Five questions to answer before entering a Gulf or Russian market
A practical checklist for founders and international development teams.
What customer problem does the product solve? Start with a specific buyer, a clear need and the alternatives already available.
Why this country? Set out your demand hypothesis, sales channel and team resources. The phrase ‘Arab market’ is too broad to guide an investment decision — Riyadh, Dubai and Doha are different markets.
What constraints need checking? Prepare questions on certification, payments, logistics and contracts for qualified specialists.
What kind of partner do you need? A buyer, distributor, integrator and adviser serve different purposes. Define separate selection criteria for each.
What should the first stage deliver? Agree on the research output and the conditions for continuing or stopping the project.