Qimam

What Qimam does

Qimam, operated by the Qimam Foundation (a UK-registered non-profit limited company, number 16150310), runs the Qimam Fellowship — an in-person, 12-day annual leadership development program targeting high-potential undergraduate and master's students in the MENAP region. Founded in 2018 in Saudi Arabia alongside McKinsey & Company, the fellowship expanded to Pakistan and Jordan in 2025, with plans for further regional growth. The core product is highly selective (roughly 0.3% acceptance in Saudi Arabia: 50 fellows from 18,000+ applicants; 38 Fellows from 11,000+ applicants in the inaugural Pakistan cohort), delivering one-on-one mentorship from 800+ senior executives, leadership training, company visits, an alumni network, and direct profile sharing with HR executives at partner firms. Cumulative program output is 450+ alumni across MENAP and the program leverages 60+ corporate partners including McKinsey, Unilever, Careem, SAP, Cisco, and K-Electric.

The technology underpinning the program is intentionally minimal: a web-based application portal (qimam.com/sa, qimam.com/jo, qimam.com/pk) and an alumni network; there is no proprietary software platform, AI layer, or mobile app. Selection is conducted via a two-interview process run by senior public- and private-sector leaders, and recognition is conferred via the Qimam Award for High-Potential Leaders at a high-profile graduation ceremony.

The business model is a sponsor-funded, non-revenue model. The fellowship is provided completely free of charge to all participants, with all travel and accommodation covered. Operating capital comes from corporate sponsorships (McKinsey as founding/primary funder), corporate partner contributions, and individual executive sponsors, channeled through the Qimam Foundation as a UK non-profit. The program does not disclose revenues, has no venture or private-equity backing, and operates with 1-10 employees, with operations organized by country support teams ([email protected], [email protected], [email protected]). The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees including Fadi Ghandour (Wamda/Aramex), Mona Ataya (Mumzworld/Bayt.com), Mudashir Sheikha (Careem), Tom Isherwood (McKinsey), and Co-Founder Dr. Annas Abedin.

Name

Qimam

Legal name

Qimam Foundation

Website

https://qimam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Qimam, operated by the UK-registered Qimam Foundation, runs an annual in-person 12-day fellowship for high-potential university students in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Jordan, co-founded with McKinsey & Company and supported by 60+ corporate partners, with all program costs covered for fellows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development Fellowship

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Leadership, Service Learning & Volunteer-to-Career Pathways (EDAMAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research, Innovation & Fellowship Prep (Labs, Competitions, Publications) (EDAMAKAI), Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Leadership fellowship
• Youth development
• Mentorship programs
• Talent development
• Nonprofit education

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships and Donations: The fellowship is operated by the Qimam Foundation (a UK-registered non-profit, company number 16150310) and is funded by corporate sponsors and executive sponsors who believe in its mission. Sponsors cover full participation costs including travel and accommodation for all fellows. Qimam explicitly states it is a non-political, non-religious organization.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Qimam Fellowship is a free, in-person 12-day intensive summer leadership development program for high-potential bachelor's and master's university students in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Pakistan. Selected fellows (approximately 50 per cohort in Saudi Arabia, 38 in Pakistan's 2025 cohort) receive one-on-one mentorship from senior public and private sector leaders, leadership training, company visits to leading national and international firms, the Qimam Award for High-Potential Leaders, alumni network membership, and HR profile sharing for career facilitation. All travel, accommodation, and program costs are funded by corporate sponsors and executive donors through the Qimam Foundation.

