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Unemployment in the Arab region is a pressing challenge with rates for youth and women particularly high. According to the ILO, youth (15-24 years old) unemployment is estimated at 24.4% in 2025. Amidst economic and environmental uncertainties, however, promising initiatives aim to tackle unemployment while paving the way for sustainable solutions. One such initiative funded by Danish-Arab Partnership Programme (DAPP) is the Green Growth and Jobs Accelerator, a project that is part of UNDP’s Youth, Empowerment, Engagement and Knowledge Portfolio. This initiative supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan, fostering green practices and decent job creation. From the first round of the Accelerator, we spotlight four inspiring business leaders, Sokayna from Morocco, Achraf from Tunisia, Essam from Egypt, and Nuwar from Jordan, who are all contributing to a more sustainable and inclusive economy in the Arab region.
Sokayna Bellam, Jodoor, Morocco – Revolutionizing agriculture with soil-less farming
For Sokayna Bellam, Co-founder and Chief Agronomy Officer of Jodoor, agriculture is a catalyst for resilience, sustainability, and economic empowerment. Determined to address water scarcity, supply chain disruptions, and climate change, she has focused on hydroponic and controlled-environment agriculture to create turnkey farming solutions that enable small and medium-sized farmers to increase yields while dramatically reducing water consumption by up to 80%. Jodoor’s solutions also promote gender equity, with a strong commitment to empowering women in agriculture, aiming to create 100 decent jobs by 2028, of which 80% are for women.
With support from the Accelerator, Jodoor has secured new strategic partnerships with agricultural stakeholders OCP Group and Les Domaines Agricoles. These partnerships have fueled the expansion of Jodoor’s pilot farm to 1,500 m², with production expected to grow from 80,000 units annually in 2024 and over 100,000 units in 2025. The company has also transitioned from a producer model to a franchise model, ensuring scalability while mitigating risks.
While Jodoor had already made significant strides in the agritech space, UNDP and the Accelerator provided additional support to refine its business model and investment strategy. Through the initiative, Sokayna strengthened Jodoor’s approach to due diligence, investor negotiations, and capital attraction, positioning the company to raise capital to support its next phase of growth. Jodoor also received support to become more visible in global markets and to facilitate more access to crowdfunding platforms as alternative financing mechanisms.
With support from UNDP and the Accelerator, Jodoor successfully transitioned towards a "Farm-as-a-Service" and "Farm-as-a-Financial-Product" model, making sustainable farming more accessible, scalable, and profitable. The company is now on track to reach profitability by early 2026, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 116% between 2025 and 2029.
With a solid growth trajectory, strategic partnerships, and a vision for revolutionizing agriculture, Sokayna and Jodoor are helping to shape the future of sustainable farming in Morocco and beyond.
Achraf Aouadi, WildyNess, Tunisia - Sustainable tourism for local communities
For Achraf Aouadi, Co-founder and CEO of WildyNess, travel is a way to empower communities, preserve cultural heritage, and create economic opportunities. After visiting over 70 countries and documenting his experiences through a widely followed travel blog, Achraf, alongside his co-founder Rym, recognized a gap in authentic, locally led tourism experiences. In Tunisia and other emerging destinations, only 5% of tourism micro-businesses have an online presence, making it difficult for travelers to discover and support local experiences.
WildyNess was founded to bridge this gap by creating an online platform that connects travelers with immersive, community-driven tourism experiences. The platform not only enhances the visibility of local businesses but also helps them increase their revenues and diversify income streams. Over the past 10 months, 25% of micro-businesses working with WildyNess saw their revenues grow by more than 40%. The platform currently offers over 125 travel experiences and its impact continues to grow. In 2023 alone, WildyNess facilitated over 1,000 bookings, generating $120,000 in revenue in its first year of sales.
The company’s impact extends beyond financial growth. By collaborating with guesthouses, family-run restaurants, local artisans, and guides, WildyNess is actively contributing to rebranding culture and traditions, supporting human capacity development and integrating sustainability best practices into tourism businesses. The number of tourism micro-businesses empowered by WildyNess has expanded significantly, growing from 104 to 160 in the past year, including guesthouses, workshop owners, and tour operators.
As WildyNess scaled, UNDP and the Accelerator provided support in enhancing its business strategy, refining its market approach, and facilitating investor connections. WildyNess received support in strengthening its platform’s user experience, exploring alternative financing models, and increasing its visibility in global travel markets. Through the Accelerator, Achraf and his team further developed their strategy for international expansion, laying the groundwork for entering markets in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria.
