MIDDLE EAST INVESTMENT INITIATIVE INC
2300 N STREET NW NO 700, WASHINGTON, DC 20037 www.meii.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: MIDDLE EAST INVESTMENT INITIATIVE, INC. (MEII) STIMULATES SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND LONG-LASTING JOB CREATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA) BY DESIGNING AND DEPLOYING FINANCE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO BENEFIT ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES (SME'S). FOUNDED WITH THE CONVICTION THAT THE PATH TO SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SUITABILITY IN THE MENA REGION REQUIRES A SOUND AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC BASE, MEII BREAKS FROM TRADITIONAL AID MODELS AND DESIGNS INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT FINANCE INITIATIVES THAT FOSTER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND DIGNITY INSTEAD OF DEPENDENCY.

MEII WORKS TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CREATE JOBS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA.

MEII HAS BEEN PROVING FOR OVER A DECADE THAT FORMAL AND INFORMAL SMES ARE BOTH CREDIT WORTHY AND NET CONTRIBUTORS TO JOB CREATION IN THE MENA REGION. STARTING IN PALESTINE IN 2008 AND EXPANDING TO TUNISIA IN 2015, MEII HAS FINANCED OVER $345 MILLION IN LENDING TO MORE THAN 2,600 BUSINESSES WITH A CUMULATIVE LOSS RATE OF LESS THAN 2%. OVER THIS PERIOD, AN ESTIMATED 23,000 JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED AND SUSTAINED IN THE REGION. MEII STIMULATES LOCAL BANK LENDING BY PROVIDING PARTNER BANKS WITH LOAN GUARANTEES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ASSESS THE VIABILITY OF THEIR SME CLIENTS AND STRUCTURE LOANS TO MEET BORROWER WORKING CAPITAL AND LONGER-TERM CAPITAL NEEDS.

MEII ALSO FACILITATES SME ACCESS TO CAPITAL BY IMPROVING THE ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL LITERACY OF BUSINESSES AND MATCHING THEM TO AVAILABLE CAPITAL THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE ONLINE PLATFORM. STARTING IN PALESTINE IN 2014 AND EXPANDING TO JORDAN IN 2017, MORE THAN 1,530 SMES RECEIVED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM MEII BUSINESS ADVISORS. THE TAMWEELI PLATFORM, WHICH WAS PILOTED IN THE WEST BANK AND IS BEING ROLLED OUT IN JORDAN AND TUNISIA, HARNESSES THE SECURITY, SPEED AND SIMPLICITY OF THE INTERNET TO STREAMLINE THE FINANCING PROCESS FOR BOTH FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES & SMES, CONNECTING BUSINESSES WITH FUNDING FOR GROWTH AND HELPING FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES ASSESS OPPORTUNITIES. MORE THAN 1,130 SMES REGISTERED ON THE PLATFORM; $59 MILLION IN FUNDING REQUESTS WERE POSTED; AND $11 MILLION WERE FINANCED BY LOCAL BANKS.

WHILE MEII HAS SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDED SME LENDING IN THE COUNTRIES WHERE IT OPERATES, WE HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT IMPROVED BANK LENDING IS ONLY PART OF THE ANSWER TO ADDRESSING THE SUBSTANTIAL FINANCING GAP OF "MISSING MIDDLE" SMES - BUSINESSES THAT ARE TOO LARGE FOR MICROFINANCE OR FAMILY INVESTMENT, BUT TOO SMALL TO ATTRACT TRADITIONAL RISK CAPITAL. MANY BUSINESSES WITH GROWTH POTENTIAL CANNOT SECURE A LOAN, AND EQUITY FINANCING IS ONLY AVAILABLE AND APPROPRIATE TO A TINY FRACTION OF THE REGION'S SMES. THUS, MEII IS DEVELOPING AN AMBITIOUS RISK CAPITAL INVESTMENT VEHICLE THAT WILL FILL A CRITICAL GAP IN THE MENA MARKET BY PROVIDING FLEXIBLE FINANCING TO GROWTH-ORIENTED SMES THROUGH A HYBRID OF BANK LENDING AND VENTURE CAPITAL.

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