What inspired you and your co-founder, Dr. Tarek Hegazy, to establish Opteam, and how does your combined experience influence the company’s vision?
Well, first of all, my father being a co-founder means I have a professional and personal answer to this question. The professional answer is that we both come from different sides of the same industry, which is extremely complimentary.

Dr Tarek has worked in and researched construction project management for 20+ years, while I spent my career in the business side of enterprise software, including project management. His industry knowledge and my business experience means we are very well equiped to take on this market.
On the personal side if I am being truly honest, it is an emotional and meaningful journey for me to take my father’s life’s work and contribute to his legacy.

Can you elaborate on how Opteam’s AI-driven construction management software addresses the specific challenges faced by the construction industry in the MENA region?
You might be surprised to learn that the MENA region suffers from the highest amount of time and cost overruns than anywhere else in the world! Although projects in the region are extremely innovative and ambitious, execution still relies on tools that were invented in the 70’s (around the same year the internet was invented).

It is both a well-researched conclusion and a known fact that proper tracking is the most effective way to combat delays. So Opteam uses AI to automate the extremely manual process of collecting progress data from the site. Basically, the system communicates with the team over WhatsApp and dashboards and reports the latest status in the most reliable and least intrusive way possible.

With the recent pre-seed funding, what are your immediate priorities for enhancing Opteam’s AI capabilities and expanding your team?
Our goal now is to drive sales and adoption of Opteam primarily in the UAE. As we have recently launched the product and have current users, it is critical for us to continue to shape the solution according to the needs of the industry. So our biggest priority is being active on the ground, marketing the product, engaging with customers and feeding the input directly to our tech team to fuel improvements. To that end, we are growing our dev team to keep up with the very fast pace.

How does Opteam’s generative scheduling feature work, and what advantages does it offer over traditional project management methods?
Given that over 70% of projects face unavoidable delays, a key question is not just how to prevent them, but also how to react effectively when they occur. Opteam’s generative scheduling feature allows project managers to generate new, alternate pathways to complete the project from any point in time. This allows them to generate scenarios that achieve their objectives within their resource limitations.
If you’ve seen the movie The Avengers, there is a scene where Dr. Strange peers into the future to view all the possible outcomes of the coming battle. This allowed him to identify the best outcome, and informed his decisions to make this result a certainty. That’s essentially what we’ve done for project management!

Could you discuss the strategic significance of your partnerships with investors like Plus VC, Dar Ventures, SIAC Ventures, and Oraseya Capital?
We at Opteam are extremely fortunate to have such a powerful lineup of investors. Each investor brings a unique value that is essential to our growth, and each one’s participation in our journey represents its own unique validation.

Dar Ventures is owned by Dar Al Handasah, one of the largest construction consultants in the region.
SIAC Ventures is owned by SIAC, one of the most strategic construction contractors in the region.
Oraseya Capital is owned by DIEZ, which has several construction projects for which they are the owner.
And, PlusVC is one of the region’s most active and well respected VCs, representing the business and startup world. This gives us critical access to finance, operational, sales/marketing, and other cirtical support and resources

What strategies are you implementing to establish and grow Opteam’s market presence in the UAE and Saudi Arabia?
The first thing is that Opteam is extremely consumable to use. Companies in UAE and Saudi can simply create an account on the website, and they get a free trial with unlimited features. To start using the software, they just drag and drop their schedule file. It’s that easy.

In addition to this, the strongest pathway to B2B startup success in this region is network. We are grateful that companies have been seeing such value that our inbound traffic is quite high and fills our pipeline with new opportunities.

How does Opteam’s platform integrate advanced data analytics, mobile progress tracking, and automation to optimize construction project outcomes?
Did you know that 15% of construction time is being spent looking for information? This is because of the heavy reliance on manual data entry, multiple tools, and spreadsheets being sent between the office and the construction site to collect progress. On average, just for an update to be preported, the process of collecting and organizing progress data takes 2 weeks.

