About Us: A Closer Look

Funding Souq is an alternative financing platform that connects established SMEs looking to borrow with retail and institutional debt investors worldwide.

Led by a powerful purpose to enable regional SMEs to grow and prosper, our goal is to become the #1 SME enabler in the region. Funding Souq was established in late 2020 and expanded to Saudi Arabia in 2021.

Our Mission

Our mission is to finance SMEs, create jobs, and drive the economy forward.

Our Vision

Our vision is to provide SMEs with reliable funding solutions by leveraging the power of technology and financial markets.

Our Board & Advisors

Suresh Lalwani

Suresh is the MD & Head of Coverage of Commercial Banking in First Abu Dhabi Bank. Previously, he was the Head of SME in RAK BANK, UAE's largest SME lender. Suresh holds an MBA from the SP Jain School of Management.

Martin Jaouni

Martin is the Founder and CEO of Funding Souq, a fintech platform specializing in SME financing and Sharia-compliant investments, which he launched in 2020. Previously, he worked as a Senior Associate at PwC and in Real Estate Private Equity at Maya Capital in London. He holds an MSc in Finance from Cass Business School and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from Middlesex University. Martin also holds an Islamic Finance Qualification (CISI) and has passed CFA Level I.

Musaab Hakami

Musaab is a General Partner in VentureSouq. Previously, he was the CFO of Sary where he raised $120m of venture capital. Musaab is also a renowned angel investor and a Computer Engineering graduate from King Saud University.

Noor Mufeez

Noor is a strategy and advisory professional with over 10 years of experience across the GCC, specializing in energy, infrastructure, and major project delivery. She has worked on large-scale projects, including a multi-billion-dollar refinery expansion. Previously, she worked at Roland Berger, advising government entities and leading energy organizations on strategic planning and project implementation.

Our Shariah Supervisory Board

Usama Ehsan

Usama is a member of the Sharia Board of Bank Alfalah in Pakistan and a Partner in Safwa Advisory, a boutique Sharia-compliant consultancy. Usama holds a MA in Islamic Studies from the University of Punjab.

Muhammad Abdul Hadi

Muhammed is an Associate in Safwa Shariah Advisory. He previously worked at Faysal Bank as a Sharia Auditor. Muhammed holds MA in Islamic Studies and Arabic, and a higher education degree in the field of Accounting and Finance.

Ubaid Zubairi

Ubaid works at Alhamd Shariah Advisory Services as a Director of Operations. He has over 10 years of experience and holds a Master’s degree in Islamic and Arabic Studies from Karachi University.

Our Leaders

Martin Jaouni

Founder & CEO

Martin launched Funding Souq in 2020 after having spent some time in PwC as a Senior Associate on the Deals teams. Prior to that, he used to work in Real Estate Private Equity in London. Martin holds an MSc in Finance from CASS Business School in London.

Nick Kvizhinadze

Tech Lead

Nick is leading our software development unit. Previously, he worked at TBC Bank and prior to that in VTB where he was responsible for the VideoBank project. Nick is an IT Graduate from the Georgian University.

Heba Al-Subhi

Compliance Lead

Heba joined Funding Souq as a Compliance Manager, bringing over five years of experience in governance and compliance. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems and has earned several specialized professional certifications, including CCO, IFSAH, CME1, CME2, CME5, GRCP, and the Compliance Certification for the Financing Companies Sector.

Diaa Salah

Credit Risk Manager

Diaa is a Credit Risk Manager at Funding Souq with over 7 years of experience in banking and credit risk management, specializing in SME financing, credit assessment, and portfolio risk management. Previously, he held several positions at Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, most recently as Senior SMEs Credit Risk Manager, and worked as a Credit Analyst at Qatar National Bank (QNB). He holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Sciences (Accounting) from October University for Modern Sciences and Arts, in collaboration with the University of Greenwich in the UK.

Shariah Compliance

Funding Souq offers Shariah-compliant investment and financing solutions. We are dedicated to following Islamic principles, and our Shariah Supervisory Board verifies compliance through a quarterly audit of a randomly selected sample of opportunities.

Certified by Dar Al Shariah

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