Financial & operational resilience and recovery: Perspectives ahead of SuperReturn CFO/COO Middle East

The first-ever SuperReturn CFO/COO Middle East is shaping up to be an exciting and much-needed gathering for operational leaders across the region. Dalia El Mohamady, CFO of Sawari Ventures, is among the distinguished voices joining the event, bringing her unique perspective from Egypt - one of the region’s most dynamic markets. With the Middle East becoming a key player in private equity and venture capital, this event is the perfect chance for CFOs, COOs, and fund operators to share ideas, tackle challenges, and explore strategies for bouncing back stronger. Egypt, as a leader in innovation and recovery, makes this the ideal time to come together and discuss what’s next for financial and operational leadership.

I’m excited to be joining the first-ever SuperReturn CFO/COO Middle East, a timely and much-needed forum for operational leaders to exchange insights on navigating the evolving capital landscape across the region.

As someone deeply engaged in the venture capital and investment ecosystem in Egypt, I’m particularly looking forward to bringing perspectives from one of the Arab world's most dynamic economies — and one of Africa’s Big Four markets. Egypt continues to play a pivotal role as a regional hub, with a fast-growing innovation ecosystem and increasingly sophisticated capital markets.

This year’s event comes at a critical moment. After a significant market correction between 2022 and 2024 — when African startup funding dropped nearly 40%, and equity financing fell ~57% — early signs of recovery are emerging. In H1 2025, startups across the continent raised US $1.05 to $1.2 billion, a ~40% year-over-year rebound. Egypt alone attracted ~US $330 million, accounting for 30% of total funding and reinforcing its regional leadership.

The crunch period didn’t just reduce capital availability — it also triggered a widespread revaluation of startups, with many facing down-rounds as investors reassessed business models, growth assumptions, and risk profiles. This shift put additional pressure on founders and CFOs to manage stakeholder expectations, preserve cap tables, and reset company strategies to align with more realistic valuations.

These conditions highlight the evolving and critical role CFOs and COOs play in both crunch periods and recovery phases. Each phase requires a different approach:

• During downturns, operational leaders are responsible for enforcing financial discipline, reducing burn, controlling costs, and extending runway. They must also navigate the tough realities of down-rounds or flat-rounds, balancing short-term survival with long-term positioning.
• In recovery, the emphasis turns to readiness and growth — ensuring companies are due diligence-ready for fundraising or M&A, supporting scalable systems, and reestablishing valuation credibility through stronger fundamentals and improved metrics.

What makes SuperReturn CFO/COO Middle East particularly valuable is its technical and operational depth — a rare platform where CFOs, COOs, and fund operators can engage in high-level, practical discussions around fund structuring, regulatory change, digital transformation, and value creation.

Looking forward to the conversations, connections, and shared learning. If you’ll be attending, let’s connect!