By: Ahmed Rashad, Sr. AI Specialist, Middle East & Africa at Nutanix

Have you seen this film before? A new technology arrives, powerful and effortlessly accessible. Departments spin up projects with minimal oversight from IT or finance. The first efforts reproduce old ways of working, and then somebody rethinks the workflow entirely, and the pace picks up. Then the invoice arrives, and the organization discovers it must bring things under control without cutting off access, because access is now how the work gets done.

That was the cloud, twenty years ago. It is gen AI today, on fast forward. What took cloud most of a decade is taking enterprises about eighteen months.

We watch this from two seats. We run our own AI workloads on our own GPUs, so we have made these mistakes with our own money. We also sit alongside a great many organizations making them at the same time, in different industries and under different regulatory regimes. The striking thing is how little the story varies.

Everyone’s first question is the wrong one

It is almost always “which model?”, and it is the question that matters least, because the answer changes every quarter.

The question that survives contact with production is what a unit of work costs. Not cost per token, but cost per resolved support ticket, per merged pull request, per document retrieved. The unit price keeps falling while total spend keeps climbing, because cheaper inference simply means more inference. Jevons would have recognized it immediately.

The same discipline applies to the benefit side. Where organizations measure carefully, the gains tend to land in a recognizable range: on the order of 10 to 15 percent for support teams, and 20 to 25 percent in feature delivery velocity for engineering teams. Those numbers are only worth quoting when they have been instrumented beforehand, against a baseline captured before deployment. Worth knowing: a randomized trial by METR found that experienced developers completed real tasks 19 percent slower with AI tools, while believing they had been 20 percent faster. If you cannot say how you measured, you have a feeling rather than a result.

Agents are not chatbots, and they do not fail like chatbots

This is the shift most organizations are unprepared for. A person using an assistant makes a request and receives an answer, and both the cost and the blast radius are bounded by their attention. An agent decides for itself how many steps to take, which systems to touch, and what to do with whatever it finds. The same instruction on a different day produces a different number of tool calls, a different bill, and a different set of side effects.

Which means the controls that work are the ones you would apply to a new joiner with production access, not the ones you would apply to software licenses. An identity for every agent, distinct from the human who launched it. Permissions scoped to each tool and each system, because MCP support is table stakes now, but speaking MCP and letting you grant

an agent read access there and write access nowhere are very different things. Budget ceilings that are enforced rather than alerted on. Traces detailed enough to reconstruct why an agent took eleven steps rather than three. And a human gate on anything irreversible.

The organizations getting this right have arrived at the same architectural conclusion independently. Those decisions cannot live inside each application. They belong at a single point that every agent’s requests pass through, so that policy, spend and audit are answered once for the whole estate rather than reimplemented project by project.

Running inference in production is a different discipline from running a pilot

A demo needs one model to work once. Production needs many models to work continuously, at predictable cost, while the field moves underneath you. Every organization we work with has replaced a model in production faster than it expected to, whether because of a cheaper open weight release, a regulatory constraint, or a change in vendor pricing. The ones who suffered were those who had welded a specific model to a specific location and a specific set of applications.

Flexibility here is not a luxury; it is the whole game: serving different models for different tasks, sizing endpoints to demand, and sharing GPUs across workloads through partitioning and scheduling rather than dedicating them. And, unfashionably, batch. Document classification, index rebuilds and evaluation runs do not care whether they complete at 14:00 or at 04:00. Defer them, and interactive workloads get the daytime capacity they need. Banks ran on this logic throughout the mainframe era. It was never wrong. It merely stopped being necessary when compute was cheap.

Location is becoming a variable, not a decision

Public cloud wins on speed and on access to the newest hardware. Other forces push the opposite way. Data residency and sovereignty requirements are no longer a compliance checkbox to be satisfied at the end of a project. For a growing number of organizations, they determine which workloads can exist at all, and where. Add data gravity, latency to customers, and the economics of sustained utilization, and owned or collocated infrastructure starts to look like the sensible home for a meaningful share of inference.

Meanwhile, a new class of specialized GPU providers has appeared, and some of the organizations we work with are becoming those providers themselves, turning regional advantage and spare capacity into a business of their own.

Nobody gets this allocation right at the first attempt. What matters is that getting it wrong stays cheap to correct: that a workload can move between owned, rented and regional infrastructure without being rewritten, and that governance follows it when it moves.

Do not build a walled garden

The temptation is to stand AI up as a separate estate, with its own tooling, its own rules and its own team, deliberately quarantined from everything else. There are two problems with that.

The first is that agents produce nothing of value until they can reach the systems and the data where your business actually runs. A wall built for safety very often becomes the reason a promising pilot never becomes production. The capability works. It simply is not allowed near anything that matters.

The second is the arithmetic of running everything twice. Two sets of policies, two audit trails, two places to look during an incident, and two opportunities for them to contradict each other, while the people who understand your controls best sit on the far side of the wall from the workloads that need them most.

The organizations moving fastest treat AI as a workload like any other, subject to the same access model, the same operational discipline and the same teams, with the controls that are specific to AI layered on top rather than rebuilt alongside.

Where that leaves us

There is no magic bullet for a technology moving this fast, and anyone selling one is selling something else. But the discipline transfers even when the tools do not. Measure cost per unit of work. Instrument your claims before you repeat them. Give agents identities, budgets and boundaries, enforced in one place. Keep models and workloads free to move. And govern all of it with your estate rather than beside it.

The film is on fast forward, and none of us gets to slow it down. But you can learn the genre well enough to see the twists coming, and avoid being the character who loses the plot.

By: Christian Reilly, Field CTO EMEA at Cloudflare

Artificial intelligence has rapidly moved from experimentation to strategic priority. Across the Middle East and Africa, governments, financial institutions, telecommunications providers, and enterprises are investing heavily in AI to improve efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and unlock new growth opportunities. From national AI strategies and smart city initiatives to AI-powered customer service and operational automation, organizations are increasingly viewing AI as a critical driver of competitiveness.

Yet despite the enthusiasm and investment surrounding AI, many initiatives fail to deliver meaningful business outcomes. While pilot projects often demonstrate promising results, organizations frequently struggle to move beyond proof-of-concepts and scale AI across the enterprise. The challenge is rarely a shortage of data, talent, or ambition. More often, the real obstacle lies in the technology environment supporting these initiatives.

Legacy applications, fragmented infrastructure, and accumulated technical debt are preventing many organizations from realizing the full value of AI.

The Foundation Problem Most AI Strategies Overlook

Much of the conversation around AI focuses on models, algorithms, and use cases. However, AI success depends just as much on the underlying technology foundation as it does on the AI itself.

AI workloads require fast access to data, scalable infrastructure, seamless connectivity between applications, and the ability to process information in real time. Many existing enterprise environments were not designed for these requirements. Instead, they were built to support traditional business applications, often through architectures that have evolved over many years.

As organizations attempt to integrate AI into these environments, they encounter challenges that slow progress and increase costs. What begins as an innovative AI initiative can quickly become a complex modernization project involving application integration, infrastructure upgrades, security enhancements, and data transformation.

This issue is particularly relevant in the Middle East and Africa, where many organizations are simultaneously pursuing ambitious digital transformation goals while managing long-established technology environments. While modernization efforts have accelerated significantly in recent years, critical business processes often continue to depend on legacy systems that were never designed to support AI-driven operations.

When Technical Debt Becomes a Business Challenge

Technical debt has traditionally been viewed as an IT concern. In today's AI-driven economy, it has become a strategic business challenge.

Many technology teams spend considerable time maintaining aging applications, resolving system issues, and managing complex integrations. These activities consume resources that could otherwise be focused on innovation and AI deployment.

The result is what many organizations are beginning to experience as an innovation tax. Instead of investing time in creating new AI-enabled services, teams are forced to devote significant effort to making existing systems work together.

As AI initiatives expand, this burden grows. New applications introduce additional data requirements, integration points, security controls, and operational complexity. Without a clear modernization strategy, organizations risk creating even more fragmented environments that become increasingly difficult to manage.

The organizations achieving the greatest returns from AI are often not those spending the most on technology. They are the ones that have simplified their environments and created a foundation capable of supporting innovation at scale.

Data Silos Continue to Hold Back AI Progress

AI depends on access to high-quality, connected, and consistent data. Unfortunately, this remains one of the biggest challenges facing many organizations.

Over time, businesses often accumulate multiple applications, platforms, and databases that operate independently of one another. Information becomes trapped within departmental systems, creating data silos that limit visibility and reduce operational efficiency.

For AI initiatives, these silos create significant obstacles. Models require access to reliable information from across the organization to deliver meaningful insights and accurate outcomes. When data is fragmented, incomplete, or inconsistent, AI performance suffers.

This challenge is becoming increasingly important as organizations across the Middle East and Africa continue expanding their digital ecosystems. Cloud platforms, SaaS applications, edge environments, and on-premises systems must work together seamlessly to support modern business operations.

Organizations that successfully connect these environments gain a significant advantage. They can move data more efficiently, accelerate AI deployment, and generate value faster than competitors operating within fragmented infrastructures.

Security Must Be Built Into AI From the Beginning

As organizations scale AI adoption, cybersecurity becomes increasingly important.

AI systems often process sensitive business information and interact with multiple users, applications, and data sources. This expanded connectivity creates new risks that organizations must address proactively.

Many legacy architectures were developed before modern security frameworks such as Zero Trust became widely adopted. As a result, they often struggle to provide the visibility, control, and protection required for today's AI-powered environments.

Security therefore cannot be treated as an afterthought. It must be embedded throughout the AI lifecycle, from development and deployment to operations and governance.

Organizations that integrate security into their architecture from the outset are better positioned to scale AI safely and confidently. Those that attempt to retrofit security controls later often encounter delays, increased costs, and unnecessary risk.

Building a Platform for Long-Term AI Success

Organizations that successfully scale AI tend to share several characteristics. They focus on simplifying complexity, consolidating fragmented environments, and modernizing their infrastructure in parallel with their AI initiatives.

Cloud-native and API-first architectures have become increasingly important because they provide the flexibility, scalability, and connectivity required for modern AI workloads. Integrated platforms also help eliminate operational silos, allowing development, operations, security, and business teams to work from a shared foundation.

Most importantly, successful organizations recognize that AI is not a standalone technology project. It is part of a broader application and business strategy.

The future of AI in the Middle East and Africa will be shaped not only by the sophistication of AI models but by the strength of the digital foundations that support them. Organizations that modernize their infrastructure, reduce complexity, strengthen security, and connect their data environments will be best positioned to transform AI investments into measurable business value.

For many organizations, the path to successful AI adoption does not begin with the model. It begins with the platform on which that model runs.

Ghada Ismail

What if you could build an app without knowing how to write code?

That is the idea behind vibe coding, an emerging approach to software development that uses artificial intelligence to turn natural language instructions into working code. Instead of writing every line manually, users describe what they want to build, and an AI tool generates the code, fixes errors, and helps refine the product through an ongoing conversation.

The term “vibe coding” was popularized in 2025 by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy, who described a style of programming where developers rely heavily on AI and focus more on describing the desired outcome than manually writing and reviewing every line of code.

How does vibe coding work?

Vibe coding typically starts with a simple prompt.

A user might tell an AI coding assistant: “Build a dashboard that shows monthly sales, allows users to filter by region and displays the results in charts.”

The AI can then generate the underlying code. The user tests the result and tells the AI what needs to change: perhaps the dashboard needs a different design, a new feature or a fix for an error.

This creates a conversational development cycle:

Describe → Generate → Test → Refine → Repeat.

The process can allow someone with limited programming experience to turn an idea into a functioning prototype much faster than traditional development.

Why is vibe coding becoming popular?

The rise of generative AI has significantly lowered the technical barrier to building software.

For startups, this can be particularly valuable. Founders can experiment with product ideas, build minimum viable products (MVPs), and test concepts before committing significant resources to a development team.