Product overview

Qimam is an international fellowship program operated by the Qimam Foundation, a non-profit organization registered in the United Kingdom. The core offering is the Qimam Fellowship, which provides university students with one-on-one mentorship from senior public and private sector leaders, in-person leadership training by professionals from renowned companies, field visits to leading national and international companies, recognition with the Qimam Award for High-Potential Leaders, membership in the global Qimam Alumni Network, and career opportunity facilitation through profile sharing with HR executives. The fellowship operates across three countries (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Pakistan) and is provided completely free of charge to participants, with all travel and accommodation costs covered. The program runs as a 12-day in-person intensive summer fellowship in each country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qimam Fellowship Saudi Arabia 12-day intensive in-person summer leadership fellowship for high-potential bachelor's and master's university students in Saudi Arabia (or nationals studying abroad), providing one-on-one mentorship from senior public and private sector leaders, leadership training, company visits, alumni network membership, Qimam Award for High-Potential Leaders, and HR profile sharing for career facilitation. Approximately 50 fellows are selected per annual cohort from an 18,000+ applicant pool. All program, travel, and accommodation costs are covered.
• Qimam Fellowship Pakistan 12-day intensive in-person summer leadership fellowship for high-potential bachelor's and master's university students in Pakistan (or nationals studying abroad), providing one-on-one mentorship from senior public and private sector leaders, leadership training, company visits to Pakistani offices of leading national and international companies, alumni network membership, the Qimam Award for High-Potential Leaders, and HR profile sharing. The inaugural 2025 cohort graduated 38 fellows from an 11,000+ applicant pool. All program and travel costs are covered.
• Qimam Fellowship Jordan 12-day intensive in-person summer leadership fellowship for high-potential bachelor's and master's university students in Jordan (or nationals studying abroad), providing one-on-one mentorship from senior public and private sector leaders, leadership training, company visits, alumni network membership, the Qimam Award for High-Potential Leaders, and HR profile sharing for career facilitation. All program and travel costs are covered.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,000+ average applicants per cohort in Saudi Arabia with only 50 fellows selected (0.3% acceptance rate)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• McKinsey & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding partner and co-founder of Qimam Fellowship. McKinsey & Company provides founding leadership, operational support, and funding. Managing Partner Gassan Al-Kibsi and Senior Partner Tom Isherwood serve as trustees on the Qimam Foundation board. Multiple McKinsey partners volunteer as executive mentors and interview panelists across all country programs.
• 60+ Corporate Partners (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner60+ leading national and international companies across Saudi Arabia (40+), Jordan (15), and Pakistan (20) have partnered with Qimam Fellowship to support its mission of identifying, developing, and empowering high-potential university students. Partners include Unilever, K-Electric, StateLife Insurance, TPL Corp, ibex Group, Bazaar Technologies, Careem, SAP, Cisco, and others.
• 800+ Executive PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner800+ senior leaders from public and private sector have volunteered their time to provide one-on-one mentorship and career guidance to fellows, or to conduct in-person interviews with shortlisted applicants. Includes CEOs, ministers, founders, and senior executives from leading organizations across MENAP.
• Qimam Foundation Board of TrusteescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard provides strategic guidance, cultivates corporate and executive networks, upholds standards of excellence, and enables foundation operations and expansion. Members include Fadi Ghandour (Wamda/Aramex), Mona Ataya (Mumzworld/Bayt.com), Mudashir Sheikha (Careem), Tom Isherwood (McKinsey), and Dr. Annas Abedin (Qimam Co-Founder).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Acumen Academy: Global leadership and social-impact training platform offering selective fellowships for emerging leaders — comparable mission of developing ethical, high-potential leaders and an overlapping employer-partnership model.
• Hult Prize: Global student competition and fellowship for social entrepreneurs, anchored by a major brand (Hult) and corporate partnerships — targets the same high-potential university demographic with leadership and entrepreneurship programming.
• Millennium Fellowship: Selective academic fellowship for university students focused on leadership and social impact, convened by UNA and MCON — overlaps with Qimam's audience and selective student-leadership positioning across global regions.

Regional players

• MiSK Foundation: Saudi royal foundation running youth leadership, training, and fellowship programs aligned with Vision 2030 — directly comparable Saudi-based competitor for the same high-potential Saudi university students Qimam serves.
• Mawhiba (King Abdulaziz Foundation for Giftedness): Saudi government-backed foundation identifying and developing gifted and high-potential Saudi students through enrichment and fellowship programs — directly comparable Saudi competitor for the same elite student talent pool.

Broad incumbents

• AIESEC: Global youth leadership platform operating university-based chapters across MENAP that runs selective programs for high-potential students — comparable audience and leadership-development mission, but much larger and more distributed than Qimam's curated cohort model.
• Fulbright Program: Flagship international exchange and fellowship program with rigorous multi-stage selection, government backing, and alumni network — operates in the same MENAP countries as Qimam and competes for the same high-potential student profile.

Direct peers

• Schwarzman Scholars: Elite fully-funded leadership fellowship for high-potential students, anchored by a global brand (Schwarman/Tsinghua) and a curated executive mentor network — the closest direct analog to Qimam's positioning as a selective, fully-sponsored leadership fellowship for top students.
• Rhodes Scholarship: One of the world's most prestigious fully-funded fellowships for high-potential university students, selected through a highly competitive multi-stage interview process with senior leaders — directly comparable to Qimam's selectivity, prestige signaling, and sponsorship-funded model.
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars: Stanford's fully-funded graduate fellowship combining leadership development, mentorship, and a global multi-disciplinary cohort — a clear structural analog to Qimam's leadership fellowship architecture and brand-led selection model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QimamFellowship
• Facebookfacebook.com/QimamFellowship
• Instagraminstagram.com/QimamFellowship
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qimamfellowship

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Qimam