Opteam automates communication to the people on the site, sending progress data straight to their mobile. This allows Opteam to give real-time dashboards and insights on the latest status, flag risks, and create recovery strategies for the project. On average, we see that the task of collecting progress can be simplified by up to 80%.

Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for Opteam, and how do you envision your technology transforming the construction industry?
95% of construction data goes unused. We will most certainly target this data and invest more into our AI analytics capabilities. By doing so, countless manual and extremely expensive processes, such as analyzing delays, preparing claims, and more, can be automated.

The other area we are examining is creating a 3D visualization of the construction site. This would further reduce the gap between the office and the construction site teams and provide critical information when it is needed.

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Qara’s unique features provide producers with a seamless, end-to-end digital ecosystem, allowing them to authenticate and trace their products all the way to the end consumers, connect with the whole supply chain, and use AI to make data-driven decisions. It has successfully collaborated with over 35 manufacturers and product suppliers to authenticate over 28 million product units and connected them with over 50,000 business users across the supply chain in Egypt, KSA & Kenya

Commenting on the funding round, Co-Founder and CEO of Qara, Hassan Abouzeed, stated, “I believe the challenges we’re addressing meet a significant global demand. After three years of a successful product-market fit in Egypt, Qara is now ready for international expansion. We are excited that our first step is into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where what we do aligns perfectly with the Saudi Vision 2030 objectives to foster value creation through innovation and technology.

“Our aim is to revolutionize manufacturers’ B2B2C marketing and distribution capabilities through innovative digital solutions. Qara’s team believes in the economic and social value our platform brings by verifying product authenticity, providing supply chain visibility, eliminating redundancies, and delivering better outcomes for every participant in our ecosystem,” Abouzeed added.

Qara’s offerings include innovative apps such as “Asly” which enables users to verify the authenticity by scanning unique QR codes on products. This solution helps companies combat counterfeiting, safeguard their revenue, and build customer trust. Asly also enhances the customer experience by allowing brands to share detailed product information and updates, and implement warranties directly within the app, making it a powerful tool for both securing brand integrity and building customer loyalty.

Khaled Hassan, CTO and Co-Founder of Qara, shared his perspective on the company’s technological direction, “At Qara, our focus is on developing solutions that are scalable, secure, and adaptable to the changing demands of the global supply chains. Our technology not only tackles counterfeiting but also provides businesses with real-time insights, enabling smarter, data-driven decisions. This funding will help us speed up the development of these innovations and extend our influence across the region.”

Qara had successful partnerships with major clients. Aly H. El Sewedy, Vice President at Energya Industries, highlighted that “Qara is reshaping the supply chain landscape in the MEA region. Their technology and strategic expansion into KSA align perfectly with the region’s digital transformation goals. As a leader in manufacturing with over 80 years of history, we are thrilled to support a visionary team that is poised to set new industry standards and drive transformative economic progress.”

Ahmed Rabie, former CEO of Wadi Group and Milano Group states that “Qara is playing a central role in the digital transformation of the company’s supply chain. Above all, I believe that Qara’s work in areas such as food security brings a public utility that extends beyond the benefits it brings to its individual partners”.

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Potential power of artificial intelligence for small businesses
Eighty-five percent of small business owners and entrepreneurs surveyed in the MENA region are optimistic about their business prospects, expecting growth within the next 3-5 years. In embracing this growth, a significant focus lies on digital transformation, with 54% intending to leverage digitization to expand market reach and acquire new customers, while 41% aim to enhance customer engagement and experience through digital means.

The survey results highlight a high level of confidence (93%) among respondents regarding their ability to navigate and leverage AI technologies for business purposes. The small business tasks respondents feel will benefit most from AI assistance include marketing (67%), business planning and strategy (53%), and financial management (43%).

Small businesses are strongly inclined to integrate AI technologies into their operations. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are primarily driven to use AI by the potential for increased efficiency (45%), positive impacts on customer experience (43%), and gaining a competitive edge in their respective industries (41%).

