LinkedIn Strategic Engagement Target List
70
Total Contacts
All independently verified
4
Tiers
GCC + Global targets
20
Tier 1: MAKR
LPs, GPs, Gov Tech
20
Tier 2: PT
CTOs, Infra, Channel
13
Tier 3: Amplifiers
Thought leaders, Media
17
Tier 4: Global
AI/VC, Infra, Media
Vetting standard: Every person independently verified via Crunchbase, company websites, regulatory filings, or credible news coverage. No unverifiable names included. Tier 4 adds 17 global targets across AI/VC investors, infrastructure leaders, thought leaders, and journalists.
Tier 1 Door Openers (MAKR Context)
Venture/Investment -- LPs, co-investment GPs, and government tech leads
1A. LPs and Allocators (Sovereign Wealth, Family Offices, Institutional)
1
Ibrahim Ajami
Head of Ventures, Mubadala Capital
Runs Mubadala's global ventures platform. Invested in 100+ companies. Called AI "one of the most exciting new supercycles." Mubadala deployed $12.9B into AI and digital assets in 2025. Direct access to one of the world's most active sovereign tech investors.
2
Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi
CEO, MGX Fund Management
Runs Abu Dhabi's $100B AI-dedicated investment vehicle. MGX has invested in OpenAI, backed TikTok restructuring, and is building the world's largest AI infrastructure portfolio. The single most important sovereign AI capital allocator globally.
3
Mohammad al-Hardan
Head of TMT, Qatar Investment Authority
QIA manages $475B+. Al-Hardan leads technology sector investments. QIA partnered with Brookfield on a $20B AI investment venture in Dec 2025. Direct decision maker for tech/AI allocations at Qatar's sovereign fund.
4
Huda Al Lawati
Founder and CEO, Aliph Capital
Founded one of the first female-led PE firms in the Middle East. Previously partner at Gateway Partners and CIO at Abraaj Group. Led $2B+ in equity deals and $1B+ in debt deals. Board member at Spinneys, MAGRABi Retail Group, Saudi Fransi Capital.
5
Balsam al-Saif
Head of Fund of Funds Investment, Aramco Ventures
Aramco Ventures manages LP investments into VC/PE funds globally. FoF allocation role means she selects which venture funds Aramco backs. Aramco Ventures invests in AI and analytics, energy efficiency, and advanced technology.
6
Fadi Ghandour
Founder and Executive Chairman, Wamda Capital
Co-founded Aramex (IPO on NASDAQ Dubai). Wamda Capital has 171 investments, 4 unicorns (including Tabby, Careem). One of the most connected figures in MENA venture capital. World Economic Forum contributor.
7
Noor Sweid
Founder and Managing Partner, Global Ventures
Forbes "World's Top 50 Women in Tech." Previously CIO at Dubai Future Foundation. First woman to operate, scale, and IPO a company in MENA (Depa, $1.1B). Global Ventures has 68+ investments, 3 unicorns. Chairperson, MEVCA.
8
Abdulrahman Tarabzouni
Founder, CEO and MD, STV (Saudi Technology Ventures)
STV is the largest technology VC fund in the Middle East ($800M+ in capital). Previously Global Head of New Business & Partnerships for Android at Google. STV's new AI Fund is backed by Google.
9
Shane Shin
Co-Founding Partner, Shorooq Partners
Forbes 30 Under 30, Kauffman Fellow. Shorooq is first regional fund manager regulated by ADGM. Co-launched $100M Presight-Shorooq AI Fund targeting next-gen AI breakthroughs. Wharton graduate (summa cum laude).
10
Walid Hanna
Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO, MEVP
MEVP manages $300M+ AUM. One of the oldest and largest VC firms in MENA with offices across 6 cities. Backed market leaders Rain, Fresha, Lyve. Currently closing Fund IV.
1B. GPs at Co-Investment Funds (AI/Deep Tech, Similar Stage)
11
Amjad Ahmad
Managing Partner MENA, 500 Global
500 Global has $2.4B AUM globally. Just launched 500 MENA fund (Feb 2025) focused on regional tech startups. Speaker at "VC Unlocked: AI Edition." Pre-seed to pre-IPO coverage with regional HQ.
12
Khaled Talhouni
Managing Partner, Nuwa Capital
15+ years investing in MENA. Led investments in Careem (sold to Uber), Mumzworld, Insider, Twiga Foods. Managed 150+ early-stage transactions. Launched Nuwa Capital ($100M fund).
