. This essential text will support the growing regional movement towards economic diversification and youth empowerment and serve as a benchmark for future research and pedagogy in Arab entrepreneurship studies.

Haya Al-Dajani is a distinguished academic and thought leader in the field of entrepreneurship, currently serving as Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the EMBA Signature Learning Experience at Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship (MBSC) in Saudi Arabia. Her award-winning research, funded by leading international organizations, explores the intersection of entrepreneurship and empowerment and their combined impact on sustainable development.

Bettina Lynda Bastian is a Full Professor in the Department of Business at the American University in Bulgaria. Her research centres on gender, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. She is joint Editor-in-Chief of Gender, Work and Organization. She served as Dean of the College of Business and Law at the Royal University for Women in Bahrain. She also held leadership roles at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) in Lebanon. Bettina’s scholarly work contributes to understanding how gender shapes organizational practices and entrepreneurial opportunities, advancing knowledge that supports inclusive and sustainable business development.

Poh Yen Ng is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University in Scotland, UK. She holds a PhD in Management from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and is currently a Senior Fellow of Advance HE in the United Kingdom. Her research spans many areas within the entrepreneurship and family business discipline, including the influence of socioemotional wealth in the family business, the empowerment process and social network dynamics of women entrepreneurs.

Bronwyn P Wood has a PhD in Marketing from Otago, in her native Aotearoa, New Zealand. She teaches in the UAE, has a consultancy, www.MuslimMarketingMatters.com, and is a Joint Editor in Chief for the Wiley journal Gender, Work and Organization. With publications across the business spectrum, particularly in Islamic Marketing and Women’s Entrepreneurship, Dr Wood applies her varied experience to perceptual and epistemological discussions of meaning and well-being. Interest areas are non-hegemonic methodologies, decolonization, social justice and social and economic sustainability.