Challenges in AI implementation
Nevertheless, concerns about implementation persist, with over one-third (38%) citing high implementation costs as a significant challenge if they were to adopt AI for their business. Other concerns include a lack of skilled personnel (24%) and integration challenges with existing systems (20%).

Similarly, the survey results also identify the top three reasons why some small business owners have not yet adopted AI technologies, with concerns about potential costs (47%) topping the list again. This was followed by a lack of awareness about available solutions (44%), and a lack of understanding about AI’s benefits for their business (43%).

To help entrepreneurs and small business owners address these challenges, GoDaddy offers user-friendly AI services like GoDaddy Studio and domains with a .ai extension.

GoDaddy is further supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners, by offering free AI resources including GoDaddy’s AI prompt library to help entrepreneurs learn how AI can streamline their workflows, saving them time while accelerating the growth of their business. This carefully curated collection is designed to assist entrepreneurs in various business tasks like content creation for marketing and simplification of customer service.

“GoDaddy is dedicated to supporting small business owners in their digital journey with the tools and resources to help them save time and grow their business,” said Selina Bieber, vice president for International Markets at GoDaddy. “This carefully curated collection is here to assist entrepreneurs in various business tasks including content creation, social media management, and simplification of customer service; enabling them to enhance their online presence.”

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This session marks the beginning of a joint cooperation between 42 Abu Dhabi and the Authority to introduce the beneficiaries to the school’s innovative learning methodology, which develops flexible learning pathways using a project-based approach, empowering students to take ownership of their learning journey.

Following the session,16 beneficiaries from the authority joined the school’s programme to embark on their coding journey, which has become one of the most vital fields of this era. The school and the authority will continue to organise additional sessions to expand the scope of beneficiaries.

His Excellency Qasim Alhashmi, Beneficiaries Affairs Executive Director at ADSSA, said: “At the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority, we aim to offer innovative opportunities to our beneficiaries. As the UAE and the rest of the world prioritise skills development and capacity building in coding and advanced technologies, this joint initiative between the authority and 42 Abu Dhabi introduces the ADSSA’s beneficiaries to new, specialised fields. This enables them to acquire new skills that enhance and diversify their sources of income, which supports them in achieving a decent life for their families.”

Marcos Muller Habig, Acting CEO of 42 Abu Dhabi, said: “Hosting this session further cements our role as a talent incubator that is developing and upskilling Emirati talents in the coding field to empower them to lead Abu Dhabi’s digital transformation. We look forward to hosting participants from more entities across the emirate to introduce them to our revolutionary coding programme, which has seen vast global success across the 42 Network and has equipped thousands of students with essential digital skills.”

Since its launch, 42 Abu Dhabi has enrolled 475 students, including 139 UAE national students, further cementing its role in upskilling national talents and equipping them with digital skills. In the past year, 358 job and internship opportunities were offered to 42 Abu Dhabi students, including 109 sponsorships for UAE national students as a result of the successful network of partners that the school has built.

All 42 Abu Dhabi students who complete the school’s Common Core, four additional modules and six-month internship are eligible to receive a Diploma in software development recognised by the National Qualification Centre (NQC) in the UAE.

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Can you discuss WSO2’s journey so far with our readers?
Founded in 2005, WSO2 enables thousands of enterprises, including hundreds of the world’s largest corporations, top universities, and governments, to drive their digital transformation
journeys—executing more than 60 trillion transactions and managing over 1 billion identities annually.

Using WSO2 for application development, API management, integration, and customer identity and access management (CIAM), these organisations are harnessing the full power of their APIs to securely deliver their digital services and applications. Our open-source, API-first approach to software that runs on-premises and in the cloud helps developers and architects to be more productive and rapidly compose digital products to meet demand while remaining free from vendor lock-in.

WSO2 has over 900 employees worldwide with offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US.