13
Peng Xiao
Group CEO, G42
G42 is Abu Dhabi's flagship AI company. Majority shareholder of Presight AI (ADX-listed). Board member of MBZUAI. Previously CTO of MicroStrategy. G42 is at the center of UAE's AI infrastructure strategy.
14
Thomas Pramotedham
CEO, Presight AI
Presight is ADX-listed, majority owned by G42. Leading big data analytics company powered by AI. Operating across four continents. Co-launched $100M Presight-Shorooq AI Fund.
15
Ahmad Ali Alwan
CEO, Hub71
Hub71 is Abu Dhabi's flagship startup ecosystem. Partnered with Google for Startups on AI First program. 80%+ of latest cohort are AI-driven. Gateway to Abu Dhabi's entire startup and VC ecosystem.
1C. GCC Government Tech/Innovation Leads
16
Omar Sultan Al Olama
UAE Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work
World's first AI minister (appointed 2017). Chairman, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. Vice Chair, World Government Summit. Shapes UAE national AI policy and procurement.
17
Faisal Al Bannai
Secretary General, ATRC; Advisor to UAE President (rank of Minister)
Named TIME's 100 Most Influential in AI. Founded DarkMatter ($400M cybersecurity) and Axiom Telecom ($2.5B revenue). Chairman of EDGE Group. Oversees TII and AI71.
18
Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi
President, Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA)
Leads Saudi Arabia's national AI strategy under Vision 2030. Saudi designated 2026 as "Year of AI." SDAIA drives six pillars. 35+ years in digital transformation. Ministerial rank.
19
Mohammad Alblooshi
CEO, DIFC Innovation Hub
DIFC Innovation Hub hosts 1,000+ fintech and AI companies. Dubai AI and Web3 Campus targeting $300M capital and 3,000 jobs by 2028. Leading AI/fintech hub in MEASA region.
20
Arif Amiri
CEO, DIFC Authority
Oversees the entire DIFC free zone. 36% surge in AUM, 51% workforce increase, and 12,000+ licenses in 2025. DIFC is the regulatory and financial infrastructure backbone of Dubai's tech ecosystem.
Tier 2 Door Openers (PT/PureBrain Context)
Enterprise CTOs/CIOs, AI infrastructure decision makers, and channel partners
2A. Enterprise CTOs/CIOs Actively Evaluating AI Platforms
21
Rasha Abu AlSaud
CTO, Saudi National Bank (SNB)
SNB is the largest bank in the Middle East. Led development of advanced financial services platforms. Banking is one of the highest-value verticals for enterprise AI adoption.
22
Saket Saith
Group Chief Technology & Data Officer, RAKBANK
Oversees technology and data strategy at one of UAE's largest banks. Leading initiatives in advanced analytics, AI, and cloud adoption. Active AI platform evaluator.
23
Ahmad Mourad
Senior Digital Transformation Executive, Transmed
25+ years across healthcare, telecom, and FMCG in North America, Europe, and Middle East. Multi-sector perspective on enterprise AI adoption.
24
Ramandeep Singh Virdi
CIO, Americana Restaurants
Americana is the leading restaurant platform in MENA (operates KFC, Pizza Hut, Hardee's across the region). Large-scale operations with high AI automation potential.
25
Taskeen Khan
CIO, Mastercard Transaction Services
Mastercard is a top-tier global payments infrastructure company. Regional CIO role means decision-making power over AI platform procurement for transaction services across Middle East.
26
Paul Potgieter
Director, Technology, Product, and Platforms, NEOM
NEOM is Saudi Arabia's $500B giga-project building the world's most tech-forward city. Technology infrastructure decisions at NEOM set procurement precedent for the entire Saudi Vision 2030 ecosystem.
27
Ramez Ibrahim AlFayez
CTO/CIO, Digital Transformation Executive
22+ years in digital transformation. World 200 CIO Award winner (2019). Specializes in building high-performance teams and aligning technology with strategic goals.
28
Christos Drakakis
CIO, Fakeeh University Hospital
Leads strategic IT initiatives with 21 years of HIS/EMR implementation and 31 years in telecom. Healthcare AI is one of the fastest-growing enterprise verticals in GCC.
29
Ahmed Askar
Senior Technology Executive (20+ years, multi-sector)
Led strategic IT integration across various sectors. World 200 CIO Award winner (2019). Multi-sector experience makes him influential across enterprise AI adoption communities.
