Women-founded startups in the Middle East and North Africa received only $8.5 million across two transactions in August, while male-founded startups accounted for more than 96% of the $375 million deployed. The disparity persists despite growth in women’s entrepreneurship, including 3,058 new business licenses issued to Emirati women in Abu Dhabi during the first half of 2026. Lucy Chow, secretary general in the UAE office of the World Business Angels Investment Forum, attributed part of the gap to the male dominance of Gulf investor networks, particularly at decision-making levels. Some initiatives are expanding access to capital. Aliph Capital, the Gulf’s first women-founded private equity firm, closed its debut fund at $200 million in May last year, with Aliph Fund I targeting investments of $15 million to $40 million in Gulf-based companies. Standard Chartered’s Women in Tech Accelerator, delivered in the region through UAE-based Village Capital and Saudi Arabia’s Falak Holding, has supported early-stage female-led technology startups. Standard Chartered and Falak Holding recently awarded three Saudi women-led startups equity-free grants totaling $45,000 at a Demo Day in Riyadh. Riyadh will host the Women Shaping Wealth Summit 2026 on 28-29 September, including investor-founder meetings, startup showcases, networking, mentorship and peer sessions. The Fortune Gulf Brief also highlights the Gulf startup industry, the UAE’s appeal among wealthy expatriates, a $3.3 billion investment in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, UAE investments ranging from German artificial intelligence to Indian aluminium, and the launch of the 2026 Fortune 500 Europe ranking.