What does the WSO2 for Startups offer?
The WSO2 for Startups offer is aimed at early-stage startups looking to build cloud native mobile or web applications in any industry.

With WSO2 for Startups, you can:
● Go-to-market faster: Reuse B2C and B2B sample app code specifically created for startups, which has all the functionality needed in a cloud native application.
● Get expert advice: Connect with experienced solutions architects who will help startups identify requirements and work on a proof of concept (PoC).
● Reduce total cost of ownership: Get free Choreo and Asgardeo credits and reduce the number of tools you need to build your solutions.

In this offer, we provide startups with the following benefits:
● $18,000 Choreo credits that can be used to create components like APIs, integrations, and microservices, or on pass-through infrastructure costs. This will be applied to the Pay-as-you-go tier.
● $15,000 Asgardeo credits that can be used on the monthly active user limit, which can be on any use case (B2B, B2C, or B2E). This will be applied to the Professional tier.
● 1:1 time with our solutions architecture team who will help you build a 1-month PoC.
● Access to our customer success team who will provide basic support worth $2,100 for 3 months.

What are some of WSO2’s best technologies that startups can use?
Startups face IT challenges that are unique to businesses of their size. They typically have limited technical resources and development budgets. In order to generate revenue, they need to get innovations off the ground as soon as possible.

This is where WSO2 technologies offer tremendous value. Our solutions enable even small organizations to shrink development and deployment windows for digital innovations to mere days instead of weeks and months. Key solutions in our portfolio for start-ups include:

• Choreo is a SaaS internal developer platform designed to accelerate the creation of digital experiences.
• Asgardeo is our SaaS customer identity and access management solution that secures access for consumers, business partners, employees, or APIs.
• Ballerina is an open-source programming language for the cloud that makes it easier to use, combine, and create network services.

How will these products add value to the business?
In most startups, developers need to quickly build their products and PoCs to test out their hypotheses in order to gain backing and funding. They have very little time and money to spend on their research and development. This is where Choreo and Asgardeo can help.

You can use Choreo to quickly build applications without worrying about underlying infrastructure technology like DevOps, CI/CD, API management, and integration. Choreo simplifies the complexity of cloud native app development, allowing startup developers to focus on the business logic and creating great digital experiences.

Asgardeo helps you set up simple, intuitive, and secure login experiences for any type of application including those built for end consumers, other businesses, or internal employees. With Asgardeo’s wizard-like flows, setting up identity management becomes very easy.

When is the right time startups should consider investing in these digital solutions?
To accelerate their time to market, startups should ideally invest in these digital platforms right from the ideation stage. This will enable them to rapidly build and test various features and functionalities, thereby enabling them to fine-tune the concept and potentially uncover additional areas for innovation as they progress.

What are some sectors that can use these products?
Today, digital technologies are pervasive in verticals. Therefore, both Choreo and Asgardeo can be used by startups to build any digital products irrespective of the industry.

However, additionally, we have some industry specializations such as healthcare accelerators for HealthTech companies to get going without having to build everything themselves, saving them even more time and money. We also have expertise in the finance industry that can help FinTech companies.

With the advent of AI-based attacks increasing, what are the new enhanced challenges startups are facing?
Security is not an afterthought in Choreo and Asgardeo, these products will help startups to build secure, scalable, and reliable applications much faster than other platforms.

Asgardeo also has several features built-in that help organisations secure their applications from threats that include account takeovers, to bot attacks and more. If additional third-party solutions need to be integrated into your applications, Asgardeo and Choreo can be leveraged to do this as well.

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Commenting on the announcement, Patrick Rogers, Co-Founder and CEO of Clara said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Plug and Play as an investor and a partner. Plug and Play is the world’s largest global innovation platform, supporting more than 15,000 startups per year, across its 60+ accelerator programs. It’s also one of the most active investors in the world, investing in early-stage companies globally. This investment demonstrates Plug and Play’s belief that the Clara platform can be of tremendous support to the thousands of startups it supports each year.”

