Rabat – Morocco has secured nine nominations for the 2026 Women in Tech MENA Awards, recognizing Moroccan women and professionals contributing to technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
The fourth edition of the regional awards will take place in Cairo, Egypt, on November 14, bringing together technology professionals and innovators from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The Moroccan nominees represent several fields, including startup development, scientific research, business leadership, and support for women entrepreneurs.
The Lifetime Achievement Award category includes Saloua Karkri Belkeziz, a prominent figure in Morocco’s business and technology sectors and a mentor for women entrepreneurs. She was the first woman in Morocco to achieve a tech and IT exit by selling her company to Inetum. She founded the Association of Women Business Leaders of Morocco (AFEM) and has also led APEBI, Morocco’s federation of information technology, telecommunications, and offshoring companies.
She currently serves as vice president of ASMEX and as a member of the ACAPS board. She is also the author of Le Chemin des Possibles and has received the French Legion of Honour.
The category also includes Lamiae Benmakhlouf, recognized for her leadership at Technopark, which supports innovative businesses and entrepreneurs. With 25 years of experience at Technopark, she has contributed to the development of Morocco’s startup ecosystem and the support of entrepreneurs and innovative businesses.
In the Best Ally Award category, Selma Bennis, a senior program specialist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), received a nomination for her work supporting entrepreneurship across the bank’s regions of operation. She manages initiatives supporting startups and young entrepreneurs, with a focus on strengthening Morocco’s and Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The Start-Up Award category features Sophia Alj, co-founder and chief operating officer of Chari, a Moroccan business-to-business e-commerce and fintech platform that helps traditional retailers order goods online and access financial services. After joining Y Combinator’s Summer 2021 batch, Chari expanded into digital financial services, including payment solutions for small businesses.
The category also includes Sara Sebti, CEO and co-founder of ShareID, a digital identity company developing technology to verify users’ identities online while protecting their personal data. Its work addresses challenges in secure digital authentication, online fraud prevention, and access to digital services.
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In the Most Disruptive Award category, Sarah Jaidi, CEO and co-founder of Kiwi Collecte, and Asmaa Chakir Alaoui, CEO and co-founder of VelyVelo, represent Morocco’s startup ecosystem.
Jaidi co-founded one of Morocco’s first licensed crowdfunding platforms, helping entrepreneurs, associations, and individuals raise donations for projects in areas ranging from education and health to culture and the environment. Chakir Alaoui co-founded VelyVelo, which provides electric bicycles and fleet-management solutions for delivery professionals and other businesses, promoting more efficient and sustainable urban transport.
Hajar Mousannif, a computer science professor at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, is Morocco’s nominee in the Global Leadership Award category. Her work focuses on scientific research, data, and artificial intelligence, with a focus on the intersection of AI research, innovation, leadership, and technology governance.
Meanwhile, Sajida Zouarhi, a Moroccan blockchain expert from the diaspora, is nominated in the Women in Web3 Award category. She has worked in the cryptocurrency industry for around a decade, contributing to blockchain infrastructure, Ethereum development, and decentralized technologies. She co-founded Le BlockFest, one of France’s early blockchain hackathons, in 2016 and has held technical and product leadership roles at ConsenSys and Blocknative.
The nominations highlight Morocco’s presence in the regional technology sector and the range of contributions made by its entrepreneurs, researchers, and business leaders.
Women in Tech, an international nonprofit organization, works to reduce gender inequality in technology through education, entrepreneurship, social inclusion, and advocacy. The organization operates across six continents and aims to empower five million women and girls through technology by 2030.
The MENA Awards form part of a wider international program that includes seven regional awards ceremonies and a global event. Regional winners will advance to the Women in Tech Global Awards, scheduled to take place in Paris on December 3, 2026.
The awards seek to recognize contributions to the technology sector while connecting professionals and promoting greater opportunities for women and girls in the industry.
