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Muhammed Mekki
Founding Partner at AstroLabs and Guest Lecturer at London Business School
Muhammed Mekki is a Teaching Fellow in Strategy & Entrepreneurship at London Business School, where he teaches courses such as "Discovering Entrepreneurial Opportunities" at the Dubai campus and "Managing the Growing Business" in London, starting from August 2023.1
In addition to his role at London Business School, Mekki is a Founding Partner at AstroLabs, a company that supports high-growth ventures in the Gulf region, facilitating company formation and offering incubator and accelerator programs.1 He has a significant background in entrepreneurship, having co-founded Namshi, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the Middle East, and raised substantial venture capital for it before its acquisition by Emaar Malls in 2017.1
Mekki holds dual Bachelor's degrees in Economics and Political Science from the Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively, and an MBA from Stanford University, where he was awarded a full scholarship as a Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fellow.1 His previous experience includes roles at McKinsey & Company and various other consulting and management positions, demonstrating a strong track record in strategy and operational excellence across multiple sectors.1
Highlights
Just wrapped up an intense week out in London teaching a fantastic group of London Business School students Managing the Growing Business alongside Farhan Lalji.
Over the course of 5 packed days, we took them through an entire entrepreneurial strategy course and were so fortunate to have inspiring friends from Dubai join us as guest speakers throughout. Many thanks to Mai Medhat, Marwan Chaar, Hassan Jaffar, and William Zeqiri for taking the time to share your startup journeys with the group—you each added a unique dimension to the learning. And it was a real pleasure meeting Farhan's guests—Ilker Sozdinler, Julian Cork, Justin Stebbins and others.
Looking forward to my next Developing Entrepreneurial Opportunities course in May on the LBS Dubai campus!
I’m happy to share that I’ve completed my PhD in Entrepreneurship & Innovation at SOAS University of London!
Thesis Title: "Developing Regional Innovation Systems in the Gulf: A Study of Dubai's Journey from a Rentier to a Knowledge-based Economy"
I'd like to thank my supervisor Reinhard Bachmann, who supported my journey navigating the world of academia with infinite patience. And I'm indebted to the dozens of interviewees who took previous time away from the large organizations they manage to share their insights for the purposes of my research. I'm particularly honored have had the opportunity to speak with several of the architects of modern Dubai, including UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, His Excellency Mohammad Al Gergawi, Group Chairman & CEO of DP World Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, and Founding CEO of Dubai Internet City Ahmad Bin Byat.
I have really enjoyed researching academically what I have been practicing in the region for the last decade and look forward to serving as a bridge between these two worlds.
