Noha Gad

Saudi Arabia is ramping up investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure, led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as the Kingdom seeks to attract technology capital and build domestic AI capabilities. Driven by Saudi Vision 2030, technology in the Kingdom has evolved from an operational tool into an innovative national industry, establishing a competitive digital ecosystem that attracts significant domestic and international capital.

Marking 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence underscores the Kingdom’s commitment, following achievements by 2025 in which Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in digital governance and cybersecurity indicators, and third in AI models. 

Voice AI is emerging as one of Saudi Arabia’s most visible and practical AI applications, moving from pilots in 2024–2025 to scaled deployments across government, banking, healthcare, and customer experience in 2026.

A report released by Markets and Markets anticipated the Saudi AI voice market to grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.3% to reach $149.05 million in 2030. This growth was mainly driven by growing demand for secure authentication methods across vital sectors.

Key cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam dominate the market thanks to their status as major economic and technological hubs. The concentration of financial institutions, telecom companies, and government agencies in these cities fosters a conducive environment for the growth of AI voice biometrics solutions.

The Saudi voice AI market is segmented into various types, notably speaker verification, speaker identification, voice authentication, voice analysis, and others. Each sub-segment plays a crucial role in addressing specific needs within the voice biometrics landscape.

Speaker Verification

This sub-segment currently dominates the market because of its widespread application in secure access control systems, particularly in banking and financial services. Organizations are increasingly adopting this technology to authenticate users based on their unique voice patterns, which enhances security while providing a seamless user experience. The growing trend of remote banking and digital services has also accelerated the demand for speaker verification solutions, making it a preferred choice among enterprises.

Speaker Identification

This technology is used to determine which known person from an enrolled pool is speaking, without the user first stating their identity. Most enterprises and contact centers in Saudi Arabia use this technology to automatically tag callers or meeting participants with their profiles in CRM or HR systems, thereby streamlining routing and supporting fraud‑detection workflows by matching suspicious voices against databases of known bad actors.

Voice Authentication

This term refers to the practical use of voice biometrics as the authentication mechanism, effectively turning a person’s voice into a “password” for accessing accounts, applications, or services. It serves as a key enabler of digital transformation in Saudi financial services and public‑sector channels, allowing banks, fintechs, and government agencies to replace cumbersome security questions with seamless voice‑based login and transaction approval.

Voice analysis 

This biometric encompasses a broader set of techniques that extract insights from speech without necessarily identifying the speaker. This allows Saudi banks, telecommunication companies, and government to use voice analysis to monitor customer satisfaction, flag potentially fraudulent or high‑risk interactions, optimize agent scripts, and improve overall service quality.

Arabic voice AI across vital sectors

Arabic Voice AI in Saudi Arabia is moving from isolated pilots to core infrastructure across government, financial services, healthcare, and customer‑facing industries, driven by Vision 2030. What ties these efforts together is more than just Arabic support; it is the use of smart, bilingual agents that can understand local dialects, operate on sovereign or in‑Kingdom infrastructure, meet Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and sectoral compliance rules, and integrate with existing CRM, core banking, and e‑government systems.

In government and public services, Arabic voice AI appears in hotlines, ministry contact centers, and digital‑government channels, handling FAQs, appointment booking, status checks, and basic transactions in Saudi dialects.

Also, financial institutions are among the most advanced users of Arabic Voice AI, deploying bilingual voice agents for onboarding, account servicing, payment reminders, collections, and handling complaints in line with consumer‑protection and conduct rules. Typical use cases include instant balance and mini‑statement queries, card blocking/unblocking, instalment and due‑date reminders, cheque‑book or PIN requests, and automated follow‑ups on failed payments, all delivered in natural Saudi dialect rather than translated scripts. 

In the healthcare sector, Arabic voice AI is adopted by several hospitals, clinic groups, labs, and telehealth platforms across the Kingdom for non‑clinical workflows, including appointment scheduling, rescheduling, reminders, insurance verification, and patient communication via phone and WhatsApp. Some providers are piloting clinical documentation tools, such as AI scribes, that listen to doctor–patient conversations and auto‑generate notes in Arabic, reducing administrative burden while keeping diagnosis and treatment decisions with clinicians. 

Beyond regulated sectors, Arabic voice AI is being embedded in retail, e‑commerce, real estate, and hospitality to automate high‑volume inbound and outbound calls in natural Arabic. Use cases include outbound payment reminders for BNPL and credit products, insurance renewal calls, lead qualification for property projects, and post‑visit follow‑ups for malls, resorts, and giga‑projects.