Looking ahead, WildyNess is focusing on leveraging AI-driven itinerary design, launching a new web application, and expanding collaborations with international travel platforms. The company is also planning to raise $250,000 to accelerate its growth and recruit a country manager to lead expansion efforts.
Essam Shabaan, El Fares, Egypt – Advancing agritech with innovative solutions
For Essam Shabaan, sustainability is about securing the future of agriculture through innovation and resilience. Essam is the founder of El Fares for Agricultural Development, a pioneer in modernizing Egypt’s agriculture through tissue culture and bioengineering. His journey began in 2000 with research on natural alternatives to mineral elements for plant cloning, a passion that led to the establishment of a cutting-edge lab.
El Fares joined the Accelerator to enhance its expertise in carbon credits and environmental footprint management, using the programme’s training and networking to refine its business model and expand into new markets. UNDP and project partners provided facilitation, technical support, and networking opportunities to help scale El Fares’ outreach and access to market opportunities including its participation in Shark Tank Egypt, which significantly boosted its market visibility. The exposure from the event led to an estimated 70–80% increase in market reach, opening doors to new clients and partners. Encouraged by this momentum, El Fares is now working on expanding its presence in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where demand for sustainable business solutions is steadily growing.
Further strengthening its growth strategy, El Fares recently partnered with World Green Gate in the UAE, enhancing its ability to penetrate the Gulf market. The insights gained through GGJA have also provided the company with a deeper understanding of carbon credit markets, business moderation, and management strategies, equipping it with the tools needed to scale effectively. As a result, El Fares is already experiencing financial growth, and to support this expansion, the company plans to increase its workforce from six to 30 employees by the end of 2025, ensuring it can meet growing market demand while maintaining its commitment to sustainability.
For Essam, this journey is driven by a deep belief that Egypt, as an agricultural nation, must prioritize sustainable practices to foster economic and social growth. His commitment to plant cloning and bioengineering is rooted in a vision of transforming Egypt’s agricultural landscape through innovative and eco-friendly solutions.
Nuwar Al Husseini, Green Globe El Hussein, Jordan - Empowering industries for a greener future
For Nuwar Al Husseini, who leads Green Globe El Hussein, sustainability is a strategic necessity for industries seeking long-term efficiency and profitability. With industries facing rising costs from raw material losses, inefficient energy use, and resource waste, Nuwar is providing practical, data-driven solutions to help businesses optimize resource efficiency and reduce waste. She works with medium and large industries, particularly in the food, chemical, and metal sectors, to integrate cost-saving and environmentally friendly technologies into their operations.
Nuwar and Green Globe have already proven their impact through significant environmental and financial gains. Their technologies have helped industries reduce carbon emissions by 13,000 tons per year, save 11,000 tons of waste annually, and cut water consumption by 10,000 cubic meters per year. These resource-saving measures have translated into direct cost reductions, with businesses saving up to $100,000 annually by implementing their solutions.
Green Globe’s revenue is on track for a projected revenue of $1.3 million by 2027. The company is actively expanding into the Gulf markets with plans to enter the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
As Green Globe continues to expand, UNDP and the Accelerator have supported in enhancing its market strategy, refining its business model, and increasing access to investors. Through the Accelerator, Nuwar gained mentorship and exposure to international networks, helping Green Globe establish strategic connections that are critical for scaling its impact, including an initial agreement with Jordan Kuwait Bank. Nuwar’s commitment to sustainable industrial transformation sets a powerful example of how private enterprises can lead the transition to a greener economy while addressing critical environmental and social challenges.
Green Globe is now preparing for its next phase of expansion, enhance its software solutions, and reach new industrial clients across Jordan and the MENA region.
The Green Growth and Jobs Accelerator
The Green Growth and Jobs Accelerator is an initiative by UNDP, as part of its Youth Empowerment, Engagement and Knowledge Portfolio, in partnership with DAPP of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
The initiative supports businesses like Jodoor, WildyNess, El Fares, and Green Globe El Hussein in creating green growth. In its first cohort, the initiative supported over 80 SMEs, with a significant focus on youth and youth-led enterprises. GGJA aims to support 800 SMEs across Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Jordan over the next three years, helping them adopt green practices and grow sustainably. By enabling access to finance, networks, and technical expertise, GGJA is part of building a greener, more resilient future.
Explore more stories of impact and job creation: https://impactventurehub.org/green-growth-and-jobs/
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