Middle East & North Africa

Cairo, Dubai, Istanbul, Tel Aviv

HBS continues its efforts to build a deep understanding of and expertise in global business practice and innovation around the world, including throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The School opened the MENA Research Center in Istanbul in 2013, followed by offices in Dubai and Cairo. Separately an office was opened in Tel Aviv in 2016 reporting to the Europe Research Center. All play an important role in helping HBS develop and strengthen relationships with business and academic leaders in the Middle East, Turkey, North Africa, and Central Asia. Support for faculty research, student programming, Executive Education, and Harvard Business Publishing are enabled by these HBS locations.

Locations

Middle East and North Africa Research Center: Dubai
Dubai Design District
Building 3, 3rd Floor, Unit 341
Dubai, UAE

Middle East and North Africa Research Center: Cairo
Cairo, Egypt

Middle East and North Africa Research Center: Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey

Israel Research Office
Tel Aviv, Israel

News & Highlights

APRIL 2024
CREATING EMERGING MARKETS INTERVIEWS

Creating Emerging Markets Interview: Naveen El Tahri (PPL 2013)

The Creating Emerging Markets project provides a unique research and teaching resource on business leadership in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East over recent decades. At its core are over 180 interviews by Harvard faculty with high impact leaders in business and social enterprise. Read the interview with Neveen El Tahri (PPL 2013), Chairperson of Delta Shield for Investment and Advisory Board Member of the MENA Research Center.

MARCH 2024
MBA STUDENTS

Student Spotlight: Loujaine AlMoallim

Loujaine AlMoallim (MBA 2024) from Saudi Arabia shares her perspectives as a student. ‘’Being part of a large community trying to solve a never-ending brain teaser that makes us reevaluate our approach to problem solving.’’ She serves as co-president of the MENA Club and is actively engaged in the Women’s Student Association. Read more about Loujaine here.

FEBRUARY 2024
ALUMNI EVENT

Alumni Event with Professor Shikhar Ghosh

On February 8th, the MENA Research Center hosted a virtual alumni event featuring a presentation by Professor Shikhar Ghosh, Professor of Management Practice in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit, on the topic "How AI Will Change the World." Professor Ghosh discussed how AI is poised to revolutionize various aspects of our lives, including business operations, daily routines, governmental practices, and international relations. He also addressed how individuals can prepare themselves for the changing market shaped by AI, exploring specific skills that may become more or less valuable in an AI-driven economy. Approximately 150 alumni and friends of HBS attended the event.

OCTOBER 2023
VIDEO

10 Year Anniversary of the MENA Research Center

To mark its 10 year anniversary milestone, the MENA Research Center unveils a video series aimed at shining a spotlight on the significant diversity of enterprises in our region and the important role played by family businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit shaping local economies. The Center has had the honor of turning some of the powerful stories into HBS case studies, and the videos feature a distinguished lineup of speakers, including faculty members, subject matter experts, and the case protagonists. In addition to those themes, the Research & More segment introduces perspectives from leaders representing key departments at HBS with which the MENA Research Center collaborates: Executive Education, External Relations, Global Initiative, Global Experience Office, and MBA Admissions. Watch the videos here.

SEPTEMBER 2023
CREATING EMERGING MARKETS INTERVIEWS

Creating Emerging Markets Interviews: Middle East & North Africa Region

The Creating Emerging Markets project provides a unique research and teaching resource on business leadership in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East over recent decades. At its core are over 170 interviews by Harvard faculty with high impact leaders in business and social enterprise. There are three recent CEM interviews focused on leaders in the MENA region: Adib AlZamil (Saudi Arabia), Amina Laraki Slaoui (Morocco), and Badreddine Ouali (Tunisia). The Creating Emerging Markets project is led by Professors Geoffrey Jones and Tarun Khanna.

New Research on the Region

August 2024
Case

Coca Cola İçecek -- Managing a Sudden Turbulence

By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee, Namrata Arora and Gizem Cihan Dincsoy

In November 2021, Kerem Kerimoğlu, Coca Cola İçecek (CCI) Group Supply Chain Development Director, is alarmed by a news headline revealing a shortage of Turkish truck drivers impacting Europe. This crisis quickly affects CCI's distribution as third-party logistics companies struggle to provide trucks and drivers. Kerimoğlu urgently contacts Cem Yurdum, the Group's Supply Chain Logistics Manager, to address the escalating problem and devise immediate solutions. The challenge: finding a resolution as drivers continue to leave Türkiye for Europe.

June 2024
Case

Aidoc: Building a Hospital-Centric AI Platform

By: Ariel D. Stern and Susan Pinckney

In 2023, Israel-based AI health care company Aidoc evaluated its future. The company, founded in 2016, had grown from commercializing a single AI product for radiologists to a software platform that could detect 20 conditions and immediately notify care teams of critical results for priority patients. Aidoc’s products detected over 75% of common acute pathologies visible on CT scans. The company had 20 algorithms used by over 900 global hospitals and had 17 FDA clearances—the highest number of any clinical AI company at the time. The company, which had initially produced point solutions, had evolved to manage a multisided network platform that hosted its own as well as its partners’ algorithms. Aidoc had a rich history of producing highly accurate AI products, but partnership allowed it to bring more innovative products to market. The company needed to determine how to continue to grow. Should it focus more on developing highly technical AI health care solutions or on developing and managing a platform to bring other company’s products to its growing customer base?

June 2024
Case

Lana Ghanem: Pushing the Boundaries of Health Care through Venture Capital

By: Joshua D. Margolis and Ahmed Dahawy

Lana Ghanem, managing director of Hikma Ventures, the corporate venture arm of larger pharmaceutical group Hikma, is considering how to grow the venture arm as well as progress her own career. Over the past few years Hikma's executive team had been pressuring the venture arm to make strategic investments in line with Hikma's strategy, however, Ghanem saw the future of the venture arm as a tool for accessing technologies and areas not currently within Hikma's scope. Ghanem now faced a decision whether she should follow suit with the executive team's vision? Or should she spin off the venture arm into an independent venture firm? In paralel, Ghanem had her own career to worry about. She once had dreams of climbing the executive ladder at Hikma, but would that be possible if she decided to spin out the venture arm? Might she be better off taking on a more operational role within Hikma? Or did it make more sense for Ghanem to pursue other opportuntieis in the VC space outside of Hikma?

See more research