A nontechnical founder, for example, could use vibe coding to create an early version of a marketplace or customer portal and show it to potential customers. If the idea does not work, the founder can move on without spending months and substantial capital on development.

Even experienced developers can use the approach to speed up routine tasks, generate boilerplate code, explore ideas and create prototypes.

Vibe coding is not the same as traditional coding

The biggest difference is the role of the human.

In traditional software development, programmers typically write, inspect, and understand the code behind an application. With vibe coding, the user may focus primarily on what the software should do, while AI handles much of the implementation.

That does not mean coding knowledge has become irrelevant.

AI-generated code can contain bugs, security vulnerabilities, inefficient architecture, or technical decisions that work for a prototype but create problems as the product grows.

This is why vibe coding works best when users understand at least the basics of software development or have access to someone who can review the output.

What are the risks?

The biggest risk is assuming that working code is automatically good code.

An AI-generated application may appear to function perfectly while containing security weaknesses or scalability problems. Users may also struggle to maintain a project if they do not understand how its underlying code works.

There are also concerns around data privacy, intellectual property, and reliance on AI-generated code.

For businesses, these risks become more important as a prototype evolves into a product handling sensitive customer or financial information.

What does vibe coding mean for startups?

Vibe coding could change how early-stage companies build and validate products.

Instead of raising money first and building later, founders can potentially create functional prototypes, gather customer feedback, and demonstrate traction much earlier.

It could also make entrepreneurship more accessible by allowing people with strong ideas but limited technical skills to participate more directly in product development.

But vibe coding is unlikely to eliminate software engineers. Rather, it may change what developers spend their time doing. As AI handles more routine coding tasks, human expertise could become increasingly important in areas such as architecture, security, testing, product design, and complex problem-solving.

In that sense, vibe coding is less about replacing programmers and more about changing the interface between humans and software development.

For startups and entrepreneurs, its biggest promise may be simple: turning an idea into something users can actually try, faster than ever before.

Ghada Ismail

Before a single road is built, a tower rises, or a railway is laid, another kind of construction is already underway high above the ground. Helicopters equipped with advanced laser scanners survey vast desert landscapes, drones capture thousands of high-resolution images over construction sites, and satellites continuously monitor coastlines, mountains, and cities. Together, these technologies create a digital blueprint of Saudi Arabia long before physical development begins. 

This is the world of geospatial intelligence, an industry that combines aerial surveying, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), artificial intelligence, and digital modeling to transform location data into actionable insights. While largely invisible to the public, these technologies have become essential to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, supporting giga-projects, energy infrastructure, environmental conservation, and smart city development. Behind every landmark project lies an equally ambitious effort to map, analyze, and monitor the Kingdom with unprecedented precision. 

More Than Mapping

Modern geospatial services extend far beyond aerial photography. Aircraft and drones equipped with LiDAR sensors, thermal cameras, and multispectral imaging systems capture millions of measurements every second, producing highly accurate three-dimensional models and engineering-grade imagery. Once processed through GIS platforms and AI-powered software, this data becomes a digital representation of the physical world that supports planning, construction, maintenance, and operational decision-making. 

Demand for these capabilities has surged under Vision 2030. Mega-projects such as NEOM, The Red Sea, Diriyah, Qiddiya, renewable energy developments, logistics hubs, mining operations, and transportation corridors all require continuous surveying throughout their lifecycle. Rather than relying solely on traditional ground surveys, project teams now use helicopters, drones, and satellites to collect accurate spatial data in hours instead of weeks while improving safety by reducing the need for personnel to inspect hazardous locations. 

Helicopters and Drones: Complementary Technologies

Although drones dominate today's headlines, helicopters remain indispensable for large-scale aerial surveying. While drones excel at collecting highly detailed data over localized areas, helicopters are better suited for inspecting long infrastructure corridors, oil and gas pipelines, transmission lines, coastlines, and other remote areas where endurance and payload capacity are essential.

Among the companies supporting this capability is The Helicopter Company (THC), whose expanding operations across Saudi Arabia increasingly support infrastructure inspection, environmental monitoring, emergency response, and specialized aerial surveying. 

Drones, meanwhile, have transformed data collection by making aerial surveys faster, safer, and more affordable. Construction firms monitor project progress, mining operators calculate excavation volumes, utility companies inspect transmission lines, and environmental agencies assess vegetation and coastal erosion. Increasingly, the industry's focus has shifted from the aircraft themselves to the intelligence they generate, giving rise to Saudi companies that combine aerial operations with artificial intelligence, engineering expertise, and advanced analytics. 

Turning Data into Intelligence

Collecting aerial data is only the first step. The real value lies in transforming millions of images, laser measurements, and GPS coordinates into insights that engineers and decision-makers can use.

This is where Saudi Arabia's geospatial ecosystem is rapidly evolving. Companies increasingly provide end-to-end solutions that integrate aerial surveys, AI, GIS, cloud computing, and digital engineering rather than simply delivering imagery.

One example is Terra Drone Arabia, which provides aerial surveying, LiDAR mapping, photogrammetry, industrial inspections, and digital twin services across sectors including construction, oil and gas, utilities, and mining. By combining these capabilities with AI-powered analytics, the company helps organizations move beyond visual inspections toward predictive asset management and data-driven decision-making. The broader trend is clear: geospatial companies are no longer selling images; they are delivering intelligence. 

Beyond Construction

While mega-projects often dominate discussions about geospatial technology, its applications extend across virtually every major industry. Energy companies use drones and helicopters to inspect pipelines, offshore facilities, and power transmission networks. Mining operators monitor excavation progress and environmental compliance, while agricultural businesses rely on multispectral imaging to assess crop health, irrigation efficiency, and soil conditions. Environmental agencies track desertification, biodiversity, and flood risks, telecommunications providers optimize network coverage, and insurers increasingly use aerial imagery to assess property damage and streamline claims.

These diverse applications demonstrate that geospatial intelligence is no longer a niche engineering discipline. It has become a foundational digital capability supporting industries ranging from energy and logistics to agriculture, telecommunications, public safety, and environmental management. 

Building Talent for a Growing Industry

Technology alone cannot build a geospatial economy. Every successful mission depends on pilots, engineers, GIS specialists, software developers, AI experts, and data analysts capable of transforming raw data into meaningful insights. Recognizing this need, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in workforce development.

DroneX Academy prepares professionals for commercial drone operations through practical training and certification programs, while the Drones Academy at the College of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Jeddah integrates education, research, AI, robotics, and industry collaboration to prepare students for next-generation geospatial technologies. Meanwhile, the Drones Club at Tuwaiq Academy introduces younger innovators to drone technologies through workshops, technical challenges, and hands-on learning. Together, these initiatives reflect a shift from training drone pilots to building a complete talent pipeline for the Kingdom's expanding geospatial sector. 

The Next Frontier

Despite its rapid growth, the industry faces important challenges. Expanding commercial drone operations will require continued progress in regulation, airspace integration, and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. At the same time, protecting sensitive geospatial data from cyber threats and integrating information from drones, satellites, IoT sensors, and engineering systems into unified platforms will remain key priorities. Meeting growing demand for AI specialists, GIS analysts, remote sensing experts, and digital twin developers will be equally critical. 

Looking ahead, artificial intelligence is expected to accelerate the industry's evolution by automating image analysis, identifying infrastructure defects, monitoring construction progress, and detecting environmental changes.

A Digital Foundation for Vision 2030

Saudi Arabia's transformation is often measured through its skyline, mega-projects, and landmark developments. Yet much of that transformation begins long before construction starts. It starts with helicopters surveying remote terrain, drones capturing millions of data points, satellites monitoring environmental change, and engineers transforming spatial information into digital models that guide billion-riyal investments.

Companies including The Helicopter Company and Terra Drone Arabia contribute to this evolving ecosystem, while institutions such as DroneX Academy, the University of Jeddah's Drones Academy, and the Drones Club at Tuwaiq Academy are developing the talent needed to sustain it. Together, they illustrate that geospatial intelligence has evolved from a technical support function into a strategic capability underpinning infrastructure planning, industrial productivity, environmental stewardship, and digital transformation.

As Vision 2030 advances, Saudi Arabia is not only building new cities and industries; it is creating a detailed digital representation of the Kingdom itself. In many ways, the nation's next great transformation is taking shape first in the virtual world, where every road, pipeline, coastline, and building is mapped, analyzed, and understood before it is built on the ground. 

Noha Gad

The e-commerce landscape in Saudi Arabia is experiencing unprecedented growth, solidifying the Kingdom's position as the largest and most dynamic digital marketplace in the region. According to a recent report from BMI, a FitchSolutions company, household spending in the Kingdom will grow by a real 3.3% year-on-year (YoY) in 2026, a slight decline from 3.4% in 2025. The report anticipated household spending growth to accelerate slightly to 3.7% YoY in 2027, taking real spending to 39.4% above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. This growth is driven by digital acceleration that reshapes consumer expectations, shifting the focus from mere access to products towards a demand for efficiency, transparency, reliability, and a superior overall user experience.

Within this dynamic and competitive landscape, Kanaa, a Saudi-born digital e-commerce platform, officially launched in the Kingdom in April 2026, introducing a curated commerce model designed to simplify product discovery while maintaining high standards of quality and trust. 

Sharikat Mubasher held an exclusive interview with Kartik Bhatt, CEO of Kanaa, to dive deep into the company’s business model, strategy, and technology, as well as its ambitions to expand and strengthen its presence across the Kingdom.

Kanaa officially launched in Saudi Arabia in April, introducing a curated commerce model to simplify product discovery while maintaining quality and trust. Can you tell us more about this model and what sets Kanaa apart from established marketplaces and specialty omni-retailers?

Saudi Arabia's e-commerce market has matured significantly over the past few years. Customers already have access to millions of products, fast delivery, and seamless payment options. However, all of that came with a lot of noise from endless choices, inconsistent content, bad reviews, and unpredictable service. This has made most customers insecure about whether they are making the right purchasing decision or not. They may feel that they are not getting the best deal, service, or product.

That is the thinking behind Kanaa's curated commerce model. We focus on offering the right products, presented with reliable information and backed by a consistent customer experience. Every product is carefully selected, supported with quality content and held to the same standards for pricing, fulfilment, and service.

Our model combines our own retail assortment, direct partnerships with leading brands, exclusive product collections, and a carefully managed marketplace. Each plays a specific role, but together they create a shopping experience customers can trust.

Today, our focus is on families, children, youth, and modern Saudi consumers across toys, books, gaming, hobbies, and lifestyle categories, with additional categories planned as we continue to grow.

Since launching in November 2025, we have achieved 44-fold growth in sales and a 30-fold increase in order volume. Those results confirm that we are solving a real customer need. Customers are not just looking for more products. They also need real confidence in what they are buying and where they are buying it from.

How does Kanaa plan to implement its strategy that is centered on curated selection, operational efficiency, and customer trust?

As I mentioned earlier, curation is only one part of the equation. Delivering a great customer experience depends just as much on how consistently you execute behind the scenes.

We start with the assortment itself, making sure every category has a clear purpose: everyday essentials, seasonal collections, exclusive partnerships, or marketplace offerings. Every category earns its place, and we are careful not to let the catalogue grow just for the sake of it.

Operational excellence is equally important. Customers remember whether an item was in stock, whether it arrived on time, and how quickly an issue was resolved. That is why we have invested heavily in inventory accuracy, delivery performance, returns management, and customer support. Today, we provide same-day delivery in Jeddah, are expanding that capability in Riyadh, and consistently deliver more than 98% of orders on time.

Technology underpins every stage of that experience, from search and stock visibility to personalized recommendations and a seamless checkout process. At the same time, we continue to build customer trust through transparent product information, clear policies, and responsive service.

Sales growth and traffic matter, but repeat purchases, customer loyalty, and our ability to build lasting relationships are what tell us this is actually working.

Does Kanaa integrate AI and machine learning into its business model — for search and discovery, fraud detection, pricing optimization, or logistics planning?