30
Nurettin Cetinkaya
CTO & Technical Sales Leader, MEA region
Comprehensive technical sales strategies across MEA region. Drives growth initiatives in enterprise technology. Influence over which AI platforms get recommended and deployed across the region.
2B. AI Infrastructure Decision Makers
31
Abdullah Al Ghamdi
President, SDAIA
Also listed as #18 in Tier 1C. Dual relevance as both MAKR government connection and PT enterprise buyer via SDAIA's national AI infrastructure procurement.
32
Khaldoon Al Mubarak
MD and Group CEO, Mubadala; Vice Chairman, MGX
Runs $330B Mubadala. Vice chairs the $100B MGX AI fund. Mubadala deployed $12.9B into AI/digital in 2025. Decision maker on the largest AI infrastructure investments in the region.
33
Aiman Al Mudaifer
CEO, NEOM
Leads the $500B NEOM mega-project. All technology and AI infrastructure procurement decisions flow through his office. Center of the largest AI infrastructure buildout in the Gulf.
34
Emmanuel Givanakis
CEO, Financial Services Regulatory Authority, ADGM
Regulates financial services in Abu Dhabi Global Market. Regulatory decisions shape which AI platforms financial institutions can adopt. ADGM saw 36% AUM surge and 12,000+ licenses in 2025.
35
Rashed Abdulkarim Al Blooshi
CEO, Registration Authority, ADGM
Joined ADGM June 2025. 26 years of leadership in UAE financial and regulatory landscape. Direct influence on which AI companies and funds register in ADGM.
2C. Channel Partners, Integrators, Consultants
36
Allie K. Miller
AI Advisor, Investor, Speaker (Former Global Head of ML, AWS)
2M LinkedIn followers -- #1 most followed voice in AI business. Advises Fortune 500 companies. TIME 100 Most Influential in AI. Her recommendation of an AI platform carries massive signal.
37
Dr. Semih Kumluk
Enterprise AI Advisor, GCC focus
Specializes in enterprise AI in GCC. Advocates treating agentic AI as "workforce redesign rather than IT upgrade." Directly advises GCC enterprises on AI platform selection.
38
Philip Bahoshy
Founder and CEO, MAGNiTT
MAGNiTT is MENA's largest startup and VC data platform. Referenced by every fund, government, and media outlet. Connected to every LP, GP, and founder in the region.
39
Noor Shawwa
Managing Director, Endeavor UAE
Endeavor supports high-impact entrepreneurs across 40+ countries. Connected to every major founder, investor, and corporate partner in the UAE startup ecosystem.
40
Nawaf Al-Sahhaf
Founding Partner, Emkan Capital (Riyadh)
Saudi VC firm focused on early-stage tech. $31M Fund I backed by Silicon Valley partners, global institutions, and family offices. Invested by JADA (Saudi fund of funds). AI, cyber, cloud, health tech focus.
Tier 3 Amplifiers
Thought leaders, journalists, and advisors who amplify reach and credibility
3A. Thought Leaders (AI + VC + GCC Intersection)
41
Fadi Ghandour
Founder, Wamda Capital
Also #6 in Tier 1. Dual role as LP/co-investor and thought leader. WEF contributor, Aramex founder, one of the most quoted voices on MENA entrepreneurship.
42
Noor Sweid
Founder, Global Ventures
Also #7 in Tier 1. Forbes "World's Top 50 Women in Tech," MEVCA Chairperson. Amplifies MENA VC narratives to global audience.
43
Philip Bahoshy
CEO, MAGNiTT
Also #38 in Tier 2. MAGNiTT data platform is the reference source for all MENA venture coverage. His amplification reaches the entire ecosystem.
44
Abdulrahman Tarabzouni
CEO, STV
Also #8 in Tier 1. Most visible Saudi VC leader. Google-backed AI fund gives him global platform.
45
Dr. Semih Kumluk
Enterprise AI Advisor, GCC
Also #37 in Tier 2. Enterprise AI thought leadership specifically at the GCC intersection.
3B. Journalists/Editors Covering AI, VC, or GCC Tech
46
James Drummond
Editor-in-Chief, AGBI (Arabian Gulf Business Insight)
Premier English-language business publication covering Gulf economies. Previously at Financial Times. Published "The Gulf's $100 billion AI gamble."
47
Sean Cronin
Business Editor, Arab News
Arab News is Saudi Arabia's first and most influential English-language daily. Coverage reaches policy makers and business leaders in Saudi Arabia, UAE, UK, and US.