Key Voice AI companies in Saudi Arabia

Several AI-powered companies in Saudi Arabia are developing and scaling AI models to better understand the Arabic language, particularly the Saudi dialect, helping organizations integrate Arabic voice AI agents to streamline their operations and support their business growth. Key examples are:

• Nabrah. A Saudi-built platform that combines autonomous voice agents with a full studio for text‑to‑speech, speech‑to‑text, and voice cloning, all tuned for realistic Saudi Arabic. Its “Nabrah Agents” product automates inbound and outbound calls for lead qualification, support, appointment booking, order confirmation, and surveys, with 24/7 operation, multilingual support, and seamless handoff to human agents when needed. 
• Lahjati. An all‑in‑one Arabic voice AI platform for content creation, with more than 600 professional voices, supporting more than 192 Arabic dialects and performance styles. Its core tools include high‑quality text‑to‑speech for voice‑overs, audiobooks, ads, and e‑learning; speech‑to‑text with up to 99% accuracy for Arabic dialects; and custom voice design to create brand‑specific avatars.
• Mawj. A leading AI voice agent platform in Saudi Arabia that focuses on enterprise reliability and large‑scale call automation. It handles sales, renewals, inquiries, surveys, ticket creation, verifications, order intake, and bookings across calls, WhatsApp, and other digital channels.
• Tzamun. A key provider of AI call‑center and voice‑agent solutions designed for Saudi businesses seeking to automate high‑volume phone interactions, while staying aligned with local regulations and customer expectations.

Challenges:

Even as adoption accelerates, Arabic Voice AI in Saudi Arabia still faces a set of practical, technical, and regulatory hurdles that shape how fast and how deeply it can be embedded in everyday services.

Ibrahim Jabarin, CEO of Hamsa, an AI company specializing in developing advanced models that understand the Arabic language and dialects, stated in an exclusive interview with Sharikat Mubasher that the Arabic voice AI market in the Kingdom faces five main challenges: the limited availability of high-quality voice data; the high cost of graphics processing units (GPUs) and sovereign infrastructure; the scarcity of specialists in deep learning and speech processing technologies; securing significant investment to develop models; and long procurement cycles and preference for global suppliers, along with the absence of unified Arab references to measure model performance.

In addition, regulatory and compliance complexity is a key pitfall facing Arabic voice AI in Saudi Arabia. Requirements around multi‑factor authentication, call recording retention, auditability, data residency, and cross‑border transfers can constrain architecture choices, pushing many companies toward on‑premise or in‑Kingdom cloud deployments and more conservative rollout plans.

User trust and acceptance are another challenge facing this innovative industry as customers and employees remain cautious about fully automated voice interactions, especially for sensitive topics like finance, health, or government services. Building trust requires transparent disclosure that the caller is an AI, clear options to reach a human, and consistent, natural‑sounding Arabic.

 Finally, Saudi Arabia’s ambitious AI agenda is finding one of its most tangible expressions in voice. From government hotlines and bank call centers to hospital appointment lines and retail customer service, Arabic voice AI is moving from pilot projects to everyday infrastructure, powered by local platforms that understand Saudi dialects and operate within the Kingdom’s regulatory boundaries.

The growth in Arabic voice AI in the Kingdom reflects more than a technological shift; it signals a change in how citizens, residents, and customers interact with institutions through natural, bilingual conversations instead of rigid menus and forms. 

The way Saudi Arabia navigates key challenges facing the market, either through investing in local data, talent, and sovereign infrastructure, or through clear, human‑centered design, will determine whether Voice AI becomes a background utility or a defining feature of the Kingdom’s digital identity in the post‑2030 era.

Ghada Ismail

Some investment funds just die quietly. They stop making new deals, their investment period comes to an end, and investors expect their money to be returned. But sometimes, the fund does not quite disappear. It keeps holding companies, waiting for the right moment to sell, while years continue to pass.

This is where the term “zombie fund” comes in.

A zombie fund is generally a private equity, venture capital, or similar investment fund that has reached or passed the end of its intended investment period but continues to exist because it still holds investments that have not been sold or exited. Instead of raising new capital and actively building a portfolio, the fund manager mainly focuses on managing existing assets and eventually returning whatever value can be recovered to investors.

Why Are Zombie Funds Created?

Most private investment funds operate on a defined timeline. A typical fund may spend its first few years identifying and investing in companies before entering a later period focused on managing and exiting those investments.

The problem begins when some portfolio companies cannot be sold within the expected timeframe.

For example, a private equity fund may have invested in a company expecting to sell it after several years. If market conditions deteriorate, valuations fall, or the company struggles to find a buyer, selling the investment may no longer make financial sense. The fund may therefore extend its holding period.

