About OQAL
An endowment established by young businessmen and angel investors to be the platform connecting innovative and pioneering startup founders with seasoned angel investors to develop leading enterprises that contribute to the welfare of the economy and society
OQAL is a conjunction of two Arabic words; Minds (Oqool) and Capital (Amwal)
Oqool + Amwal = OQAL
Establishment
An endowment established by young businessmen and angel investors to be the platform connecting innovative and pioneering startup founders with seasoned angel investors to establish leading enterprises that contribute to the welfare of the economy and society
Mission
Providing opportunities for seasoned angel investors to catalyze angel investing into scalable and innovative startups and cultivate the community and knowledge sharing among investors to empower and grow Saudi Arabia’s economy
Objectives
Enabling founders to access smart capital and seasoned angel investors to streamline the fundraising process and advance promising scalable, innovative startups across various sectors
Why OQAL Started?
OQAL is the outcome of a proactive perspective, with a more profound acknowledgment of the angel investors’ role in providing smart capital. Which by itself underpins the entrepreneurial companies’ growth, mitigates risks and obstacles, accelerates their success while bridging the gap in the venture capital and entrepreneurship ecosystem that manifested by the scarcity of angel investors at the early days of OQAL.
OQAL is the 1st unprecedented angel investors network in Saudi Arabia. Focusing on early-stage funding in promising scalable tech startups contributes to growing and developing the ecosystem, market, and economy
With sharp minds and perseverance, OQAL was founded to make impact constantly
Our Leadership
Faris Al-Rashed
Founder & Chairman of Board of Trustees
OQAL was founded by Faris Al-Rashed at his house in 2011, after a meeting with a group of his friends and acquaintances who share the same passion and experience in developing and scaling promising entrepreneurial companies. He proposed the concept of founding a network that focuses on entrepreneurial opportunities and angel investing. Hence, OQAL was established as the first angel investors network in Saudi Arabia, which consisted of a group of angel investors who met periodically to review startups and attractive investment opportunities and engage with experts and keynote speakers about venture and angel investing.
Be a Part of OQAL’s Team
A career with OQAL offers an opportunity to work with one of the region’s most dynamic and innovative endowments within the venture capital and entrepreneurship ecosystem. We are committed to investing in local talents and facilitating the growth and continuous learning of our team.