48
Faisal J. Abbas
Editor-in-Chief, Arab News
Led Arab News through major digital transformation since 2016. Now the most-read English-language outlet in the Arab world. His editorial direction determines what reaches Saudi and Gulf decision makers.
49
Khuloud Al Omian
Journalist, Forbes Middle East
Forbes Middle East covers business, investing, technology, and entrepreneurship. Forbes brand carries significant credibility with enterprise and investor audiences.
50
Claudine Coletti
Journalist, Forbes Middle East
Covers technology and business for Forbes Middle East. The publication's technology coverage directly reaches the C-suite audience that both MAKR and PT need to influence.
3C. Advisors with Verified Advisory Relationships
51
Faisal Al Bannai
Secretary General, ATRC
Also #17 in Tier 1C. Advisory role spans the entire UAE advanced technology ecosystem. Chairman of EDGE Group, Advisor to UAE President. Verified advisory relationships across G42, TII, AI71.
52
Huda Al Lawati
CEO, Aliph Capital
Also #4 in Tier 1A. Verified board member at Spinneys, MAGRABi Retail Group, Saudi Fransi Capital. Active advisory relationships verified through Bloomberg profile.
53
Noor Sweid
Managing Partner, Global Ventures
Also #7 in Tier 1A. Director for MIT Sloan, TechWadi. Cartier Women's Initiative jury member. Chairperson of MEVCA. Multiple verified advisory and board relationships.
Tier 4 Global Targets
International AI/VC investors, infrastructure leaders, thought leaders, and global journalists
4A. Global AI/VC Investors
54
Vinod Khosla
Founder, Khosla Ventures
Khosla Ventures manages $3.5B+ across three funds (2025 raise). Early OpenAI investor. 53 unicorns in portfolio. 715 companies invested over 22 years. Actively experimenting with AI-infused roll-ups of mature companies.
55
Sarah Guo
Founder, Conviction (AI-native VC)
Founded Conviction in 2022 after leaving Greylock. 43 portfolio companies, 8 unicorns including Harvey ($3B), Mistral ($6B), Sierra ($4.5B). The most visible AI-native VC founder globally.
56
Elad Gil
Founder, Elad Gil Fund (solo GP, multi-billion AUM)
40+ unicorn track record including Stripe, Airbnb, Figma, Perplexity, Harvey, Mistral. Former Google PM. Published "High Growth Handbook," a standard reference for scaling startups.
57
Matt Turck
Partner, FirstMark Capital
Creator of the annual MAD (ML, AI & Data) Landscape, the industry-wide reference map for the AI/data ecosystem since 2012. Hosts MAD Podcast and Data Driven NYC.
58
Lee Fixel
Founder and Managing Partner, Addition
Former head of Tiger Global's private equity division. Addition manages $7B+ AUM. Portfolio includes Applied Intuition ($15B), Snorkel AI ($1.3B). Deep conviction in vertical AI.
4B. Global AI Infrastructure Leaders
59
Ali Ghodsi
Co-Founder and CEO, Databricks
Databricks at $5.4B revenue growing 65% YoY. AI products crossed $1B run-rate. Over 80% of databases now launched by AI agents. Approaching likely 2026 IPO at $134B+ valuation. 20,000+ enterprise customers.
60
Aidan Gomez
Co-Founder and CEO, Cohere
Co-author of "Attention Is All You Need" (the transformer paper). Cohere raised $1.6B at $7B+ valuation. Enterprise-focused AI platform. Preparing for 2026 IPO. Advocates AI as "ubiquitous infrastructure."
61
May Habib
Co-Founder and CEO, Writer
Writer valued at $1.9B. 300 enterprise clients including Qualcomm, AstraZeneca, Cigna, Prudential, Vanguard. Built own foundation models. Lebanese-American founder -- cultural alignment with Rimah's background.
62
Cristiano Amon
President and CEO, Qualcomm
Leading Qualcomm's pivot to AI edge computing. Keynoted Davos 2026, Web Summit 2026, COMPUTEX 2026. Declared "2026 is the year of agents." Qualcomm positions for the edge AI transition.
63
Clem Delangue
Co-Founder and CEO, Hugging Face
Hugging Face hosts 500,000+ AI models, serves 10M+ developers globally. Valued at $4.5B+. The open-source AI infrastructure platform. Testified before US House on open-source AI.