Absolutely. AI is already an important part of how we operate, especially in helping customers discover the right products more conveniently.

For example, a parent looking for a suitable gift or a teenager searching for gaming accessories rarely use precise search keywords. It is mostly broad categories, brand variations, use case-related keywords, etc. AI allows us to better understand customer intent and provide recommendations that feel more relevant and personalized, much like the guidance customers receive from an experienced sales advisor in a physical store.

Behind the scenes, we are also applying AI across demand forecasting, fraud detection, catalogue quality management and returns analysis. As the business grows, we will continue expanding its use across pricing optimization and logistics planning.

The real opportunity is the insights that come with connecting such capabilities. When demand shifts around a product, season, or occasion, AI can help us respond more quickly by improving inventory planning, product content, and stock allocation. That is what supports our next phase of growth, including marketplace expansion, new strategic partnerships, and our planned entry into the UAE.

A recent study conducted by Visa showed that 91% of consumers in Saudi Arabia embrace AI as part of their shopping journey. In your opinion, how do AI technologies revolutionise the shopping experience in the Kingdom?

These findings mirror current market behavior. Saudi Arabia is home to some of the most tech-forward shoppers globally, and they have already outgrown traditional e-commerce. They expect platforms to understand context and intent, bringing a level of personalization that standard catalog search simply cannot deliver 
AI helps deliver that in a few ways. It simplifies product discovery by understanding what customers are actually looking for rather than relying only on keywords. It also personalizes the experience, recognizing that someone shopping for children's toys has very different needs from someone looking for gaming products or gifts. Just as importantly, AI strengthens the experience in ways customers may not always notice directly. It improves product information, helps detect fraud more effectively, and enables faster customer service, all of which contribute to a smoother, more reliable shopping journey.

For years, online shopping missed something obvious: that helpful salesperson in the store who actually gets what you are looking for. AI finally lets us bring that human touch online, in both Arabic and English, at scale. We are not interested in AI hype for the sake of it; for us at Kanaa, it is just about making shopping easier, faster, and genuinely helpful.

What strategic partnerships are you pursuing to accelerate growth and enhance customer experience?

No platform succeeds in isolation. Our model is built entirely on smart partnerships. We deliberately chose not to build a bloated, open marketplace with lots of unverified sellers. We curate our brand and retail partners strictly because customers deserve reliable quality and pricing, not endless scrolling through questionable listings.

We take the same approach across the board. We are partnering with AI leaders to strengthen discovery, personalization, and fraud prevention capabilities that would take years to build in-house at the same quality. Logistics and last-mile partners are just as critical as merchandising ones. A platform can win a customer through marketing, but it keeps them through delivery and service.

We are also building relationships beyond conventional commerce, with schools, malls, creators and family-focused communities, because category education and gifting inspiration matter almost as much as the transaction itself. 

What are Kanaa's plans to expand its footprint within and beyond Saudi Arabia, driven by its mission to shape the next phase of e-commerce growth? What regional or international markets do you target next?

Our priority right now is the Kingdom. We want real depth here before we look anywhere else, which means strengthening our category leadership and continuing to invest in technology, fulfillment, and data. 

We still see significant demand across Saudi families, youth, and digitally native consumers who want a platform that understands their language, occasions, and service expectations.

Looking beyond the Kingdom, the GCC is the natural next step. UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman all share the digital adoption and purchasing power that fit our model, and our current plan is to enter the UAE in 2026.

We would rather take a Saudi-born platform to the region once we have proven it here than expand early and lose what makes Kanaa trusted in the first place.

As a seasoned leader with more than 20 years of experience scaling large-format retail and e-commerce businesses, how do you assess Saudi Arabia's e-commerce sector? What does the sector need over the coming years to continue growing?

Saudi Arabia's e-commerce sector has made remarkable progress over the past decade. The industry successfully addressed the fundamentals by expanding product availability, strengthening logistics, and giving consumers the confidence to shop online. That created strong and sustained growth across the market. I have watched a few markets go through this same shift, and Saudi Arabia is moving through it faster than most.

The next phase is really about the quality of the customer experience. Promotions and discounts can generate short-term sales, but long-term success depends on service reliability, customer retention, strong category expertise, and sustainable growth.

I also believe the industry has an opportunity to invest more in merchandise planning and product content, so customers get relevant assortments, accurate information, and a better overall shopping experience.

Finally, the sector needs to become even more locally relevant. That means reflecting Saudi shopping habits, family occasions, gifting traditions, and Arabic-first customer experiences in a more meaningful way. That is the shift I would tell any new entrant to prepare for.

Ultimately, I believe the companies that succeed over the coming years will be those that consistently earn customer trust through every interaction rather than those that offer the largest catalogue.

Kholoud Hussein 

From fintech unicorns to AI-powered startups, Saudi Arabia is rapidly transforming from an emerging startup ecosystem into one of the world's fastest-growing venture capital destinations. Backed by Vision 2030, government reforms, sovereign capital and an increasingly sophisticated entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Kingdom is now attracting global investors at an unprecedented pace.

For decades, global investors associated Saudi Arabia with oil, infrastructure, and large-scale government projects. Today, that perception is changing rapidly. International venture capital firms, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and institutional investors are increasingly looking beyond traditional sectors and directing billions of dollars toward Saudi startups, convinced that the Kingdom is entering a new era of innovation-led growth.

The shift is neither accidental nor temporary. It reflects years of structural reforms under Vision 2030, an expanding digital economy, a young and tech-savvy population, and an ambitious government determined to position Saudi Arabia as the innovation hub of the Middle East.

The numbers tell a compelling story.

According to the latest Saudi Venture Capital Report by MAGNiTT, sponsored by Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), Saudi startups secured $1.72 billion in venture capital funding across 257 investment deals during 2025—the highest annual funding ever recorded by a single country in the MENA region. Saudi Arabia also became the region's largest VC market in both capital deployed and transaction volume, accounting for nearly half of all venture capital invested across the Middle East and North Africa. More importantly, the investor base became its most international to date, reflecting growing confidence among global funds in the scalability of Saudi startups. 

Those figures are significant not only because they represent record-breaking capital inflows, but because they highlight the evolution of Saudi Arabia from an emerging ecosystem into a mature investment destination. Unlike previous years, when venture activity depended heavily on a handful of large funding rounds, capital in 2025 was distributed across a much broader range of startups and growth stages, suggesting that the ecosystem is developing greater depth and resilience. 

A Market Too Big to Ignore

International investors are increasingly attracted to Saudi Arabia for one fundamental reason: market opportunity.

With a population exceeding 35 million, one of the highest smartphone penetration rates globally, and a digital-first consumer base, Saudi Arabia offers startups immediate access to one of the largest and wealthiest domestic markets in the region. Unlike smaller Gulf economies, founders can achieve significant scale within Saudi Arabia before expanding internationally.

The Kingdom's digital transformation has further accelerated this momentum. Government-led initiatives in digital infrastructure, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, fintech regulation, logistics, and e-commerce have created fertile ground for startups capable of solving real market problems.

Officials have repeatedly emphasized that entrepreneurship has become a strategic pillar of economic diversification. Through organizations such as Monsha'at, SVC, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), and various accelerator programs, policymakers have worked to remove barriers to business creation while increasing access to capital throughout the startup lifecycle.

The results are becoming increasingly visible. Saudi Arabia is no longer competing simply as the Gulf's largest economy; it is competing to become one of the world's most attractive destinations for venture capital.

Government Capital Is Crowding In Private Capital

One of the defining characteristics of Saudi Arabia's startup success is that public investment has encouraged—not replaced—private investment.

Instead of directly funding every startup, government-backed institutions have focused on building an ecosystem capable of attracting domestic and international investors alike.

Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), established under the National Development Fund ecosystem, has become one of the Kingdom's most influential market enablers by investing through venture capital funds, private equity vehicles, venture debt, and direct financing initiatives. Its fund-of-funds model has significantly expanded the availability of growth capital while encouraging leading global investors to participate alongside Saudi institutions.

This catalytic approach has changed investor perceptions.

Rather than viewing Saudi Arabia as a government-driven market, international investors increasingly see an ecosystem supported by strong institutions, clear regulations, and improving exit opportunities.

MAGNiTT's latest analysis highlights that investor participation expanded dramatically during 2025, with international funds accounting for a growing share of venture transactions. The report notes that this broader investor base reflects rising confidence in the Kingdom's regulatory environment, startup quality, and long-term growth prospects. 

Global Funds Are Following the Winners

Perhaps the strongest signal of Saudi Arabia's investment maturity is the calibre of international investors now participating in funding rounds.

Major global firms—including Wellington Management, Blue Pool Capital, and several international growth funds—have joined financing rounds for Saudi startups, particularly in fintech and digital commerce. Their participation demonstrates that Saudi companies are no longer relying solely on local capital but are successfully competing for investment on a global stage. 

Delivery and quick-commerce platform Ninja secured one of the region's largest startup funding rounds, while fintech leader Tabby raised another mega-round that attracted international investors. Digital payments platform HALA also completed a major financing round, highlighting growing investor appetite for Saudi fintech infrastructure. Together, these deals have helped reshape international perceptions of the Kingdom's startup ecosystem—from a promising emerging market to one capable of producing regional category leaders. 

Yet perhaps the most encouraging development is that Saudi Arabia's growth story is no longer dependent on mega-deals alone. Funding activity has expanded across seed, Series A, and growth-stage investments, creating a healthier pipeline of companies capable of becoming the next generation of regional champions.

Where Global Capital Is Flowing—and Why

If the first phase of Saudi Arabia's startup journey was about proving the market's potential, the next phase is about identifying the sectors capable of generating regional champions and globally competitive companies. Investors are no longer asking whether Saudi Arabia has promising startups—they are asking which industries will produce the Kingdom's next unicorns.

The answer, increasingly, lies in sectors that align with both the Kingdom's structural economic transformation and global technology trends.

Fintech: The Cornerstone of Saudi Venture Capital

No sector has attracted more investor attention than fintech. As Saudi Arabia accelerates its transition toward a cashless economy, demand for digital payments, embedded finance, lending platforms, wealth management, and banking infrastructure continues to rise.

According to MAGNiTT and Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), fintech remained the Kingdom's largest venture capital recipient in 2025, accounting for more than $500 million in funding across dozens of transactions. The sector benefited from supportive regulation by the Saudi Central Bank and the Capital Market Authority, both of which have expanded regulatory sandboxes and licensing frameworks to encourage innovation.

Investors view Saudi fintech as more than a domestic opportunity. With financial inclusion expanding across the GCC and digital banking becoming mainstream, Saudi startups are increasingly developing solutions that can be exported throughout the region.

Among the most prominent examples is Tabby, whose latest funding round attracted leading international investors and pushed its valuation above the billion-dollar mark. While headquartered in the Gulf, the company's continued expansion in Saudi Arabia reflects the Kingdom's importance as the region's largest consumer market.

Digital payments platform HALA has also emerged as a strong example of investor confidence in Saudi financial infrastructure, while newer startups specializing in SME financing, accounting automation, payroll, and embedded finance are attracting increasing attention from regional and international funds.

AI Is Becoming the Next Investment Frontier

If fintech dominated the previous wave of venture investment, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to define the next.

Saudi Arabia has made AI a national priority through its broader digital transformation agenda. Significant government investment in cloud infrastructure, data centers, semiconductor partnerships, and AI research has created an environment where startups can commercialize AI applications at scale.

International investors increasingly view Saudi Arabia not only as a market for AI adoption but also as a place where AI companies can be built.

Rather than funding generic AI businesses, investors are focusing on startups that apply artificial intelligence to real economic sectors, including healthcare, logistics, education, legal technology, financial services, and industrial operations.

This reflects a broader global trend: venture capital is shifting away from standalone AI models toward companies that embed AI into industry-specific products capable of generating recurring revenues.

Industry observers expect AI to become one of Saudi Arabia's fastest-growing venture categories over the next five years, particularly as enterprise adoption accelerates across both government and private sectors.

