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Sharjah-based property development company Arada hosted the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) UAE Chapter at its Dubai headquarters for an evening learning seminar with its Chairman, HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud.
Moderated by Alsharq TV presenter Maya Hojeij, the fireside chat tackled Prince Khaled’s experience as a venture capitalist, his opinions on emerging technologies, climate crisis awareness advocacy, as well as Arada‘s value proposition and its sustainability measures. He also offered a glimpse into how he goes about his investments as he explained a recent deal that he had championed.
“One of the most recent investments we made is in a fintech company based in Mexico,” Prince Khaled said. “They’ve got really impressive traction, especially considering that Mexico has some of the largest numbers of unbanked populace. Founded in 2012, they’ve been in the market a long time, and they are the sector leaders. When the opportunity to invest came along, we jumped on it.”
“There are a lot of positive signs that position this company as a winner,” he continued. “I mean, it’s the fastest growing financial entity, with the highest number of online loans granted in Latin America through Kueski Pay. It basically acts as a means of payment for the majority of the population that doesn’t have access to traditional credit and debit cards. They also have buy-now-pay-later (BNPL), and that’s going really well.”
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed speaking to the UAE Chapter of the Entrepreneur’s Organization. Image courtesy Arada.
“It’s pretty typical to hear that they leverage artificial intelligence (AI), that’s the topic everyone is talking about now, but they have been doing this far before it was on-trend,” Prince Khaled added. “One of their bigger plus points was the reliance on big data to expand access to traditional financial products and services.”
When asked for his tips for entrepreneurs looking to raise funds, Prince Khaled replied by advising them to seek smart money, consider potential investors as active partners, and leverage existing resources to operate as lean as possible.
EO is a global, peer-to-peer network of more than 17,000 influential business owners with 213 chapters in over 60 countries. Founded in 1987, EO is the catalyst that enables leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow, leading to greater success in business and beyond. The EO UAE Chapter, which was founded in 1997, includes 125 member companies employing over 23,000 workers in the Emirates.
Related: What Investors Look For When Evaluating Your Pitch: HRH Prince Khaled Bin Alwaleed Bin Talal
