In this session, Managing Partner Amal Dokhan and Partner Abdulrahman AlJiffry pull back the curtain on the startup selection and walk you through how decisions are made—from application evaluation to final cohort curation.
They’ll break down what makes a startup stand out (or get rejected), what questions reveal the most in interviews, and what happens behind the scenes when choosing between strong candidates. This is your chance to hear directly from the decision-makers.
- What gets your application noticed—and what raises red flags
- Why great products don’t always lead to great interviews
- How we assess coachability, founder-market fit, and team dynamics
- What role diversity of industries and stages plays in final selection
- How you can prepare to put your best foot forward
Whether you're applying to a 500 Global program or simply want to understand how VCs evaluate startups, this session is packed with insights.
- An opportunity to receive an investment for your venture's growth
- Access to a vast network of local and international founders, community events, partners, and more
- Expansion in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East and North Africa
- Personalized, one-on-one mentorship from seasoned experts in fundraising, data-driven strategy, marketing, sales, product development, operations, and more
- Inclusion in a supportive startup and mentors community where collaboration and mutual growth thrive
Amal Dokhan serves as a Manager Partner for 500 Global leading Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator fund which invests in seed companies either through the program or directly. The fund invests tickets that range between 100K to 400K along with the support throughout the program that covers mentorship, connecting to a global network, access to regional markets, support in legal and commercial registration and introductions to investors and possible business partners with access to alumni connections as well.
Amal is also an angel investor who has 14 startups in her personal portfolio, Amal was one of the early entrepreneurial ecosystem builders in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region working with early-stage companies and founders from ideation to access to market through organizing forums like MITEF and others. She also worked in designing corporate innovation projects and worked with many organizations towards building entrepreneurial cultures such as dow Chemicals, zain telco, Nestle, Nissan Infiniti and many more while consulting in the MENA region, South Africa and the U.S.
Prior to joining 500 Global, Dokhan was the CEO of GEN Global Entrepreneurship Network, one of KAUFFMAN foundation programs leading the SAUDI Chapter and promoting Angel Investing and she also served as the Managing Director of Babson Global Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. She was also the Manager of Learning and Design at the Entrepreneurship Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology where she co-designed and led the TAQADAM accelerator program and corporate innovation programs. Prior to that she co-founded a tech startup in UAE and worked with many media buying agencies.
Abdulrahman AlJiffry is a Partner at 500 Global, a VC firm with more than $2.7b in AUM with a truly global portfolio of active programs and companies. Abdulrahman is focused on the MENA Accelerator Fund, helping scale MENA most promising startups in a rapidly growing and maturing market.
Additionally, he is an active angel investor with a diverse portfolio of startups across Saudi Arabia and the region. Abdulrahman is a board member of Oqal Angel Investor Network, the first and largest network of angels in KSA. He is deeply passionate about supporting founders and has delivered countless workshops in 10+ countries on topics ranging from Fundraising & Pitching to Defensibility.
Prior to 500 Global, Abdulrahman headed the Startup Programs at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST). The flagship is TAQADAM, the largest Accelerator program in the region, investing in up to 60 startups per cohort for up to $140,000 per startup. Another key initiative is Destination DeepTech, a program helping international DeepTech companies soft-land in Saudi Arabia and access the market, and infrastructure available to grow their companies and further develop the Deep Tech ecosystem in MENA.
Through his duties on several boards, Abdulrahman mentors and advises startups in product development, building a company to help commercialize high-potential R&D output into promising high-growth enterprises.
LEGAL NOTICE: THIS PROGRAM IS OPERATED BY 500 STARTUPS INCUBATOR, L.L.C (TOGETHER WITH ITS AFFILIATES, “500 GLOBAL”). ALL CONTENT PROVIDED IN THIS WEBINAR IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATIONAL OR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANY CONTENT PROVIDED THEREIN BE CONSTRUED AS INVESTMENT, LEGAL, TAX OR ACCOUNTING ADVICE BY 500 STARTUPS MANAGEMENT COMPANY, L.L.C. OR ITS AFFILIATES (“500 GLOBAL”). UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THIS INVITATION OR ANY INFORMATION OR CONTENT IN THE WEBINAR BE CONSIDERED AS AN OFFER TO SELL OR SOLICITATION OF INTEREST TO PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES. FURTHER, NO CONTENT OR INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS INVITATION OR WEBINAR IS OR IS INTENDED AS AN OFFER TO PROVIDE ANY INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICE OR FINANCIAL ADVICE BY 500 GLOBAL. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANYTHING HEREIN BE CONSTRUED AS FUND MARKETING MATERIALS BY PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS CONSIDERING AN INVESTMENT INTO ANY 500 GLOBAL INVESTMENT FUND.APPLYING TO THE PROGRAM DOES NOT GUARANTEE AN INVESTMENT FROM 500 GLOBAL, OR ITS RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES.
