The MENA Catalysts interview questions

First round with the person managing hiring was your standard HR screening, fairly pleasant with the usual "what are your strengths/why do you think you'd be a good fit" type questions. However, the interview with the CEO put me off the opportunity completely, as he seemed keen to undermine my experience, got my number of years wrong, and then offered me an upper salary limit that is lower than most entry-level positions in consulting in the UAE market, even though the position was for a mid-level hire. Most baffling interview I've ever had, with the CEO literally saying they'll pay me enough to have a roof over my head but not more since they're a start up and there's a "chance" of getting equity after 2 years of employment. Also said that he wasn't interested in hiring people who wanted to make money (read: be fairly compensated) but wanted to build something. Felt like a lot of bad work practices were being masked or excused so I politely turned the verbal offer down as I've learnt to spot red flags (which have been further confirmed now by other reviews on this page). They also don't appear to maintain a database of who they've interviewed in the past as I've been approached by a litany of recruiters for different roles at the company since, most promising an "above market" salary rate (which you'll likely find isn't actually what they're able to offer).