Amal Dokhan is a Managing Partner at 500 Global, where she leads seed-stage investments
across the MENA region and oversees the Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator fund. Her work
spans startup investments, ecosystem development, and corporate innovation. Through the
fund, she supports founders with capital, mentorship, global networks, access to regional
markets, and introductions to investors and strategic partners.
A seasoned ecosystem builder, Amal is also an active angel investor with 14 startups in her
personal portfolio. She has been instrumental in shaping the entrepreneurial landscape in Saudi
Arabia and the MENA region, working with founders from ideation to market entry and designing
innovation programs for organizations such as Dow Chemicals, Zain, Nestlé, and Nissan Infiniti,
while consulting across the MENA region, South Africa, and the United States.
Prior to joining 500 Global, Amal served as the Managing Director of the Babson Global Center
for Entrepreneurial Leadership and previously was the Manager of Learning and Design at the
Entrepreneurship Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST),
where she co-designed and led the New Ventures/TAQADAM accelerator and KAUST’s
corporate innovation programs. Earlier at KAUST, she also contributed to the Seed Fund’s
marketing and events while supporting early-stage startups. Amal began her career co-founding
a tech startup in the UAE and working in media agencies.
Amal serves on the boards of organizations such as Wayakit Company, Cranfield University
(UK), and King Abdulaziz University. She writes a monthly column on innovation and
entrepreneurship for Leaders Magazine and has spoken at global platforms including the World
Economic Forum in Davos, TEDx KAUST, and the Islamic Development Bank Annual
Conference.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education, English Language & Literature from King
Abdulaziz University and a Master’s in Strategic Marketing and Marketing Management from the
University of Wollongong.
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