With over 4,000 global startups having created profiles on Clara to date, startup founders within the Plug and Play ecosystem will now gain preferential access to Clara’s range of products and tailored educational support that Clara and Plug and Play will co-design.

“Clara is helping thousands of founders navigate the complex world of startup law in a way that has not been done before”, said Carolin Wais, Partner at Plug and Play. “We are excited about our investment in Clara – a company that we believe is building a category-creating product that is proving to be of immense value to startups – and the investors who support them.”

Commenting on the announcement, Henrik Bærentsen, Director of Plug and Play Saudi Arabia, said, ” We are truly excited and proud to be a part of Clara’s remarkable journey. Clara’s exceptional team and their outstanding service have truly impressed us. We have had the privilege of collaborating with Clara in various of our innovation programs, providing invaluable support to startups within the Kingdom. Now, we are eager to expand this collaboration on a regional and global scale, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to Clara as our newest portfolio company.

Henrik added, “This investment exemplifies our continued dedication to investing in the best startups across the kingdom and the region. As one of the world’s most active and successful early-stage tech investors, we are fully committed to fostering the Kingdom’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We believe in empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and top talents, enabling them to drive the digital transformation that aligns with the ambitious goals outlined in Vision 2030. Together with Clara, we will continue to make a significant impact, support the growth and success of startups in the region.”

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In line with Mastercard’s commitment to creating priceless moments for consumers to enjoy, the agreement will leverage the resources, expertise, and networks of all three partners to cater to Saudi Arabia’s youth and gaming community.

On this occasion, Saud Abdulaziz Bajbair, Head of Retail Business Group at SNB, said: “This partnership confirms the importance of the private sector’s role in supporting the overall development movement in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030. This agreement is an important step in the dissemination of new digital technologies that will contribute to making the Kingdom a leading hub for gaming and e-sports.”

“We understand just how impactful gaming is and can be. By partnering with Mastercard and SNB, we aim to bring the Kingdom’s gaming potential to bear, enhancing the country’s gaming landscape and spurring even greater innovation. This will benefit so many — for generations to come — setting the Kingdom apart as an attractive investment destination while delivering innovative gaming experiences,” said Ahmed Al Bishri, Chief Operations Officer Saudi Esports Federation.

“We are delighted to collaborate with SNB and SEF – two like-minded organizations driven by a shared commitment towards accelerating digital transformation, realizing Saudi Arabia’s tech potential, and achieving its Vision 2030. The historic agreement is well on its way to help showcase the new technologies that are playing important roles in transforming the Kingdom into a leading hub for gaming and esports, and – more broadly – for business, tourism, leisure, and innovation. Together, we seek to build on the efforts of the Saudi leadership to enhance the local gaming industry, bolstering it to deliver truly immersive and memorable experiences for gamers across the Kingdom and bridging these experiences across physical and digital realities,” said Mete Güney, Executive Vice President of Services, EEMEA at Mastercard.

Through this partnership SNB, SEF and Mastercard will create and unlock new experiences powered by Web3 technology that will offer gamers the opportunity to access exclusive benefits and immersive experiences in the physical and digital world.

This new digital community and experience will be an inclusive space for gamers, creators and collectors to design and own the future of Saudi esports. Community members will be able to access virtual creations and use in digital games and immersive experiences.

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Through this partnership, etisalat by e&’s digital solutions will address the digital needs of businesses by providing benefits that will facilitate office, remote and hybrid working. The next-generation Internet solutions are comprehensively designed to provide high-speed Internet access based on the size of the workforce, as well as specific user benefits.

The proposition is an all-in-one solution designed to ensure complete business mobility by equipping each employee to work remotely or in a hybrid work environment. Employees will have access to user packages that include a multitude of collaboration, communication, productivity and security tools.

