Middle East telecoms pivot towards venture capital

Middle East telecoms pivot towards venture capital is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• e&’s three-year partnership with MEVCA marks its first formal role on a regional venture capital board and aims to connect investors, policymakers and startup founders.
• The deal highlights a broader trend in the Middle East away from pure infrastructure investment towards technology, innovation and private capital mobilisation.

What happened: A new chapter in Middle East tech collaboration

In February 2026, e&, the Abu Dhabi-based global telecommunications and technology group, entered a three-year strategic partnership with the Middle East Venture Capital Association (MEVCA) to strengthen the region’s venture capital and innovation ecosystem.

The deal — launched at the MEVCA Investors Summit 2026 in the Abu Dhabi Global Market — makes e& the association’s first corporate anchor partner and sees it join the MEVCA board. Together, the two organisations will collaborate on industry research, curated events, thought leadership and ecosystem-driven programming that bridges founders, investors, corporates and policymakers.

Harrison Lung, Group Chief Strategy Officer at e&, said the partnership aims to “create clearer pathways from innovation to scale and support the region’s digital and innovation ambitions.” MEVCA Chair Noor Sweid described the alliance as reinforcing the association’s mission to build a strong and forward-looking investment ecosystem.

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Why it’s important

The collaboration reflects a broader shift in capital flows within the Middle East: traditional telecom and infrastructure giants are increasingly deploying balance-sheet strength and strategic influence into technology and venture capital rather than focusing solely on network build-outs.

e&, formerly known internationally as Etisalat, has evolved over decades from a telecom operator to a diversified technology group with offerings spanning cloud, cybersecurity, AI and digital platforms across 38 countries.

This move aligns with sentiment across the GCC and wider Middle East region, where investors and founders alike have told summits and festivals that capital is flowing into AI, cloud and tech-enabled sectors amid supportive regulatory frameworks and global institutional interest.

From a financial perspective, involvement in venture capital can reposition legacy telcos as ecosystem builders whose returns are not tied solely to infrastructure depreciation but also to equity growth in high-potential startups — a diversification that investors often prize in technology-driven markets.