Ronaldo Mouchawar

Meet Ronaldo Mshahwar, the Syrian business mogul and the driving force behind Souq.com, an e-commerce giant in the Arab world. With a Master’s in Digital Communications and a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering, he’s a tech-savvy leader who started his career journey at Boston Engineering.

Born in 1966 in Aleppo, Syria, Ronaldo comes from a family with a strong business background. His dad was a big-shot trader. Ronaldo himself was a tech enthusiast from a young age. He crossed the Atlantic for his education, earning degrees from Northeastern University in Boston.

When it comes to his personal life, Ronaldo plays it close to the vest. He’s not one to spill the beans online.

Here’s the quick rundown: Ronaldo was a basketball player back in Aleppo, he made it to the UAE’s ‘Top 50 Influencers’ list in 2018, and despite a near-catastrophic loss of 80% profits in one night, he turned Souq.com into a success story.

Post-graduation, Ronaldo dabbled in tech consulting before launching Souq.com in the UAE in 2005. The site became a sales sensation, breaking records in the Arab e-commerce market. He even introduced “White Friday,” the Middle Eastern answer to America’s “Black Friday,” raking in over $275 million. In 2017, he sold Souq.com to Amazon for $650 million. And yes, he’s got some awards on his mantle, including the Gulf Business Award and the Entrepreneur Award.