Enterprise Software Is Quietly Becoming a Powerhouse

While fintech captures headlines, enterprise software—often delivered through Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms—is steadily becoming one of Saudi Arabia's most attractive investment opportunities.

Businesses across the Kingdom are digitizing operations at an unprecedented pace, creating strong demand for cloud-based accounting systems, HR platforms, procurement software, cybersecurity solutions, compliance tools, customer relationship management systems, and workflow automation.

Unlike consumer applications, enterprise software offers predictable subscription revenues, high customer retention, and scalable business models—all characteristics highly valued by venture investors.

Saudi Arabia's ambitious digitalization of both public and private sectors provides an expanding customer base for these companies, while GCC expansion offers additional growth opportunities without requiring major product adaptation.

Healthcare Innovation Moves Into Focus

Healthcare is another sector rapidly climbing investors' priority lists.

An ageing population, increasing healthcare expenditure, and growing demand for digital medical services have accelerated investment into healthtech startups offering telemedicine, AI diagnostics, digital pharmacies, hospital management systems, and preventive care solutions.

Vision 2030's emphasis on improving healthcare quality while increasing private-sector participation has created favorable conditions for entrepreneurs addressing long-standing challenges in healthcare delivery.

Global investors increasingly recognize that healthtech represents not only a commercial opportunity but also a strategic sector aligned with government priorities.

Logistics and Supply Chain Technology

Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a global logistics hub is also reshaping venture investment.

Massive infrastructure projects—including ports, airports, industrial zones, and logistics corridors—are creating demand for technology solutions capable of improving supply-chain efficiency.

Startups developing warehouse automation, freight technology, route optimization, inventory management, and cross-border commerce platforms are benefiting from this transformation.

Investors see logistics technology as one of the sectors with the strongest long-term potential, particularly as Saudi Arabia seeks to position itself as a gateway connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Climate Technology Is Beginning to Attract Institutional Capital

Although still in its early stages compared with fintech and AI, climate technology is emerging as an increasingly important investment theme.

Saudi Arabia's commitments to sustainability, renewable energy, and carbon reduction are opening opportunities for startups specializing in clean energy, water management, waste recycling, smart agriculture, energy efficiency, and environmental monitoring.

Global institutional investors, many of whom now allocate capital according to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, are expected to increase exposure to climate-focused Saudi startups as the market matures.

Analysts believe climate technology could become one of the Kingdom's fastest-growing venture sectors during the second half of this decade.

Investors Are Backing Ecosystems

Perhaps the most notable change is that international investors are no longer evaluating Saudi startups in isolation. Instead, they are investing in an ecosystem that has become increasingly interconnected.

The Kingdom now offers founders access to accelerators, incubators, venture studios, sovereign-backed investment vehicles, corporate innovation programs, university research centers, and specialized entrepreneurship initiatives.

Organizations such as Monsha'at, Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), Sanabil Investments, and leading private VC firms—including STV, Raed Ventures, and Impact46—have helped build a financing continuum that supports companies from idea stage through late-stage expansion.

This ecosystem reduces investment risk. International funds entering Saudi Arabia today find not only ambitious founders but also stronger governance, deeper pools of local capital, more experienced management teams, and an increasingly active network of strategic partners.

As a result, many global investors are shifting from opportunistic participation in individual funding rounds to establishing long-term investment strategies focused on Saudi Arabia.

The remarkable growth of Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem is not merely the result of larger funding rounds or more active venture capital firms. It reflects a fundamental shift in how international investors perceive the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is no longer viewed as an emerging opportunity on the fringes of global venture capital—it is increasingly regarded as a strategic market with the potential to produce the Middle East's next generation of technology champions.

This confidence is being reinforced by a combination of demographic strength, regulatory reform, sovereign backing, and a growing pipeline of experienced entrepreneurs who have already demonstrated their ability to build and scale successful businesses.

The Rise of a Second Generation of Founders

One of the clearest indicators of a maturing startup ecosystem is the emergence of repeat entrepreneurs. In the early years of Saudi venture capital, much of the market consisted of first-time founders navigating unfamiliar territory. Today, a growing number of entrepreneurs are launching second or third ventures after successful exits or leadership roles in high-growth companies.

For investors, this significantly reduces execution risk.

Founders with prior experience typically possess stronger operational discipline, deeper industry networks, and a better understanding of fundraising, governance, and scaling. Many have also attracted senior executives from established technology companies, strengthening the overall quality of startup leadership across the Kingdom.

This evolution mirrors the development of mature ecosystems such as Silicon Valley, London, and Singapore, where experienced founders have repeatedly launched successful businesses and mentored the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Government Reforms Have Reduced Investment Risk

Another reason international capital is flowing into Saudi Arabia is the country's increasingly investor-friendly regulatory environment.

Over the past several years, the Kingdom has introduced reforms aimed at simplifying company formation, strengthening intellectual property protections, improving bankruptcy procedures, expanding digital government services, and modernizing commercial legislation. These initiatives have made it easier for both entrepreneurs and investors to establish and grow businesses.

Regulators have also introduced sector-specific frameworks that encourage innovation while providing greater legal certainty. In fintech, for example, regulatory sandboxes have enabled startups to test new financial products under the supervision of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Capital Market Authority (CMA). Similar regulatory support is emerging in areas such as digital health, mobility, and artificial intelligence.

For international investors, these reforms reduce one of the most significant barriers to entering emerging markets: regulatory uncertainty.

Sovereign Capital Is Catalyzing Private Investment

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Saudi Arabia's venture ecosystem is the role played by sovereign-backed institutions in mobilizing private capital.

Rather than dominating the market, entities such as the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), Jada Fund of Funds, and Sanabil Investments have focused on building a sustainable investment ecosystem. Their strategy has been to act as cornerstone investors, encouraging private venture capital firms to deploy larger amounts of capital while attracting international co-investors.

This approach has created a multiplier effect.

According to SVC, every riyal committed through its investment programs is intended to crowd in additional private-sector funding, expanding the overall pool of capital available to startups. By strengthening local venture funds and supporting international partnerships, these institutions have helped create a more resilient financing environment that extends beyond government resources.

The result is an ecosystem where sovereign capital provides confidence, while private investors drive competition, specialization, and commercial discipline.

Saudi Arabia Is Becoming the GCC's Launchpad

Historically, many startups viewed Saudi Arabia as a market to enter only after establishing themselves elsewhere in the Gulf. That dynamic has shifted dramatically.

Today, an increasing number of founders are designing their businesses around Saudi Arabia from the outset, using the Kingdom as their primary market before expanding across the GCC.

Several factors explain this change.

Saudi Arabia's large population, high consumer spending, expanding digital economy, and strong government support provide startups with an opportunity to achieve meaningful scale domestically. Once successful in Saudi Arabia, businesses can leverage that experience to enter neighboring markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar.

For investors, this creates a compelling value proposition: portfolio companies can validate their products in one of the region's largest markets before pursuing regional expansion.

The Next Wave of Capital

While venture capital investment reached record levels in 2025, most analysts believe the market is still in the early stages of its growth cycle.

Industry forecasts suggest that annual venture funding could continue rising steadily over the remainder of the decade, supported by increasing participation from global institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, corporate venture capital arms, and family offices.

Several structural trends are expected to fuel this expansion:

• Greater adoption of artificial intelligence across industries. 
• Accelerated digitalization of financial services. 
• Expansion of enterprise software solutions. 
• Growth in healthcare innovation. 
• Increased investment in climate technologies and renewable energy. 
• Continued development of logistics and supply-chain technology. 
• Rising demand for cybersecurity solutions. 
• The commercialization of deep-tech research emerging from Saudi universities and innovation centers. 

Some analysts also expect new sectors—such as robotics, space technology, semiconductor design, and advanced manufacturing—to begin attracting meaningful venture capital before the end of the decade, particularly as the Kingdom continues investing heavily in research and industrial diversification.

What Investors Want Has Changed

Global investors are also becoming more selective.

The era of funding growth at any cost has largely given way to an emphasis on sustainable business models, profitability, and capital efficiency. International venture firms increasingly seek startups with clear revenue models, disciplined spending, and strong corporate governance.

Saudi startups appear well positioned for this environment.

Many have been built during a period characterized by tighter capital markets, forcing founders to prioritize operational efficiency from the outset. Investors often view this as an advantage compared with startups that expanded rapidly during periods of abundant global liquidity.

Increasingly, the question for investors is no longer whether Saudi Arabia can produce successful startups—it is which companies will emerge as the Kingdom's next regional and global leaders.

Can Saudi Arabia Become the Region's Startup Capital by 2030?

Saudi Arabia's startup story is no longer defined by isolated success stories or record-breaking funding rounds. Instead, it has evolved into a broader economic transformation that is reshaping the Kingdom's position in the global innovation economy. The question facing investors today is not whether Saudi Arabia will remain an attractive venture capital destination, but whether it can sustain this momentum and emerge as one of the world's leading startup ecosystems by the end of the decade.

Increasingly, market participants believe the answer is yes.

An Ecosystem Reaching Critical Mass

One of the defining characteristics of successful startup ecosystems is the ability to generate a self-reinforcing cycle of entrepreneurship. Founders build companies, successful exits create wealth, experienced entrepreneurs become angel investors or venture capitalists, and a new generation of startups benefits from both capital and expertise.

Saudi Arabia is beginning to exhibit many of these characteristics.

The Kingdom now hosts hundreds of active startups across fintech, enterprise software, healthtech, logistics, e-commerce, AI, gaming, and climate technology. More importantly, the supporting infrastructure has matured considerably. Venture capital funds, accelerators, incubators, government initiatives, universities, corporate innovation programs, and regulatory sandboxes are increasingly interconnected, creating an ecosystem capable of supporting startups from ideation through regional expansion.

This institutional maturity has become one of Saudi Arabia's greatest competitive advantages.

According to Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), the Kingdom ranked first in the MENA region for venture capital funding in 2025, attracting $1.72 billion across 257 deals, equivalent to approximately 45% of all venture capital deployed across the region. The report also highlighted that Saudi Arabia led MENA in both investment value and transaction volume, reflecting the breadth of activity rather than reliance on a handful of mega-rounds.

Officials See Entrepreneurship as an Economic Imperative

Saudi policymakers increasingly view startups as a strategic pillar of economic diversification rather than a niche segment of the private sector.

Officials at SVC have consistently emphasized that expanding access to venture capital is essential to increasing private-sector participation, supporting innovation, and creating high-value employment opportunities. The organization has also highlighted the importance of developing a complete financing ecosystem that supports startups across every stage of growth—from seed funding to late-stage expansion.

Similarly, Monsha'at, the Kingdom's Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority, continues to position entrepreneurship at the center of Vision 2030. Through accelerator programs, entrepreneurial support services, training initiatives, and partnerships with local and international investors, the authority aims to increase the contribution of SMEs to GDP while strengthening Saudi Arabia's competitiveness as a regional innovation hub.

These initiatives are complemented by broader government investments in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, advanced manufacturing, and logistics—all of which expand the addressable market for technology startups.

Global Investors Are Looking Beyond Fintech

Although fintech remains the dominant venture capital sector, investor interest is becoming increasingly diversified.

Artificial intelligence is widely expected to become the next major investment wave, particularly following Saudi Arabia's commitment to becoming a global AI leader. Startups applying AI to enterprise software, healthcare, education, logistics, financial services, and industrial automation are expected to attract growing interest from both regional and international investors.

Climate technology is another sector gaining momentum. As the Kingdom advances its sustainability agenda under the Saudi Green Initiative and expands renewable energy investments, venture capital is expected to flow toward startups specializing in clean energy, carbon management, water technologies, circular economy solutions, and sustainable agriculture.

Healthcare innovation, cybersecurity, logistics technology, and deep-tech ventures are also forecast to attract increasing levels of investment as digital transformation accelerates across the economy.

Market observers increasingly argue that Saudi Arabia's future venture capital landscape will be more balanced, with multiple high-growth sectors contributing to ecosystem expansion rather than a single dominant industry.