Esam Mahmoud, Senior Vice President, SMB, etisalat by e&, said: ” Businesses undergoing digital transformation are constantly looking at how they can add more value for all their customers. ADGM is looking to innovate and expand its offering to advance its competitive ecosystem and support the ease of doing business with and from the region. Through this partnership, etisalat by e& will bring together its network capabilities, teams and expertise to meet the needs of the financial centre’s growing startup and enterprise community.”

“This will enhance ADGM’s digital platforms, intelligent services and applications, improving the overall experience of hosting a business. This collaboration and our efforts to bring this digital connectivity is part of the overall vision of the UAE leadership to chart a course towards a diversified, knowledge-based economy and attract investments that generate long-term benefits for society and future generations.”

Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, Chief Operating Officer at ADGM said, “ADGM is delighted to partner with Etisalat by e& to bolster the digital transformation of the UAE economy. This partnership is in line with and is an extension of our commitment to foster, protect and strengthen Abu Dhabi, UAE and the wider region’s financial landscape. We look forward to working with Etisalat by e& to digitally empower the ADGM community, ease customer onboarding journey through integrations and positively contribute towards the prosperity of the economy.”

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This initiative comes as part of the MoU signed between both parties in May this year and in-line with The Digital Competency Qualification Initiative (Makeen) to empower Omani youth with advanced digital skills needed to succeed in the digital era as well as provide them with income-generating opportunities in the digital sector. The initiative aims to train ten thousand Omani digital skills by 2025.

Through the ‘Build the Skills of the Future’ programme, Microsoft will equip students, academia, SMEs, startups and government employees with the necessary skills to succeed in the ever-evolving technology and innovation world. The training also aligns with the government’s digital transformation programme, set to run until 2025. This complements one of the National Digital Economy Programme initiatives – a key facilitator toward accomplishing Oman Vision 2040 for sustainability and economic diversification.

The ‘Build the Skills of the Future’ training programme kicked off on November 6th and will continue until December 7th 2022 at the Middle East College in Knowledge Oasis Muscat, Rusayl, offering five Microsoft Azure certification tracks.

Participants can choose from a range of skill levels and course topics that will enlighten them on the fundamentals of cloud, Data and AI, as well as designing and implementing a complete Data and AI solution.

“We at Microsoft remains committed to encouraging lifelong learning, skilling and upskilling the workforce to fill professional gaps and ensure wholesome digital and economic transformation. With Microsoft’s unrivalled expertise, this training initiative with MTCIT will ensure government employees, students, as well as other professionals, are equipped with valued skills to accelerate the country’s digital transformation programme and ultimately drive the actualization of Oman Vision 2040”, commented Sheikh Saif Hilal Al Hosni, General Manager for Microsoft in Oman and Bahrain

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The collaboration will support stc Bahrain to address enterprise needs for digital transformation and modernising their workspaces by offering cloud-based solutions. The products include the full Microsoft portfolio like Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Dynamics 365, in addition to providing customers with Professional and Managed Services to deliver complete solutions.

Eng. Nezar Banabeela, Chief Executive Officer at stc Bahrain, said: “We are delighted to partner with Microsoft & Crayon to deliver cutting-edge tech services and products for our business customers that support them on their digital transformation journey. The partnership signifies our commitment to provide the latest offerings for our business customers to keep them up-to-date with the latest tech solutions that will help them succeed and contribute to Bahrain’s digital economy, in line with the Economic Vision 2030. The partnership will also enhance economic digitalisation and improve the way businesses conduct their operations, and we are proud to be at the forefront of enabling digital efficiency in the Kingdom.”

Commenting on the partnership, Ziad Rizk, Middle East and Africa CEO of Crayon, said: “At Crayon we believe in the power of technology driving the greater good. This is at the core of the partnership between STC Bahrain, Crayon and Microsoft. A partnership that sets a strong foundation for us to bring together the digital ecosystem in support of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and further accelerates their digital transformation journey. We are committed to the success of this partnership and truly excited about the impact we can jointly drive in Bahrain”

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