Z1 Ops is a Gulf-focused advisory founded by Zeid Hreish — the operator behind Uber Saudi Arabia, CloudKitchens MENA, and Nash AI EMEA. We work with a small number of companies entering the UAE and Saudi Arabia, bringing 15 years of on-the-ground execution to every engagement.
Regional GM who built Uber Saudi Arabia from launch to $2B GMV across 20+ cities. Founding hire at CloudKitchens MENA — launched dark-kitchen infrastructure across 5 countries. Most recently Regional GM EMEA at Nash AI, building last-mile delivery infrastructure across Europe. Earlier career in strategy consulting at Deloitte and AT Kearney, working on sovereign fund partnerships and government transformations across the Gulf.
Every market launched, every team built, and every deal closed informs how we work today.
We take on a limited number of companies at a time. Every engagement is hands-on, principal-led, and built around your specific market entry challenge.
Market assessment, go-to-market strategy, regulatory mapping, and introductions. For companies exploring the Gulf and need a trusted operator to pressure-test their plan.
We step in as your regional operator — team hiring, vendor setup, entity formation, launch execution. For companies ready to move but without boots on the ground.
Full P&L ownership as interim or fractional regional GM. For companies that need senior operational leadership in the Gulf without a full-time executive hire.
Tell us what you're working on. If there's a fit, we'll schedule a call within 48 hours.