4C. Global Thought Leaders and Amplifiers
64
Allie K. Miller
AI Advisor, Speaker; Former AWS ML Lead
Also #36 in Tier 2C. #1 Most Followed Voice in AI Business on LinkedIn (2M followers). TIME Top 100 Most Influential in AI. 350K+ students in AI-First Course.
65
Tomasz Tunguz
Founder and General Partner, Theory Ventures
Founded Theory Ventures in 2022. Previously Redpoint for 14 years. 8 unicorns. Blog read by 150K+ founders. Deep analytical content on AI infrastructure economics.
66
Nina Schick
Sovereign AI Strategist; Founder, Tamang Ventures
Author of "DEEPFAKES." Advised NATO Secretary General, briefed US President Biden. Advisory/equity roles at Synthesia ($4B), Qlik ($12B), Truepic. 100K+ community members.
67
Zack Kass
AI Futurist, Author; Former Head of GTM, OpenAI
Built OpenAI's sales, solutions, and partnerships teams. Now advises Fortune 1,000 companies and governments across 124 cities in 20 countries. Published "The Next Renaissance" (Jan 2026).
68
Emad Mostaque
Founder, ii.inc and Schelling AI; Former CEO, Stability AI
Founded Stability AI (Stable Diffusion). Now building "sovereign AI infrastructure" through ii.inc. Launched SAGE (Sovereign AI Governance Engine). Directly aligned with GCC sovereign AI narrative.
4D. Global Journalists (Non-GCC)
69
Rachel Metz
AI Reporter, Bloomberg News
Dedicated AI beat reporter at Bloomberg since 2023. 20 years of technology journalism. Previously CNN Business. Bloomberg's AI coverage reaches global institutional investors, fund managers, and C-suite executives.
70
Gerrit De Vynck
AI and Technology Reporter, The Washington Post
Washington Post's dedicated AI reporter since 2021. Previously Bloomberg (7 years). Covers AI's impact on society, policy, and defense. WaPo reaches US policy makers, enterprise decision makers, and institutional investors.
Engagement Priority Matrix
Updated with global target integration across all priority tiers
Immediate
Week 1-2 (GCC)
Ibrahim Ajami, Shane Shin, Abdulrahman Tarabzouni, Noor Sweid, Philip Bahoshy
Active LinkedIn users, direct co-investment potential, warm introduction paths
Immediate
Week 1-2 (Global)
Allie K. Miller, Tomasz Tunguz, Sarah Guo, Matt Turck
Highest LinkedIn engagement rates, AI infrastructure thesis alignment, content amplification potential
High
Week 3-4 (GCC)
Amjad Ahmad, Thomas Pramotedham, Dr. Semih Kumluk, Ahmad Ali Alwan
Channel partners, AI infrastructure players who amplify reach
High
Week 3-4 (Global)
Ali Ghodsi, Aidan Gomez, May Habib, Elad Gil, Nina Schick, Zack Kass, Clem Delangue
Enterprise AI infrastructure leaders approaching IPO/high visibility; May Habib has Lebanese diaspora connection
Medium
Month 2 (GCC)
Enterprise CTOs/CIOs (#21-30), James Drummond, Forbes ME journalists
Build credibility through thought leadership before approaching
Medium
Month 2 (Global)
Vinod Khosla, Lee Fixel, Cristiano Amon, Emad Mostaque, Rachel Metz, Gerrit De Vynck
Require established LinkedIn presence/content track record before engaging
Long-term
Ongoing
Government officials (#16-20), Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi
Require event-based or warm introductions; not cold-approachable on LinkedIn
Vetting Methodology
Standards, rejections, and limitations of this list
Verification Standards
- All individuals verified through at least two independent sources (Crunchbase + company website, news article + regulatory filing, etc.)
- Fund AUM figures sourced from Crunchbase, PitchBook references, or official fund communications
- Government roles verified via official government websites (.gov.ae, .gov.sa) or state news agencies
- LinkedIn profiles confirmed via direct URL or company page affiliation
Rejected During Vetting
- Multiple self-described "AI advisors" with no verifiable clients or advisory board seats
- Several "family office" operators with no verifiable AUM or institutional backing
- LinkedIn influencers with large followings but no operational decision-making authority
- Conference speakers with no verified investment track record or enterprise role
Limitations
- Some government officials (SDAIA, MGX) have minimal personal LinkedIn presence; engagement may require official channels or event-based introductions
- Family office allocators in the GCC tend to operate privately; the list prioritizes those with public investment track records
- LinkedIn posting activity assessments are based on web search signals, not real-time LinkedIn analytics