MISSION POSSIBLE: NOOR SWEID

Noor Sweid, Founder and Managing Partner of Global Ventures, is overseeing assets under management of $300 million while investing in founders driven by purpose. As she makes moves to inspire and support homegrown entrepreneurs, she's leading the way for women in a male-dominated field.

- CLAUDINE COLETTI

As a seasoned entrepreneur and investor in the Middle East’s startup scene, Noor Sweid may be a familiar name to some, but more recently, she’s become a familiar face to thousands as one of five judges on Shark Tank Dubai, the first Dubai-based Arabic-language season of the famous business-centric reality TV show.

The show first aired in December 2023 and will run through to the end of February 2024, but filming all happened in a two-week period in October. “It kinda fell out of the sky. It was a fun challenge,” says the founder and managing partner of Dubai-based venture capital company Global Ventures.

Though the show has proved popular with audiences, a glimpse into celebrity life was not Sweid’s goal in taking part. “This really was an opportunity to speak to a wider ecosystem of entrepreneurs from across the region in their own language and encourage and inspire them to build companies and to get funded, especially for young women,” she explains.

Elie Khouri, CEO of Vivium Holding and one of her fellow judges, noted her enthusiasm. “I truly valued our interactions and partnership throughout the filming of the show,” he shared. “Noor’s distinctive perspective on Shark Tank Dubai not only enriches the contestants’ experience but also serves as a source of inspiration for women entrepreneurs across the region, empowering them to navigate the highly competitive startup scene with confidence and determination.”