If this happens across several investments, the fund can remain active long after its original investment strategy has effectively ended.

How Does a Zombie Fund Work?

A zombie fund typically does not have the same level of activity as a new or actively investing fund. Its manager is primarily concerned with overseeing existing portfolio companies, making necessary decisions, and looking for opportunities to exit those investments.

The fund may still generate returns for investors, but capital is generally being returned gradually rather than being deployed into a new generation of investments.

For fund managers, this can create a difficult situation. Managing an older portfolio requires time and resources, while the management fees generated by the remaining assets may become less attractive as the fund shrinks.

For investors, meanwhile, capital can remain tied up for longer than originally expected.

Why Do Zombie Funds Matter?

Zombie funds can become particularly important during periods of weak investment activity or challenging exit markets.

When valuations decline or buyers become more cautious, private-market investors may struggle to sell portfolio companies at attractive prices. Rather than accepting a significant loss, a fund manager may decide to wait for market conditions to improve.

This can protect the potential value of an investment, but it can also delay the return of capital to investors.

A large number of aging funds can also affect the broader private equity ecosystem. Capital that remains locked in older investments cannot easily be recycled into new opportunities. This may reduce the ability of investors to commit capital to emerging companies and new fund managers.

Wrapping Things Up…

A zombie fund sits in an unusual space between life and closure. It is still legally and financially active, but its original investment mission has largely run its course.

For investors, understanding zombie funds is important because they highlight one of the less visible realities of private markets: investing does not end when the money is deployed. Exits, valuations, market conditions, and the timing of returns can keep capital tied up for years beyond expectations.

Ultimately, a zombie fund is not defined simply by its age. It is defined by what happens after its active investment life is supposed to have ended. In a market where patience can sometimes unlock value, staying alive may be strategic. But when there is no clear path to an exit or value creation, the same longevity can become a burden.

Kholoud Hussein 

Startup growth is often described as a linear process: build a product, acquire customers, generate revenue, raise capital, hire more people, and expand. But some of the most powerful startups grow differently. Instead of treating growth as a sequence of separate steps, they create a system in which each achievement strengthens the next. This is the idea behind the growth flywheel.

A flywheel is a self-reinforcing cycle. The more momentum it gains, the easier it becomes to keep moving. In a startup, this means using customers, data, product improvements, technology, talent, and capital to create a continuous loop of growth.

The concept differs from a traditional growth funnel. A funnel describes how potential customers move from awareness to purchase and retention. A flywheel focuses on what happens after those interactions: how each customer, transaction or improvement creates an advantage that helps attract the next customer.

How the startup flywheel works

Consider a software startup. It launches a product and attracts its first group of customers. Those customers provide revenue, but they also generate something equally valuable: feedback.

The startup uses that feedback to improve the product, making it more useful and easier to adopt. A better product can increase customer satisfaction, retention and referrals, helping the company attract more customers. More customers generate more revenue and more feedback, allowing the company to continue improving.

The cycle then repeats:

More customers → more feedback and data → better product → stronger customer value → more customers.

The important point is that growth is no longer simply an outcome. Growth becomes an input into future growth.

Why this matters for startups

This model is particularly important for startups because they typically operate with limited resources. They cannot always compete with established companies through larger marketing budgets, bigger sales teams or stronger brand recognition.

A flywheel can provide another source of advantage: compounding momentum.

For example, a marketplace can become more valuable as it attracts more buyers and sellers. More sellers create greater choice, which attracts more buyers; more buyers increase the opportunity for sellers, encouraging more suppliers to join.

Similarly, a fintech startup may use transaction data to improve its products and risk assessment. A SaaS company can use customer behavior to refine its software. A platform can benefit from network effects as each additional user increases its value to others.

Different businesses have different flywheels, but the principle is consistent: the business should become stronger because it is growing.

Beyond customers: Talent and capital

The flywheel can extend beyond the product itself.

As a startup grows, it can attract stronger talent, build relationships with larger customers and gain access to additional capital. Experienced employees may eventually become founders themselves, while successful investors can reinvest returns into new companies.

This creates a broader ecosystem in which one company's growth can contribute to future entrepreneurial activity.

Capital, however, should be viewed as fuel rather than the flywheel itself. Funding can accelerate hiring, product development, and expansion, but it cannot substitute for customer demand or a sustainable business model. If growth depends entirely on continuously raising more money, the flywheel has not necessarily been created.

Building a sustainable flywheel

The strongest startup flywheels are built around genuine value creation.

Companies need to identify what becomes more valuable as they scale. It could be customer data, network effects, brand recognition, distribution, technology, operational efficiency, or accumulated expertise.