The Exit Challenge—and Opportunity

Despite the remarkable progress, one challenge continues to shape investor conversations: exits.

For venture capital firms, successful exits—whether through acquisitions, mergers, or public listings—are critical to recycling capital into new startups. While Saudi Arabia has witnessed several high-profile acquisitions and IPOs in recent years, many investors believe the next stage of ecosystem maturity will depend on increasing the frequency and scale of these liquidity events.

Encouragingly, several developments suggest that the outlook is improving.

The expansion of the Saudi capital market, growing corporate appetite for acquisitions, and increasing participation from private equity firms are expected to create more exit opportunities for venture-backed companies over the coming years. If this trend continues, it could further accelerate international investor participation by demonstrating clear pathways to returns.

A Regional Hub with Global Ambitions

Saudi Arabia's ambition extends beyond becoming the largest startup market in the Middle East. Increasingly, policymakers and investors envision the Kingdom as a global innovation hub capable of attracting entrepreneurs, talent, and capital from around the world.

Major initiatives such as NEOM, The Garage, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and a growing network of venture studios and innovation districts are designed to strengthen research commercialization, attract international entrepreneurs, and foster collaboration between academia, government, and the private sector.

Combined with continued investments from sovereign institutions, these initiatives are expected to enhance Saudi Arabia's competitiveness against established innovation centers in Europe, Asia, and North America.

While forecasting venture capital flows is inherently uncertain, the underlying fundamentals suggest that Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem is positioned for sustained expansion.

A large domestic market, supportive public policy, sophisticated institutional investors, improving regulatory frameworks, and a growing pool of experienced entrepreneurs provide a strong foundation for future growth. As more international funds establish dedicated MENA strategies—and increasingly view Saudi Arabia as the region's anchor market—the Kingdom is likely to capture an even larger share of global venture capital directed toward emerging markets.

The coming years will undoubtedly present challenges. Global economic volatility, shifting monetary policy, geopolitical developments, and increased competition for capital will continue to influence investment decisions. Yet the resilience demonstrated by Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem during periods of global uncertainty has strengthened investor confidence rather than weakened it.

To conclude, just a decade ago, Saudi Arabia was largely absent from conversations about global venture capital. Today, it stands at the center of the Middle East's innovation economy, attracting record levels of investment and producing startups capable of competing on a regional—and increasingly international—stage.

The Kingdom's transformation is being driven by more than capital. It reflects a deliberate strategy to build an ecosystem where entrepreneurs, investors, regulators, universities, and corporations work together to create long-term economic value.

For global investors, Saudi Arabia is no longer simply a promising frontier market. It is becoming a strategic destination where scale, policy support, technological adoption, and entrepreneurial ambition converge.

If the current trajectory continues, the next decade may not simply be remembered as the period when Saudi Arabia became the Middle East's largest startup ecosystem—it may be remembered as the decade when the Kingdom emerged as one of the world's most influential centers for innovation and venture capital.

Ghada Ismail

Media buying has come a long way from negotiating television spots, newspaper placements, and billboard locations. Today, it is a data-driven discipline powered by artificial intelligence (AI), automation, audience analytics, and real-time optimization. Brands are no longer simply buying advertising space; instead, they are investing in technologies and strategies that ensure their marketing investment reaches the right audience at the right time.

This transformation is reshaping advertising markets worldwide, and Saudi Arabia is no exception. As businesses accelerate their digital transformation under Vision 2030, advertisers are demanding smarter, faster, and more measurable campaigns. In response, a new generation of Saudi companies is redefining media buying by combining technology, creativity, and data-driven decision-making.

While the term "AdTech" is often associated with software platforms and AI-powered advertising tools, Saudi Arabia's evolving media buying ecosystem extends beyond startups developing proprietary technology. It also includes agencies that integrate digital marketing, analytics, creative strategy, and campaign optimization into comprehensive media buying services. Together, these companies are helping brands navigate an increasingly complex advertising landscape.

Media Buying Has Become a Technology Business

The rise of digital platforms has fundamentally changed the role of media buyers. Instead of manually selecting where advertisements should appear, marketers now rely on sophisticated tools that analyze audience behavior, measure campaign performance, and automate bidding across multiple advertising channels.

Programmatic advertising has become a cornerstone of modern media buying, allowing advertisers to purchase digital inventory in milliseconds using automated auctions. AI algorithms continuously evaluate campaign performance, optimize budgets, and identify high-performing audiences, enabling businesses to maximize return on investment while reducing wasted advertising spend.

This shift has transformed media buying from a transactional activity into a strategic business function. Success is no longer measured solely by how many people see an advertisement, but by how effectively campaigns generate engagement, conversions, and long-term customer value.

Why Saudi Arabia Is Ripe for Innovation

Saudi Arabia's rapidly expanding digital economy has created fertile ground for innovation in advertising and media buying. The Kingdom boasts one of the highest internet and smartphone penetration rates in the region, while social media platforms have become central to consumer engagement and purchasing decisions.

At the same time, the government is encouraging businesses across sectors to embrace digital transformation, increasing demand for sophisticated marketing solutions. As companies compete for consumer attention in an increasingly crowded online environment, they require partners capable of combining media planning, creative storytelling, data analytics, and performance measurement into integrated campaigns.

This growing demand has opened opportunities for Saudi agencies to move beyond traditional advertising and adopt technology-driven approaches that improve campaign efficiency and accountability.

How Saudi Companies Are Reinventing Media Buying

Saudi Arabia's media buying ecosystem is evolving through companies that blend strategic planning with digital innovation, helping brands reach audiences across multiple channels while delivering measurable business outcomes.

Bassmat is among the agencies reflecting this evolution. As an integrated marketing communications company, it offers media planning and buying alongside services such as digital strategy, search engine optimization, social media management, public relations, and campaign analytics. Rather than treating media buying as an isolated service, Bassmat positions it within a broader communications strategy that allows brands to coordinate messaging across digital and traditional platforms.

A similar integrated approach can be seen at True Vision (TrueVS), which focuses on digital marketing and performance-driven campaigns. By combining media buying with branding, creative development, audience targeting, and digital strategy, the agency helps businesses optimize advertising investments based on measurable results instead of impressions alone. This reflects a wider industry shift toward performance marketing, where campaign success is evaluated through conversions, customer acquisition, and return on investment.

Lenzo demonstrates how media buying is expanding beyond digital advertising into experiential marketing. The agency specializes in brand activations, exhibitions, events, and immersive experiences that connect physical engagement with digital promotion. As brands increasingly seek omnichannel marketing strategies, companies like Lenzo illustrate how media buying now extends across multiple consumer touchpoints, creating campaigns that bridge online and offline experiences.

Meanwhile, Tech Wave highlights the growing convergence between technology consulting and marketing services. Known for its expertise in software development and digital transformation, the company also provides digital marketing solutions that leverage technology to improve campaign effectiveness. This reflects a broader trend in which media buying increasingly relies on technological capabilities, including automation, analytics, and digital infrastructure, rather than creative execution alone.

Although these companies operate with different business models, they share a common objective: helping advertisers make smarter decisions using technology, customer insights, and integrated marketing strategies.

AI Is Changing the Rules

Artificial intelligence is becoming one of the most influential forces shaping the future of media buying. AI-powered tools can analyze vast amounts of consumer data, predict purchasing behavior, identify the most valuable audience segments, and continuously optimize campaigns while they are running.

Instead of relying on historical performance alone, advertisers can now adjust budgets in real time, personalize advertising messages, and automate routine campaign management tasks. These capabilities improve efficiency while enabling marketing teams to focus on strategy and creativity.

For agencies, AI is not replacing human expertise but enhancing it. Success increasingly depends on combining technological capabilities with market knowledge, creative thinking, and a deep understanding of consumer behavior.

What Comes Next?

Saudi Arabia's media buying industry is expected to keep evolving as more businesses invest in digital transformation and online advertising. To stay competitive, agencies will continue adopting new technologies such as AI-powered analytics, smarter audience targeting, creator marketing, and integrated campaigns that run across multiple platforms.

The advertising industry is also adapting to growing privacy expectations. As third-party cookies become less common, brands are placing greater value on first-party data collected directly from their own customers. Agencies that can help businesses use this data effectively while still reaching the right audiences are likely to have a competitive advantage.

Generative AI is also set to play a bigger role in media buying. It can help agencies create content faster, identify the best audience segments, and optimize campaigns more efficiently. While AI will automate some routine tasks, it is unlikely to replace marketing professionals. Instead, it will make human creativity and strategic thinking even more valuable, allowing agencies to deliver smarter and more effective campaigns.

Conclusion

Media buying is no longer simply about purchasing advertising space. It has become a multidisciplinary practice where technology, creativity, analytics, and customer experience work together to deliver measurable business outcomes.

Saudi Arabia's media buying industry reflects this transformation. While innovation is often associated with AdTech platforms, the Kingdom's broader ecosystem of marketing agencies is also playing a critical role in modernizing how brands reach consumers. Companies such as Bassmat, TrueVS, Lenzo, and Tech Wave demonstrate that successful media buying increasingly depends on integrating strategic planning, digital expertise, and technology into every stage of the advertising journey.

As Saudi Arabia continues building a digital-first economy, the organizations that combine innovation with measurable performance will help define the next chapter of the Kingdom's advertising industry, one where media buying is not just about visibility, but about delivering meaningful business results.

Kholoud Hussein 

The Kingdom is no longer simply digitizing public services or investing in technology. It is attempting something far more ambitious: rebuilding its economic architecture around data, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and digital infrastructure. The question is no longer whether Saudi Arabia can diversify beyond oil, but whether it can redefine what a modern digital economy looks like in the Middle East.

The Economy Saudi Arabia Is Really Building

For more than eight decades, Saudi Arabia's economic story has been inseparable from oil. Hydrocarbons transformed the Kingdom from a largely desert economy into one of the world's most influential energy producers, financing decades of infrastructure, industrialization, education, and social development. Oil was not merely a source of government revenue; it became the foundation upon which the modern Saudi state was built.

Today, however, Saudi Arabia is pursuing a transformation that is arguably even more profound than the discovery of oil itself. While much of the global conversation continues to focus on the Kingdom's diversification efforts under Vision 2030, a quieter yet far more consequential shift is unfolding beneath the surface. Saudi Arabia is no longer asking how to reduce its dependence on oil. Instead, it is asking what the country's next economic operating system should look like.

Economic diversification has traditionally meant expanding into new industries, whether tourism, manufacturing, logistics, mining, or entertainment. A digital economy, however, represents something fundamentally different. Rather than creating another sector alongside existing ones, it reshapes every sector simultaneously. It changes how governments deliver services, how companies produce goods, how entrepreneurs build businesses, how consumers spend money, and ultimately how economic value itself is created.

In this new model, data becomes a productive asset. Algorithms become economic infrastructure. Cloud computing replaces physical limitations. Artificial intelligence evolves from a technological tool into a driver of productivity, competitiveness, and innovation. The economy becomes less dependent on physical resources and increasingly powered by digital capabilities that transcend geography.

Saudi Arabia's ambitions therefore extend well beyond becoming a technology hub or attracting multinational technology companies. The Kingdom is attempting to redesign the foundations of its economy so that digital technologies become embedded across government, finance, healthcare, education, manufacturing, logistics, energy, and commerce. Success will not be measured by the number of technology companies operating in Riyadh or the volume of venture capital invested in startups alone. It will be determined by whether digital technologies become the default mechanism through which economic activity is created, exchanged, and scaled.

This is precisely why Saudi Arabia's digital transformation deserves to be viewed through an economic rather than a technological lens. Around the world, many countries have successfully digitized government services or expanded internet connectivity. Far fewer have attempted to rebuild their entire economic model around digital capabilities.

The Kingdom believes it can become one of them.

