The Rise of Abdallah Abu-Sheikh: From Astra Tech and Botim to Islamic AI Finance

This episode traces the rise of Jordanian-Emirati entrepreneur Abdallah Abu-Sheikh — from hustling at 17 under family pressure to building billion-dollar platforms before 30.We unpack his journey from renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa to launching Rizek in the UAE, scaling electric mobility with Barq, and architecting Astra Tech’s ultra-platform strategy through PayBy and Botim. Instead of building apps, Abu-Sheikh built systems — communication, finance, mobility — all designed to reduce friction across daily life in MENA.Now, he’s entering his most ambitious chapter yet: Mal, an AI-driven Islamic fintech platform headquartered in Abu Dhabi, backed by a $230 million seed round — one of the largest in MENA history.