The objective is not simply to grow faster. It is to build a business in which growth creates the conditions for further growth.

That is what makes the flywheel powerful. A startup stops relying exclusively on constant external inputs and begins generating its own momentum—turning customers into data, data into better products, products into stronger demand, and stronger demand into the next stage of growth.

Noha Gad

As Saudi Arabia accelerates its digital transformation agenda, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, cybersecurity, and intelligent infrastructure are becoming central to the Kingdom’s economic and technological development. Its ambition to become a global technology and AI hub is creating new opportunities for organizations that can help businesses and government entities move from experimentation to secure, scalable, and commercially valuable digital solutions.

NTT DATA is playing a pivotal role in this transformation, supporting public and private organizations across Saudi Arabia with digital infrastructure, cloud adoption, data and AI solutions, cybersecurity, and managed services. 

On the sidelines of LEAP 2026, Sharikat Mubasher held an interview with Ahmad Qarout, Technology Solutions Leader at NTT DATA Saudi Arabia, to learn more about the company’s business in the Kingdom, how its solutions support organizations’ digital transformation and cloud adoption, and its long-term strategy to expand in Saudi Arabia and the broader region.

First, could you walk us through NTT DATA's business in Saudi Arabia, and explain how your solutions contribute to accelerating digital transformation and advancing the technology industry in the Kingdom?

Saudi Arabia is one of NTT DATA's most strategic markets globally, and we are proud to support public and private sector organizations across their digital transformation journeys. We help clients modernize infrastructure, accelerate cloud adoption, strengthen cybersecurity, harness data and AI, improve customer experiences, and operate complex digital environments at scale. 

As the Kingdom moves from digital transformation ambition to large-scale execution, organizations are increasingly looking for partners that can not only design and deploy technology, but also operate, secure, and continuously optimize it. This is where NTT DATA differentiates itself. We combine global expertise with strong local engagement, helping organizations turn innovation into measurable business outcomes. 

Our work directly supports Vision 2030 by enabling organizations to leverage AI, cloud, data analytics, intelligent automation, and cybersecurity to improve productivity, accelerate innovation, and develop new capabilities. We are equally committed to knowledge transfer, skills development, and building a sustainable local digital ecosystem that supports the Kingdom's long-term growth ambitions. 

NTT DATA is participating in LEAP 2026 to showcase AI-powered intelligent infrastructure and cutting-edge solutions. How do these technologies work together to create a truly intelligent ecosystem within Saudi Arabia?

A truly intelligent ecosystem requires much more than AI applications alone. It depends on the integration of data, infrastructure, networking, cloud, security, governance, and operational expertise working seamlessly together. At LEAP 2026, NTT DATA showcased how these elements combine to create an environment where AI can move from experimentation to enterprise-wide value. 

Our approach brings together AI solutions, modern digital infrastructure, advanced networking, cybersecurity, and intelligent operations to help organizations automate workflows, improve decision-making, enhance customer experiences, and unlock greater value from enterprise data. This creates a secure foundation for scaling AI responsibly and effectively. 

A key example is the new NTT DATA AI Factory Lab in Riyadh, which will provide organizations with hands-on experiences and practical demonstrations of real-world AI use cases. The lab will feature technologies including the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, allowing organizations to explore how AI workloads can be built, deployed, governed, and scaled on an enterprise-grade foundation while maintaining visibility, security, compliance, and operational resilience. 

How do you assess the role of premier events such as LEAP 2026 in strengthening the Kingdom's position as a global AI and technology hub?

LEAP has become one of the world's most influential technology events and plays a critical role in advancing Saudi Arabia's position as a leading global AI and innovation hub. It provides a platform that brings together technology leaders, policymakers, investors, startups, hyperscalers, and enterprise customers to exchange ideas, showcase innovation, and accelerate partnerships. 

What makes LEAP particularly important in 2026 is that it reflects the evolution of the Saudi technology market. The conversation has shifted from digital ambition to practical execution, with organizations focused on scaling AI, building resilient infrastructure, and delivering measurable outcomes. Events such as LEAP help facilitate these conversations and drive collaboration across the ecosystem. 

For NTT DATA, LEAP is an opportunity to engage directly with customers and partners, demonstrate real-world innovation, and contribute to the development of a thriving technology ecosystem aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals. 

Does NTT DATA plan to announce any strategic initiatives or partnerships during LEAP 2026?

NTT DATA continues to invest in strategic partnerships and ecosystem collaboration across Saudi Arabia and the wider region. The growing number of partnerships and MOUs reflects the direction of the Saudi market itself, where collaboration between global technology leaders, local organizations, and government stakeholders is becoming increasingly important. 