Yet ambition alone has never transformed economies. History offers countless examples of countries that invested billions in technology parks, innovation districts, and digital infrastructure without fundamentally changing how their economies functioned. Building a digital economy requires far more than laying fiber-optic cables or launching government applications. It requires rethinking regulation, attracting capital, cultivating entrepreneurial talent, building trust in digital services, encouraging private-sector innovation, and ensuring that digital technologies generate productivity rather than merely convenience.

Saudi Arabia's challenge, therefore, is not simply technological. It is structural.

The Kingdom must prove that digital transformation can become an engine of sustainable economic growth capable of generating new industries, creating high-value employment, increasing productivity, and positioning Saudi Arabia as a global exporter of digital innovation rather than a consumer of imported technologies.

It is an ambition that reaches beyond Vision 2030 itself. It is about defining what the Saudi economy looks like long after oil ceases to dominate global growth.

More Than Diversification: Redefining Economic Value

When policymakers first began speaking about economic diversification in Saudi Arabia, the objective appeared relatively straightforward: reduce dependence on oil revenues by expanding sectors such as tourism, mining, manufacturing, entertainment, logistics, and financial services. These industries would create new jobs, attract foreign investment, and generate alternative sources of national income.

A decade later, that conversation has evolved significantly. Today, diversification is increasingly viewed not as an end goal but as one component of a much larger economic transformation. The emergence of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, advanced analytics, and digital platforms has fundamentally altered how wealth is created in the global economy. Competitive advantage is no longer determined solely by natural resources or industrial capacity. It is increasingly shaped by a country's ability to generate, process, and commercialize data.

This shift helps explain why Saudi Arabia's investments in digital infrastructure have accelerated alongside investments in traditional economic sectors. The Kingdom is not merely building new industries; it is building the digital foundations upon which those industries will operate. The distinction is subtle but profound.

A tourism strategy can increase visitor numbers. A digital economy transforms the entire tourism value chain, from digital visas and intelligent transportation systems to AI-powered hospitality services, cashless payments, predictive demand forecasting, and personalized travel experiences. Manufacturing no longer depends exclusively on factories but on connected supply chains, industrial automation, predictive maintenance, and real-time analytics. Financial services become embedded into digital platforms rather than confined to bank branches.

In this sense, digital transformation ceases to be an ICT initiative and becomes national economic policy.

This is one of the defining characteristics of Saudi Arabia's approach. Rather than treating technology as a standalone industry, policymakers increasingly present digital capabilities as horizontal enablers capable of increasing productivity across virtually every sector identified in Vision 2030.

The result is a new understanding of economic value. Instead of asking how many barrels of oil the Kingdom exports, policymakers are beginning to ask how many digital transactions are processed daily, how much private capital flows into technology ventures, how many startups commercialize locally developed innovations, and how effectively data can be transformed into economic output.

Such questions would have seemed peripheral to Saudi Arabia's economic strategy only a decade ago. Today, they sit much closer to its center.

And perhaps that is the clearest indication that Saudi Arabia is pursuing something more ambitious than diversification. It is attempting to redefine the very mechanisms through which economic growth is generated.

Building the Digital Backbone: Why Infrastructure Became Saudi Arabia's New Strategic Resource

Every industrial revolution has depended on infrastructure. The railways powered the first age of industrialization. Electricity transformed manufacturing in the twentieth century. Highways connected national markets and accelerated trade. Today, the infrastructure that determines economic competitiveness is far less visible. It consists of fiber-optic cables buried beneath cities, hyperscale data centers, cloud computing platforms, artificial intelligence clusters, and billions of digital transactions flowing silently through secure networks every day.

Saudi Arabia recognized early that becoming a digital economy would require far more than launching government applications or encouraging online commerce. Digital services can only flourish when supported by an infrastructure capable of processing vast amounts of data securely, reliably, and at scale. In other words, before building digital businesses, the Kingdom first had to build a digital backbone.

That realization has fundamentally shaped Saudi Arabia's digital strategy over the past decade.

Unlike many countries where digital infrastructure evolved gradually through private-sector investments, Saudi Arabia adopted a coordinated national approach. Government entities, regulators, sovereign wealth funds, and global technology companies have worked simultaneously to establish the physical and regulatory foundations of the digital economy. The objective has never been limited to improving internet speeds or expanding telecommunications coverage. Instead, the Kingdom has sought to create an environment where digital businesses can emerge, scale, and compete internationally.

This explains why investments in telecommunications infrastructure have been accompanied by equally significant reforms in digital governance, cybersecurity, cloud regulation, spectrum allocation, and data management. Digital infrastructure, in the Saudi context, is viewed not as a utility but as a productive economic asset capable of attracting investment, reducing transaction costs, and increasing national competitiveness.

The impact of this strategy becomes particularly evident when examining how businesses now operate. A startup launching today in Riyadh enters a fundamentally different environment than one established only ten years ago. Cloud services can be deployed almost instantly. Payment systems are increasingly integrated. Government licensing has become significantly faster. Digital identity solutions simplify customer onboarding, while advanced logistics and communications networks enable companies to reach customers across the Kingdom with unprecedented efficiency.

For entrepreneurs, this infrastructure removes many of the barriers that once slowed business creation. For investors, it reduces operational risk. For multinational corporations, it provides the confidence to establish regional operations capable of serving broader Middle Eastern markets.

In many respects, infrastructure has become Saudi Arabia's most important competitive advantage.

This advantage extends well beyond connectivity. The Kingdom has increasingly positioned itself as a regional destination for cloud computing, recognizing that data storage and processing capacity will become as strategically important in the twenty-first century as ports, highways, and industrial zones were in previous decades.

The arrival of global technology companies reflects this shift. International cloud providers have announced significant investments in Saudi Arabia, encouraged by regulatory reforms, expanding demand, and the government's commitment to developing local digital capabilities. Rather than exporting data abroad, Saudi Arabia is gradually building the capacity to process, store, and analyze information domestically, strengthening both economic resilience and digital sovereignty.

The importance of cloud infrastructure cannot be overstated. Artificial intelligence applications require enormous computing power. Digital banking depends on secure cloud environments. Smart factories generate millions of data points daily. Autonomous transport systems rely on real-time information processing. None of these innovations can scale without robust digital infrastructure operating continuously behind the scenes.

As digital technologies become embedded across every industry, infrastructure itself begins to influence productivity. Faster networks reduce business costs. Secure cloud environments accelerate innovation. Reliable digital identity systems simplify financial transactions. Integrated government platforms reduce administrative burdens. Each improvement may appear incremental, yet together they reshape how economic activity occurs.

This transformation has also altered the relationship between the public and private sectors.

Historically, governments built roads, airports, and power stations while businesses invested in commercial opportunities. In the digital economy, these roles increasingly overlap. Governments establish digital platforms and regulatory frameworks, while private companies build products and services on top of them. The result is a more collaborative model in which public infrastructure creates opportunities for private innovation rather than replacing it.

Saudi Arabia's digital government initiatives illustrate this evolution particularly well. Instead of merely digitizing paperwork, government agencies have developed interoperable digital platforms that businesses can integrate directly into their operations. Entrepreneurs no longer spend weeks navigating administrative procedures that once required multiple physical visits to government offices. Licensing, taxation, customs, and regulatory compliance are increasingly handled through integrated digital systems, allowing companies to devote more resources to growth and innovation.

This seemingly administrative transformation carries profound economic implications. Time, after all, is one of the most valuable resources for any entrepreneur. Reducing bureaucratic friction does more than improve convenience; it lowers the cost of doing business. For startups operating with limited capital and tight timelines, these efficiencies can determine whether a company succeeds or fails.

Infrastructure has therefore become an invisible form of venture capital. Instead of financing individual companies, the government finances the environment in which thousands of companies can emerge.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Saudi Arabia's digital infrastructure strategy is that it has been designed with future technologies in mind rather than current demand alone. Investments in artificial intelligence, edge computing, high-performance cloud services, cybersecurity, and advanced connectivity anticipate an economy that does not yet fully exist but is expected to emerge over the coming decades.

This long-term perspective distinguishes infrastructure planning from many earlier digital initiatives around the world, which often focused on solving immediate administrative problems. Saudi Arabia is instead attempting to create digital capacity before demand reaches its peak, positioning itself to capture future industries rather than reacting to them after they mature elsewhere.

Yet infrastructure alone cannot produce innovation.

Fiber-optic networks do not create startups. Data centers do not invent new business models. Artificial intelligence platforms do not automatically generate globally competitive companies. They provide the conditions under which innovation becomes possible, but they cannot substitute for entrepreneurship itself.

That is where the private sector enters the story.

As Saudi Arabia's digital foundations have matured, a new generation of startups has begun transforming public investment into commercial opportunity. They are not merely benefiting from the Kingdom's digital transformation; increasingly, they are becoming the mechanism through which that transformation reaches consumers, businesses, and global markets.

The digital backbone may have been built by national strategy, but its true economic value will ultimately be measured by the companies that grow upon it.

The Startup Layer: Where National Strategy Meets Entrepreneurial Innovation

Governments can build infrastructure. They can modernize regulations, invest in artificial intelligence, establish cloud regions, and digitize public services. Yet history has consistently shown that governments rarely create the innovations that transform everyday economic life. Those breakthroughs almost always emerge from entrepreneurs who recognize market inefficiencies long before policymakers do.

Saudi Arabia appears to understand this distinction. While much international attention has focused on the Kingdom's multi-billion-dollar investments in digital infrastructure and flagship projects such as NEOM, an equally significant transformation has been unfolding within its entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over the past decade, startups have evolved from peripheral players into one of the principal instruments through which the Kingdom's digital ambitions are being translated into commercial reality.

This shift represents a fundamental change in how economic development is being pursued.

For decades, economic growth in Saudi Arabia was largely driven by public expenditure. Government investments created industries, generated employment, and stimulated private activity. Today's digital economy, however, operates according to different rules. Innovation moves too quickly to be directed exclusively through public institutions. Consumer preferences evolve faster than regulation. Technologies become obsolete within years rather than decades. Under these conditions, entrepreneurship becomes not merely desirable but indispensable.

The Kingdom's role, therefore, has gradually evolved from being the primary driver of economic activity to becoming an enabler of entrepreneurial innovation.

This philosophy is increasingly visible across the Saudi startup landscape.

Rather than attempting to build digital services directly, public institutions have concentrated on creating the conditions in which private companies can solve market problems more efficiently. The result is an ecosystem where government provides the infrastructure, regulatory certainty, and access to capital, while entrepreneurs compete to create scalable solutions for consumers and businesses alike.

It is a relationship that has become one of the defining characteristics of Saudi Arabia's digital transformation.

Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in electronic commerce.

Only a decade ago, launching an online retail business in Saudi Arabia presented significant logistical and operational challenges. Payment systems remained fragmented. Small businesses struggled to establish digital storefronts. Inventory management, shipping integration, customer analytics, and marketing tools were often inaccessible or prohibitively expensive for entrepreneurs.

Today, much of that complexity has disappeared.

Companies such as Salla and Zid have fundamentally changed how commerce operates across the Kingdom. Rather than simply providing website-building software, these platforms have developed integrated ecosystems that allow thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises to establish digital businesses with unprecedented speed. Payments, logistics, inventory management, marketing automation, customer engagement, and analytics are increasingly delivered through unified digital platforms, lowering the barriers to entrepreneurship for an entirely new generation of business owners.

In doing so, these companies have accomplished something larger than technological innovation. They have democratized access to entrepreneurship itself.

A similar transformation has occurred within financial technology.

Traditional banking systems often struggle to serve rapidly evolving digital businesses whose operational models differ significantly from conventional enterprises. Fintech startups have emerged precisely because they can respond more quickly to changing customer expectations.

Companies such as Tamara, which pioneered the rapid adoption of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services across the Gulf, have redefined consumer finance for younger generations accustomed to seamless digital experiences. Rather than viewing finance as a standalone banking product, these companies have embedded financial services directly into digital commerce, shortening purchasing journeys and expanding access to credit.

