Launching a new business in the Middle East

NODEPA’s stated goal is to provide opportunities for people in neglected areas of the world to live dignified and meaningful lives. Launching a start-up in the Middle East might not, then, immediately seem like the most obvious fit. But in reality, private enterprises play a vital role both in the economic development of countries, and in ensuring a fair distribution of opportunities to all levels of society. 

NODEPA seeks to invest in small scale businesses that can have a positive impact on local communities – and that is precisely what we aim to do with our middle eastern business.

Over the past couple of years, we have slowly been building a brand new tour and adventure company in the Middle East. The aim is to draw more Scandinavian tourists to the region.This will benefit both a wide variety of local businesses that will gain a new customer base,and the Scandinavian visitors, who will learn more about this fascinating region and gain a new and more nuanced understanding of Arabs and the Arab world.

Help needed – and provided

Starting any new business can be challenging, and being in a new country, with language barriers, a different culture and different rules and regulations, only adds to the challenge. Most of the paperwork is in Arabic, and you need someone with local knowledge to understand and navigate the system. Fortunately, there are plenty of people and businesses offering such services, and we have had wonderful help in getting all the correct registrations,and making sure all formalities are sorted before launching our business.

Additionally, you also need a local office address to start a business here. We have found a great coworking space, which works well for us. Being surrounded by other small businesses, there’s always someone around to ask for recommendations or help when needed.

Building relationships

Wherever you are in the world, scouting and testing out new destinations and establishing relationships with new partners is an obvious and major part of starting a new travel company. Everything from hotels and restaurants, to drivers, adventure companies, tour guides, and everything in between, must be sought out, quality-checked, and deals must be agreed upon. 

We have built great relationships with our local partners, and we all learn from each other – we learn more about their culture and country, and they learn what is expected and required when catering to Scandinavian tourists. 

As seasoned professionals in the tourism field, we understand the Scandinavian traveller well, and we spend a lot of time helping our partners understand what our clientele expects – such as well-maintained properties, updated and well-designed websites et cetera. For small local businesses especially, this provides valuable training and opportunities to grow their business, which again benefits their local community.

Moving the needle

One particular area in which we can hopefully play a small role in asserting some positive influence, is in the use of female tour guides. The tourism industry in The Middle East is very male-dominated, and as a NODEPA business, we want to facilitate positive changes in society and see more women join the workforce and gain more financial independence.

But things rarely change in this world without impetus, and in the business sector, the primary driver of change is, as it has always been, supply and demand. By creating a demand for more female tour guides, we hope to move the needle a few inches in a positive direction – and in doing so, providing opportunities for more people to live dignified and meaningful lives.