One of our key initiatives and announcements is the launch of the NTT DATA AI Factory Lab in Riyadh, which brings together NTT DATA's AI expertise with technologies from leading partners including Cisco and NVIDIA. The lab is designed to help organizations move from AI exploration to practical implementation through executive workshops, demonstrations, and real-world use case development. 

What is NTT DATA's long-term strategy for expanding its business within Saudi Arabia and the broader region?

Our long-term strategy is centered on supporting the next phase of growth in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, where digital transformation is increasingly becoming an ongoing operational capability rather than a one-time project. We are investing in local presence, local talent, and in-country delivery capabilities to help customers manage increasingly complex and mission-critical technology environments. 

We see significant opportunities in AI, cloud, cybersecurity, intelligent infrastructure, data-driven transformation, and managed services. As organizations scale AI and modernize their operations, they require trusted partners that can help them operate securely, meet sovereignty requirements, and continuously optimize performance. 

The launch of the AI Factory Lab in Riyadh is one example of this commitment. More broadly, our goal is to help organizations across the region build resilient, secure, and future-ready digital foundations while supporting national priorities around innovation, skills development, and economic diversification. Ultimately, we want to help clients transform ambitious digital investments into sustainable business outcomes and long-term value creation. 

Ghada Ismail

Not every startup wants to become the next billion-dollar company. Some founders are less interested in chasing huge valuations and more interested in building a business that can survive when things get tough.

This is where the idea of a cockroach startup comes in.

The name may sound unusual, but the idea behind it is fairly simple. A cockroach startup is built to be resilient. It aims to keep operating through difficult markets, limited funding, changing customer needs, and unexpected setbacks.

In other words, it is a startup that focuses on staying alive and growing steadily rather than expanding as quickly as possible.

Where Does the Term Come From?

The comparison comes from the insect itself. Cockroaches have a reputation for surviving harsh conditions, which is exactly the quality the term is meant to describe in a business.

A cockroach startup is usually careful with its money, keeps its operations relatively lean, and looks for ways to generate revenue instead of depending entirely on investors.

That does not mean these companies never raise funding. They can still attract venture capital and other forms of investment. The difference is that funding is treated as a tool for growth rather than the only thing keeping the company going.

A cockroach startup also takes a more cautious approach. Instead of asking, “How quickly can we grow?” its founders may be asking, “How can we grow without running out of money?”

That difference from other startups can affect almost every part of the business, from hiring and marketing to product development and expansion plans.

For example, a startup following the cockroach model may avoid hiring a large team before there is enough revenue to support it. It may also focus more heavily on keeping existing customers rather than spending heavily to acquire new ones.

What Makes a Startup a Cockroach?

There is no fixed formula, but a few characteristics tend to stand out.

The first is financial discipline. Founders pay close attention to expenses, cash flow, and how long their available capital can support the business.

Another is an early focus on revenue. A company does not necessarily have to be profitable from the beginning, but having paying customers can give it more room to operate when fundraising becomes difficult.

Then there is adaptability. Startups rarely follow their original plans exactly. Customer demand can change, competitors can appear, or an economic downturn can force founders to rethink their strategy. A resilient startup needs to respond rather than simply stick to the original plan.

A smaller, more focused team can help with this as well. When there are fewer layers of management, decisions can often be made faster, and resources can be directed toward what matters most.

Why Does the Model Matter?

The cockroach approach has become particularly relevant during periods when startup funding becomes harder to secure.

When investors are willing to put large amounts of money into startups, companies can afford to prioritize growth over profitability for a while. But when funding slows, businesses that have been spending heavily without generating enough revenue can quickly find themselves under pressure.

A more resilient company has a better chance of weathering that period.

It may not grow as quickly as a heavily funded competitor, but it can have more control over its future. It may also avoid having to raise money simply because it needs enough cash to keep the lights on.

Is a Cockroach Startup Better?

Not necessarily.

Some businesses genuinely need significant amounts of capital to grow. A technology company developing complex infrastructure, for example, may need substantial investment before it can generate meaningful revenue. In other markets, moving slowly can allow competitors to get ahead.

So the cockroach model is not a rule that every founder should follow.

Its real value is the mindset behind it: build a company that can survive before assuming it will always have access to more money.

A startup does not need a billion-dollar valuation to be successful. Sometimes, success simply means building a useful product, earning loyal customers, keeping the business financially healthy, and being able to make it through the next difficult period.

That may not be as flashy as a unicorn story, but for many founders, it can be a much more realistic definition of success.