The significance of this innovation extends beyond consumer convenience.

Embedded finance fundamentally changes how money circulates within the economy. Transactions become faster, merchants experience improved cash flow, consumers gain greater purchasing flexibility, and digital commerce accelerates. What appears to be a simple payment option ultimately increases economic activity across multiple sectors simultaneously.

Equally transformative has been the emergence of Saudi startups specializing in artificial intelligence.

While much global discussion surrounding AI continues to revolve around large language models and consumer-facing applications, several Saudi companies have chosen a different path, focusing on enterprise solutions tailored to regional markets.

Companies such as Mozn have demonstrated how artificial intelligence can address highly specialized challenges in financial crime detection, compliance, fraud prevention, and risk management. Their success illustrates an important evolution within Saudi entrepreneurship. Rather than replicating Silicon Valley consumer applications, an increasing number of Saudi startups are developing technologies designed to solve complex business and institutional problems.

This transition from consumer applications to enterprise technology represents a critical milestone in any innovation ecosystem.

It indicates that entrepreneurship is beginning to create intellectual property rather than simply adapting existing business models.

A similar trend can be observed in companies like Lucidya, whose artificial intelligence platform enables organizations to analyze Arabic-language digital conversations across social media and online channels. By developing technologies specifically optimized for Arabic, Lucidya addresses a challenge largely overlooked by many global software providers.

Its competitive advantage lies not merely in technology, but in contextual understanding.

This highlights another defining characteristic of Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem. Increasingly, local companies are identifying opportunities that international competitors cannot easily replicate because they require deep familiarity with regional languages, consumer behavior, regulatory frameworks, and business culture.

In many ways, localization itself has become a strategic advantage.

The construction and industrial sectors offer another compelling example.

Saudi Arabia's unprecedented investment in megaprojects has created demand for digital solutions capable of improving safety, productivity, and operational efficiency. Companies such as WakeCap have responded by integrating wearable technologies and real-time analytics into construction sites, enabling project managers to monitor workforce movements, improve safety standards, and optimize project execution through data-driven insights.

These innovations may appear highly specialized, yet their cumulative economic impact is substantial.

Construction productivity influences infrastructure delivery. Infrastructure affects logistics. Logistics shapes manufacturing competitiveness. The ripple effects extend throughout the broader economy.

The same pattern is emerging across healthcare, education, logistics, cybersecurity, climate technology, and industrial automation.

They identify inefficiencies invisible to large institutions and transform them into scalable business opportunities.

That capacity for experimentation may ultimately become one of Saudi Arabia's greatest competitive advantages.

Unlike traditional economic development strategies, which often depend upon large industrial investments with long implementation cycles, startups compress innovation into months rather than years. New products are tested rapidly, customer feedback is incorporated continuously, and successful models scale across markets with remarkable speed.

This entrepreneurial agility has become increasingly important as digital technologies evolve faster than regulatory frameworks can adapt.

Recognizing this reality, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily not only in startups themselves but in the ecosystem surrounding them.

Events such as LEAP have evolved into global platforms connecting founders with venture capitalists, multinational technology companies, policymakers, and institutional investors. Initiatives led by Monsha'at, the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), and innovation hubs such as The Garage have sought to reduce many of the structural obstacles traditionally associated with entrepreneurship, including access to funding, mentorship, technical expertise, and international networks.

The Public Investment Fund has further reinforced this momentum by channeling significant capital into technology-focused initiatives and attracting global venture investors to the Kingdom.

The cumulative effect is becoming increasingly visible. Saudi Arabia is no longer merely producing successful startups. It is beginning to produce an innovation economy. A startup ecosystem measures the number of companies created.

An innovation economy measures how effectively those companies reshape productivity, generate intellectual property, attract global capital, and create entirely new industries.

Saudi Arabia appears increasingly focused on the latter.

Yet becoming the Middle East's first truly digital economy will require more than a vibrant startup ecosystem. It will require demonstrating that digital technologies can transform not only new companies, but also traditional industries that continue to account for the overwhelming majority of national output.

The next phase of Saudi Arabia's transformation, therefore, may prove to be its most difficult: extending digital innovation beyond startups and embedding it into the wider economy, from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare, tourism, mining, and energy itself.

Mohamed Ramzy

Egypt's fintech sector is undergoing a period of rapid transformation, driven by the expansion of digital transformation, growing adoption of non-banking financial services, and continuous improvements to the regulatory landscape. These developments have enabled startups to introduce increasingly innovative solutions that address the evolving needs of both consumers and businesses.

Amid these changes, competition among fintech companies is no longer limited to offering payment or financing services. It has expanded to include the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics to build integrated financial platforms that deliver more seamless and personalized user experiences.

Klivvr is one of the companies embracing this shift. In a relatively short period, it has evolved from a digital financial services platform into a comprehensive financial ecosystem that combines payments, consumer finance, cards, and intelligent financial services, with technology serving as the primary driver of its growth.

In this interview, Sharikat Mubasher spoke to Omar Sherif, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Klivvr, who discussed the company's growth trajectory, the role of artificial intelligence in shaping its products, the impact of support from Orascom Financial Holding, as well as his outlook on the future of fintech and Klivvr's expansion plans.

Klivvr has grown rapidly in a short period. How would you assess the company's performance today?

Since launching Klivvr, our objective has been to build a customer base driven by genuine engagement rather than simply increasing the number of registered users. We have focused on developing services that make the app an essential part of customers' everyday financial lives, and that strategy has clearly translated into strong usage metrics.

Today, the platform serves more than 700,000 users, including approximately 250,000 monthly active users, while around 25,000 customers use the app every day. We consider these figures far more meaningful than the total number of registered users because they reflect the extent to which customers rely on the platform for their daily financial transactions.

Going forward, we will continue expanding our user base while enhancing our services, all while maintaining the high-quality user experience that defines Klivvr.

Klivvr is backed by Orascom Financial Holding. How has this support accelerated the company's growth?

Being part of Orascom Financial Holding, together with the involvement of Onsi Sawiris as a co-founder, has added tremendous value to Klivvr since its inception. This goes beyond strengthening customer confidence; it has also provided us with invaluable strategic business expertise.

His continued participation in discussing the company's strategy, combined with his extensive network, has helped accelerate our growth and opened up new opportunities for Klivvr.

We see this relationship as much more than a financial investment. It is a genuine strategic partnership that actively contributes to building and developing the company.

Klivvr aims to build a fully integrated financial platform. How have the company's services evolved?

From the outset, our vision was never to offer a single service, whether in payments or financing. Instead, we set out to build a comprehensive financial ecosystem that addresses customers' diverse financial needs through one application.

The launch of our payment cards marked an important milestone in driving daily engagement with the platform. The cards now serve as a payment tool alongside our consumer finance services, enabling users to manage a significant portion of their financial activities within a single platform.

We are also preparing to launch a new feature that will allow customers to access their approved consumer finance credit limit directly through their cards, once we receive the necessary regulatory approvals.

Artificial intelligence has become a major focus across the fintech industry. How is Klivvr leveraging AI?

Artificial intelligence is now one of our top investment priorities because it has become a fundamental component of financial services improvement and customer experience enhancement.

We use AI technologies to deliver a more personalized experience for every user by analyzing financial behavior and recommending products and offers that best match individual needs.

AI also plays a key role in assessing creditworthiness and managing risk, helping us make better financing decisions while reducing default rates. In addition, these technologies support our internal teams by improving operational efficiency and accelerating product development.

From our perspective, artificial intelligence will become the cornerstone of the fintech industry over the coming years because of its ability to enhance efficiency while delivering faster, smarter, and more accurate financial services.

How do you view the growth opportunities in the Egyptian market?

The Egyptian market remains our largest growth opportunity. We believe the fintech sector is still in its early stages, and there are broad customer segments that have yet to benefit fully from digital financial services.

That is why we have invested heavily in building a robust technology infrastructure that enables us to scale quickly and efficiently within Egypt, while continuously developing products and services that meet customers' evolving needs.

What about Klivvr's plans to expand beyond Egypt?

Regional expansion is certainly part of our long-term strategy, but it is not our immediate priority. For now, our focus remains on achieving our objectives within the Egyptian market.

When we decide to enter new markets, expansion will not be pursued for its own sake. Instead, we will adopt the model that creates the greatest value, whether through organic growth, strategic partnerships, or acquisitions, depending on the characteristics of each market and the opportunities it presents.

How do you see Klivvr's future as the fintech industry continues to evolve rapidly?

Over the coming period, we will continue investing in technology and product innovation while expanding our customer base and strengthening our position in the Egyptian market.

We firmly believe that the future of financial services will be increasingly driven by data and artificial intelligence. That is why we continue investing in these technologies to deliver smarter, more efficient, and more user-friendly solutions that enhance the customer experience and support Klivvr's long-term growth.

Translation by: Ghada Ismail

Noha Gad

Artificial intelligence is making business faster, smarter, and more efficient, paving the way for groundbreaking developments in recent years. Though most innovations have been positive, the rise of AI has also led to the emergence of deepfakes that are used for more harmful purposes, including fraud and deception.

Deepfake attacks can target executives, finance teams, employees, and even customers, leading to financial losses, reputational damage, and security breaches, representing a business risk that can manipulate decisions. That is why it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to understand how these attacks work and how to protect themselves from them.

What are deepfake attacks?

A deepfake attack is a cyber-enabled deception where AI creates or alters audio, video, or images to convincingly impersonate a real person. Creating a deepfake is a complex process requiring vast amounts of data and computing power to help AI learn how to replicate the person's voice, appearance, and mannerisms. These digitally altered likenesses have the potential to reshape public opinion, damage reputations, and even sway political landscapes.

Generative adversarial networks (GANs) are clear examples of deepfakes. A GAN can be thought of as two AI systems in a digital tug-of-war. One AI, the generator, tries to generate fake content that looks real. The other, the discriminator, judges whether the content is real or fake. As the process iterates countlessly, each round makes the fake content more and more difficult to distinguish.

Deepfakes are at a crossroads between being a remarkable technological breakthrough and acting as a tool for deception. On one side, they offer exciting possibilities for the creative industries, such as filmmaking, gaming, and virtual reality. On the other side, their potential for abuse in spreading misinformation or malicious content cannot be ignored.

Why are startups especially exposed to deepfake attacks?

Startups need to treat deepfake attacks as a real business issue from the beginning, not something to address only after an incident happens. Unlike larger companies, startups usually have fewer layers of review. A fake message, voice note, or video from a founder, investor, or senior leader can be enough to trigger an urgent transfer, share sensitive data, or approve an action without enough checks.

Founders and executives usually share a lot of content across social media, interviews, webinars, and podcasts, which gives attackers material to imitate their voice, face, or style of speaking. At the same time, many startups do not yet have strong security policies or dedicated training, making them easier targets.

How can startups prepare for a deepfake attack?

The best defense against deepfake attacks is a mix of people, process, and technology. Companies should require multi-factor authentication, use callback verification for sensitive requests, and set clear approval rules for payments, data access, and executive instructions. Auditing the AI tool stack is a primary step to get ready and prevent deepfake attacks. Startups must find out the tools that teams actually use, as every voice note or video uploaded to these apps can be at risk of becoming training data for someone’s future scam. 

Startups should also require multi-factor authentication, use callback verification for sensitive requests, and set clear approval rules for payments, data access, and executive instructions. Employee training is also essential, as teams need to know how to spot warning signs, such as urgent messages, unusual tone or phrasing, and requests that bypass normal procedures. 

Building a response plan is another key step to prevent deepfake attacks. The plan should define who handles the issue, how it gets escalated, and how the company communicates internally and externally if a fake message or video spreads. It also helps to prepare templates in advance for internal alerts and public clarification.

Founders and early employees should be extra cautious about messages that claim to come from investors, partners, or executives. A small startup can lower its risk significantly by creating a culture where verification is normal, and no one feels pressured to act quickly without checking first.

