Mr. Tabaza is Partner at Riyada Enterprise Development, a member of the Abraaj Group. Throughout his career, Mr. Tabaza has been involved in 60+ SME and Venture Capital engagements, including co-founding, managing, and advising SME firms and investment funds in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and United States. Sectors of expertise include technology, media, telecommunication, Internet, and healthcare, amongst others.
A self-made entrepreneur, Mr. Tabaza in 1994 established Arabian Communications and Publishing. In 1997, he started Arabia Online, the first regional portal focused on the Arab world, which then took over ACP, attracting investments from the likes of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, Intel Capital, and HP.
After leaving Arabia Online in 2000, Mr. Tabaza got invited by EFG-Hermes/Ministry of ICT in Egypt to start and lead a technology incubator and early stage fund.
During the period from 2003-2005 Mr. Tabaza worked for a Saudi Arabia based group, National Technology Group, to build an Internet business for them. In 2005, Mr. Tabaza startedf Riyada Ventures: an SME and venture capital advisory services firm. Riyada Ventures was acquired by Abraaj Capital in November 2009, and he joined the Abraaj Capital Group as the CEO of Riyada Enterprise Development. In addition to Riyada Ventures’ experience, firms that Mr. Tabaza has invested in personally include Arab Advisors Group, MediaScope, KindiSoft, and The Games Experts. In 2006, he was selected as a Young Global Leader by the Young Global Leaders Forum of the World Economic Forum. Mr. Tabaza holds a Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery degree from the University of Jordan. He has also completed the Young Global Leaders Leadership and Policy education component at Harvard University’s Kennedy School.