Operating Partner, Saudi & MENA
Most companies don't fail in Saudi. They fail before they arrive.
I embed inside a founder-led team for one mission at a time, usually about 90 days, then I leave. I've built companies myself. Now I help you build yours.
Book a conversation
See what I take on ↓
Model
Embedded, not outsourced
Duration
~90 days per mission
Weekly hours
15 to 20 hours, embedded
Client size
$1M to $30M ARR
Load
A few missions a year
Objective
Leave you self-sufficient
Not a consultant
Mohammad Hashboul · Operator
Experience
Engagements
How I Work
FAQ
Book a call
Track record
Built before I advised.
The short version. Where I worked, what I did, what happened.
I spent years on the inside of building companies before I started working with founders directly. First at Uber, during a regional expansion that had to work in the real world, not on a slide. Then as a founder, building Scooply from zero.
Eleven-plus years building across the region. But the thing I'm most proud of is starting two companies from absolutely nothing, Academi and Scooply, and getting both of them to real, paying customers.
Uber
Helped scale it in Saudi Arabia
Helped take Uber in Saudi Arabia from a bet to a real business. Grew the driver base from 70K to over 210K, pushed into three new provinces, and brought UberEats into the market from scratch. Best few years of my career.
Academi · Founder
Ran every part of the business myself
Took Academi from an MVP to a product real companies paid for. Marketing, sales, operations, customer success, all of it, before there was a team to hand any of it to. Signed our first 10+ clients and eventually built a team to run it properly. There's no better way to understand a business than to have done every job in it at least once.
Scooply · Founder
Built and ran the company end to end
Built a training platform that made learning feel like a game, not homework. Raised money from Sanabil, one of the more respected funds backed by the PIF.
11+
Years operating
Revenue generated as a founder
2
Companies built
7
Markets worked in
5-figure
What I take on
One mission at a time.
Each one is scoped and timed before we start. Never open-ended.
Entry
Market Validation
Find out honestly if the opportunity is real before you spend on it.
Entry
Saudi & MENA Expansion
Structure, sequencing, and the partners who actually open doors.
Entry
Strategic Partnerships
Which ones are worth it, and agreements built to survive year two.
Commercial
Commercial Strategy
Pricing and GTM that make growth profitable, not just busy.
Commercial
Positioning
Why a good product isn't landing. Usually a story problem, not a product one.
Commercial
AI Opportunity
Where AI genuinely changes your business here, and where it's noise.
Decisions
Customer Discovery
What customers actually do. Not what they say they'd do.
Decisions
Product-Market Fit
An honest read on where you stand, and a plan either way.
Decisions
Founder Decision Support
An experienced operator in the room for the calls with no playbook.
Who this is for
Founder-led. Execution-minded.
European startups entering Saudi
US companies entering MENA
AI & B2B SaaS companies
Family businesses modernising
Founder-led SMEs, $1M to $30M ARR
If that's not you yet, I'll say so on the first call. And I'll point you somewhere better suited.
How it runs
Four steps. No surprises.
01
Conversation
No pitch. An honest read on fit.
02
One mission
A defined outcome, not a retainer.
03
Embedded
Inside your team, same pressure.
04
I leave
Capability stays. I don't.
You don't need another deck. You need someone who's done this.
30 minutes. No pitch, just an honest read on whether I can help.
30 minutes
•
No pitch
•
I reply within 24 hours
Mohammad Hashboul
Engagements
How I Work
FAQ
Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Working across the Gulf and Europe.
The problem
Good product. Real traction elsewhere. Still gets Saudi wrong.
Not because the market's hard. It's because what decides it doesn't show up in a deck: timing, trust, who actually opens doors. I've watched founders lose a year figuring that out. I help them skip it.
How I think about this work
Before you ask
A few things founders check first
Are you a consultant? +
No. I don't sell hours or decks. One defined mission at a time, inside your team.
How long do engagements run? +
Usually around 90 days. I don't extend it just to keep the relationship going. When it's done, it's done.
Remote or in-market? +
Both. Expansion and partnership work usually need real time in Saudi. Strategy work can run remotely.
What size companies do you work with? +
Generally $1M to $30M in ARR or equivalent revenue. Founder-led, ready to act.
What if we're not ready yet? +
I'll tell you directly, and point you toward what would actually help instead.