Deepfake attacks are no longer a distant threat or a problem reserved for large corporations. As AI becomes more accessible, startups and businesses of all sizes must assume that fake audio, video, and images can be used to impersonate trusted people and manipulate critical decisions. By combining employee awareness, clear verification procedures, strong authentication, and a prepared response plan, startups can build a much stronger defense against deepfake attacks.

Ghada Ismail

A decade ago, artificial intelligence was largely viewed as a futuristic technology discussed in research laboratories and Silicon Valley boardrooms. Today, it writes code, detects diseases, powers government services, personalizes shopping experiences, and helps businesses make decisions in seconds. AI has rapidly evolved from a niche innovation into a transformative force that is reshaping industries and economies across the globe.

Every year on 16 July, Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day celebrates these technological advances and the people driving them forward. Yet for Saudi Arabia, the occasion represents something even more significant. It is an opportunity to reflect on how artificial intelligence has become a central pillar of the Kingdom's economic transformation, driving innovation, attracting global investment, and creating entirely new industries under Vision 2030.

Rather than simply adopting AI technologies developed elsewhere, Saudi Arabia has pursued a far more ambitious goal: building an ecosystem where artificial intelligence can be developed, governed and commercialized at scale. In just a few years, the Kingdom has laid the foundations for an AI-powered economy through national strategies, digital infrastructure, talent development and partnerships with some of the world's leading technology companies.

From Vision 2030 to an AI Economy

Saudi Arabia's AI ambitions are rooted in Vision 2030, the national blueprint launched to diversify the economy beyond oil and position innovation at the heart of future growth. While digital transformation has long been a priority, artificial intelligence has evolved into one of the Kingdom's most strategic investments, underpinning everything from government services and healthcare to finance, manufacturing, and education.

A defining milestone came in 2019 with the establishment of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), which was tasked with leading the Kingdom's AI and data agenda. The following year, the launch of the National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI) provided a comprehensive roadmap for developing AI capabilities, attracting investment, fostering innovation and creating a globally competitive digital economy.

Since then, Saudi Arabia has consistently demonstrated that AI is not merely a technology initiative but a national development strategy. The Kingdom has introduced policies to encourage innovation, developed governance frameworks for the responsible use of AI and invested heavily in the digital infrastructure needed to support increasingly sophisticated technologies.

This long-term commitment has translated into measurable international recognition. Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the Government Strategy pillar of Tortoise Media's Global AI Index, an assessment that measures the strength of national AI policies, governance structures, public investment, and implementation. The ranking reflects more than ambitious targets. It recognizes the Kingdom's establishment of SDAIA, the rollout of the National Strategy for Data and AI, dedicated AI governance frameworks, sustained investment in digital infrastructure, and coordinated efforts to embed AI across government and industry. Together, these initiatives have positioned Saudi Arabia among the world's most proactive governments in developing a national AI ecosystem.

Saudi Arabia's AI by the Numbers

The scale of Saudi Arabia's ambitions is reflected in both its investments and expected economic impact. According to PwC, artificial intelligence is projected to contribute US$135.2 billion to the Kingdom's economy by 2030, equivalent to approximately 12.4% of GDP, making it the highest projected AI-driven economic contribution among Middle Eastern economies and one of the highest globally. Since establishing the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in 2019, the Kingdom has launched the National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI), introduced the Arabic large language model ALLAM, established HUMAIN to accelerate AI infrastructure and innovation, and expanded AI applications across healthcare, finance, education, logistics, manufacturing, and government services. Alongside these initiatives, Saudi Arabia has introduced AI ethics principles and governance frameworks, demonstrating that its AI agenda extends well beyond technology adoption to encompass policy, talent development, infrastructure, and long-term economic transformation.

Saudi Startups Are Driving the Next Wave

Government initiatives may have laid the foundation, but Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem is increasingly becoming one of the strongest drivers of AI innovation.

A growing number of startups are demonstrating that the Kingdom is moving beyond AI adoption to AI creation. Rather than simply integrating off-the-shelf technologies, these companies are developing solutions tailored to regional markets and real business challenges.

Mozn has emerged as one of Saudi Arabia's leading AI companies, using machine learning to combat financial crime, strengthen compliance and support smarter risk management for financial institutions. Lucidya has built one of the region's most advanced AI-powered customer intelligence platforms, helping businesses analyze Arabic-language conversations across social media and digital channels to better understand consumer behavior.

Meanwhile, Intelmatix is applying artificial intelligence to enterprise decision-making, enabling organizations to optimize operations and improve strategic planning through predictive analytics. Companies such as Salla and Zid are also embedding AI into e-commerce platforms, while startups across healthcare, logistics, cybersecurity and retail continue introducing AI-powered products designed specifically for regional markets.

The Next Frontier Is Trust

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly sophisticated, experts believe the next stage of AI adoption will depend less on algorithms themselves and more on the quality, security, and resilience of the data that powers them.

According to Tim Pfaelzer, Senior Vice President and General Manager for EMEA at Veeam, organizations are entering what he describes as the "agentic era," where AI systems are evolving beyond simple assistants into autonomous digital workers capable of making decisions and performing tasks with minimal human intervention.

"AI is revolutionizing how organizations unlock value from their data, providing instantaneous insights and uncovering opportunities that were previously out of reach," Pfaelzer says.

He believes this shift is fundamentally changing how businesses operate.

"These agents are becoming autonomous, 24/7 digital workforces, scaling productivity and accelerating decision-making."

The scale of investment reflects this growing confidence. According to Pfaelzer, hyperscale technology companies have collectively invested more than US$650 billion to build the infrastructure supporting the next generation of AI innovation. At the enterprise level, adoption is accelerating rapidly, with 88% of organizations already piloting AI agents across their technology environments.

Yet despite this enthusiasm, readiness remains a significant challenge.

According to Veeam's research, only around 7% of organizations currently possess the foundational capabilities required to be genuinely AI-ready.

For Pfaelzer, the problem is not artificial intelligence itself—it is the quality of the data feeding these systems.

"The lack of visibility into data can cause AI models and agents to act on incomplete, outdated or inaccurate information, leading to unreliable outcomes at machine speed."

To address this challenge, Pfaelzer argues that organizations must establish what he describes as a "trust layer" built on complete data visibility, governance and resilience.

"By ensuring AI agents are powered by secure, accurate and readily recoverable data, businesses can unlock AI's full potential without allowing it to become their Achilles' heel."

For Saudi Arabia, this approach aligns closely with its broader AI strategy, which emphasizes responsible innovation alongside rapid technological advancement. As the Kingdom continues expanding AI adoption, building trustworthy and resilient data ecosystems may prove just as important as developing increasingly powerful AI models.

Celebrating Progress While Preparing for the Future

Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day is often viewed as a celebration of technological breakthroughs. Saudi Arabia's story offers a broader and more compelling perspective.

The Kingdom's AI journey demonstrates that meaningful progress requires far more than sophisticated algorithms or headline-grabbing investments. It depends on long-term national planning, modern digital infrastructure, responsible governance, strategic partnerships and, above all, people capable of transforming innovation into real economic and social value.

Over the past several years, Saudi Arabia has methodically laid these foundations. Through Vision 2030, it has established national AI strategies, built world-class infrastructure, nurtured a vibrant startup ecosystem, attracted global technology leaders and accelerated AI adoption across sectors that directly affect the lives of millions of people.

The next phase of this journey will likely be defined not by the size of AI models or the speed of technological breakthroughs, but by how effectively artificial intelligence improves productivity, enhances public services, empowers businesses, and creates sustainable economic growth.

As the world marks Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day, Saudi Arabia is celebrating more than the rise of a transformative technology. It is celebrating the emergence of an AI ecosystem built with a long-term vision; one that is positioning the Kingdom not simply to participate in the global AI revolution, but to help shape its future.

Mohamed Ramzy

Since its launch in the Egyptian market a few years ago, Klivvr has focused on building an integrated financial platform that combines payments, consumer financing, and rewards within a single application. Having surpassed EGP 1.2 billion in shareholder investments, the company is now gearing up for a new growth phase centered on investing more in technology and AI and expanding its innovative financing solutions.

In a short period, Klivvr has successfully built a financing portfolio worth EGP 1.5 billion, while expanding its network to include more than 700,000 users and over 1,000 partners and merchants. The company plans to invest an additional $10 million over the next two years to expand its customer base, financing portfolio, and partner network.

In an exclusive interview with Sharikat Mubasher, Nils Bachtler, Co-Founder and CEO of Klivvr, discussed the company’s strategy for the upcoming period, its investment plans, and its vision for the future of AI in the financial sector, as well as its growth and expansion targets within and beyond Egypt.

Klivvr was launched with a capital of EGP 100 million, with plans to reach EGP 500 million. Where does the company currently stand on these targets? And do you plan to increase capital over the next period to support growth and expansion plans?

We already achieved this target, as total shareholder investments in Klivvr have surpassed EGP 1.2 billion ($25 million), a milestone that reflects investors’ confidence in our business model and growth plans.

We plan to invest an additional $10 million over the next two years to continue developing the platform, enhancing the technological infrastructure, and launching new services.

How will Klivvr secure these new investments and how will it deploy them?

We will secure these investments from existing shareholders, not through new funding rounds or from additional investors.

From day one, Klivvr has bet on technology as the primary engine of its growth, and we still believe that investing in technology is the fastest way to build a more intelligent financial platform. Therefore, we will dedicate the largest share of the investment to developing digital infrastructure and AI, alongside launching more advanced products that enhance user experience.

Klivvr obtained final approvals to launch consumer financing activity in the Egyptian market. How do you assess the performance of this activity since its launch, and what level of demand have you witnessed so far?

We obtained the consumer financing license in April 2025 and officially launched the service in June 2025. Within a short period, the financing portfolio reached nearly EGP 1.5 billion, reflecting growing demand for our services.

Our focus is not limited to increasing financing volume alone; we are also working on diversifying financing products to meet the needs of different customer segments. Among the products we are currently developing are automotive financing solutions, as well as high-value financing programs that meet customers’ significant needs through flexible, convenient plans.

Today, Klivvr’s network includes more than 1,000 partners and merchants, spanning payment networks, financing partners, and merchants. This offers customers broader options to benefit from Klivvr’s services across the Egyptian market.

Klivvr launched ‘K·ai’ as the first AI-powered assistant in fintech applications in Egypt. How do you expect this product to transform customer experience?

From the outset, we noticed that a large segment of customers faces difficulty in understanding financial products or comparing different offers, which can lead to making decisions that do not align with their needs or capabilities. Hence, we designed ‘K.ai’ to be a personal AI-powered financial assistant that responds to users’ inquiries, explains financial products in a simple way, compares different financing options, and clarifies fees and requirements, thereby helping them make more informed financial decisions.

Within a short period of launching the service, we noticed a clear reduction in the pressure on customer service centers, as customers are now able to access all information they need directly through the application.

We also believe that AI will completely transform the future of financial services; thus, we will continue to invest in developing this technology and adding more features that make the user experience more intelligent and personalized.

With over 700,000 users and a remarkable growth in financing portfolio and activity since launch, what are Klivvr’s targets for the next two years? 

We do not measure growth solely by the number of customers, but rather by our ability to build an integrated financial ecosystem that delivers real value to the user. Accordingly, over the next two years, we aim to double our customer base, expand the financing portfolio and partner network, and launch new services.

Achieving these targets will depend on continuing to invest in technology and AI, strengthening the digital infrastructure, developing new financing solutions, and expanding the partner network. This will enable us to reach larger customer segments and enhance the daily usage of Klivvr’s platform.

What are Klivvr’s regional expansion plans for the upcoming years, notably in key markets, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

With regard to geographic expansion, the Egyptian market remains our top priority, given the significant growth opportunities it offers; however, we expect regional expansion to begin after 2028.

We have not yet decided on a model for entering foreign markets. This can be through strategic partnerships, acquisitions, or launching new operations. The most suitable model will be decided based on the nature of each market and the opportunities available at the time of implementation.

Translated by: Noha Gad