# Hosam Arab

> Hosam Arab is the co-founder and CEO of Tabby and previously co-founded and led online fashion retailer Namshi. An electrical-engineering graduate of Queen’s University with a Harvard MBA, he moved from engineering and private equity into Gulf e-commerce, then into payments and consumer finance. Tabby announced a $233 million equity round at a $6.5 billion valuation in September 2026 as it expanded into broader credit and money management.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at Tabby
- **Organizations:** Tabby, Namshi, Waha Capital, Schlumberger, GE, Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy
- **Nationality:** Palestinian Canadian
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Queen’s University, MBA, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded and led Namshi before its full acquisition by Emaar Malls in 2019., Co-founded Tabby in 2019; the company reported 25 million registered users and 70,000 business partners in September 2026., Led Tabby as it announced a $233 million equity round at a $6.5 billion valuation on September 14, 2026, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2011** — Worked in engineering at Schlumberger and GE, followed by advisory work and private equity at Waha Capital in Abu Dhabi.
- **2011** — Co-founded online fashion retailer Namshi.
- **2019** — Namshi was fully acquired by Emaar Malls; Arab left its leadership and co-founded Tabby with Daniil Barkalov.
- **2020** — Tabby’s platform went live in February.
- **2021** — Joined the advisory board of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.
- **2023** — Tabby relocated its headquarters to Riyadh and reached a valuation exceeding $1 billion.
- **2024** — Tabby announced an agreement to acquire Saudi digital-wallet business Tweeq.
- **2026** — Tabby added UAE wallet and Saudi consumer and SME finance licences, launched Tabby Cash and announced a $233 million round.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and led Namshi before its full acquisition by Emaar Malls in 2019.
- Co-founded Tabby in 2019; the company reported 25 million registered users and 70,000 business partners in September 2026.
- Led Tabby as it announced a $233 million equity round at a $6.5 billion valuation on September 14, 2026, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
- Tabby reports profitability since 2023.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Tabby announced $233 million in equity financing at a $6.5 billion valuation on September 14; the transaction remained subject to regulatory approvals.
- **2026-07** — Tabby launched Tabby Cash in the UAE with fee-free accounts and cards; more than 150,000 people were already using it at announcement.
- **2026-06** — Tabby announced Saudi consumer and SME finance licences, allowing longer financing plans and business working capital.
- **2026-04** — Tabby announced a Stored Value Facilities licence from the Central Bank of the UAE.

## Links

- Website: https://tabby.ai
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hosam
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/hosamarab
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harab

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/hosam-arab
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-07