Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Aya (KSA/FashionTech) secured $7M Series A to scale its real-time fashion model and expand its demand-driven production platform across new fashion and lifestyle categories in the GCC

Skipr (UAE/AI Infrastructure) secured $2M Seed to advance sovereign AI infrastructure and deploy its programmable governance layer across national and enterprise projects

Ray (UAE/UrbanTech) secured $1.2M Seed to scale its tap-to-pay powerbank sharing network across the UAE and expand into high-traffic hubs across the GCC

Reme-D (Egypt/BioTech) raised $500K to scale its room-temperature molecular diagnostics and cut testing costs across Africa and the Middle East

Qatar Investment Authority backed Plata’s $405M Series C as the Latin American digital bank reached a $5B valuation and scaled its banking operations across the region

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Snoonu (Qatar) launched Startup Factory and kicked it off with a $100K Pre-Seed for SUFRA AI to back local founders and strengthen Qatar’s early-stage innovation pipeline

Saudi Public Investment Fund injected another $550M into Lucid to support EV production in the Kingdom and deepen its long-term bet on next-generation mobility

Homegrown Ventures (UAE) closed an oversubscribed $22.8M fund to back early-stage consumer brands and build MENA’s first dedicated VC platform for CPG and FMCG startups

Edafa Venture acquired Egypt’s Cyclex in a six-figure deal to scale waste-to-value operations and deepen its circular economy footprint in the region

Tamatem acquired Playable Factory to build an AI-first gaming and ad tech ecosystem and strengthen monetization, distribution, and user acquisition infrastructure across MENA

CE-Ventures (UAE) scored a major biotech exit through Eli Lilly’s $300M acquisition of CrossBridge Bio, validating its early bet on next-generation cancer therapeutics

Bahrain deployed a $19B support package to shield banks, businesses, and households from regional conflict spillover and preserve financial system stability

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

UAE launched the Young UAE Merchants Award to foster youth entrepreneurship and build practical business and financial skills among the next generation

Omantel Accelerator tapped eight startups for its 7th cohort, deepening its focus on AI, FinTech, cybersecurity, and digital health in Oman

Egypt moved to activate its Startup Charter through a new executive program designed to boost startup survival, accelerate growth, and strengthen global competitiveness

Homs University launched an ICT incubator to fuel Syria’s next wave of tech startups and help young founders turn digital ideas into viable businesses

Libya pushed to launch university incubators to back 1,000 new entrepreneurs and connect academic talent with the country’s startup and digital economy ambitions

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Woliz (Morocco) was crowned FinTech & Blockchain Champion at GITEX Africa 2026 for building digital infrastructure that formalizes and empowers Africa’s micro-retail economy

Raedbots (Egypt) launched as MENA’s first homegrown industrial robotics manufacturer, bringing lower-cost automation and locally built robotic systems to regional factories

Tabby secured a Central Bank license to launch a digital wallet and expand beyond BNPL into spending accounts, cards, and money management tools

AHOY (UAE) surpassed $100M in revenue and initiated talks for a global AI rollout across critical infrastructure, sovereign sites, and transportation networks

Money Fellows (Egypt) entered Morocco through a Wafacash partnership to digitize Daret savings circles and expand regulated community finance tools in the market

Nana (KSA/Q-commerce) entered financial reorganization after its record funding rounds, seeking to restructure operations and continue navigating intense grocery delivery competition

More highlights → here

Techy Bytes

Dubai completed the world’s first air taxi station ahead of Joby Aviation’s commercial launch

QSS AI and Robotics (KSA) targeted 10,000 humanoid robots in a major automation push spanning hospitality, retail, logistics, and infrastructure across the Kingdom

Khalifa University developed a predictive AI brain for future 6G networks, helping operators anticipate failures, reduce congestion, and optimize network performance before issues hit

Nexus launched an AI Factory in Morocco to drive sovereign AI capabilities and build local infrastructure for enterprise and government

Egypt tapped Drone Tech to deploy AI-powered drones for environmental surveillance, pollution tracking, and smarter monitoring across its governorates

Dubai launched an AI training program for 50,000 government staff to build system-wide AI capability and accelerate adoption across the public sector

Algerian students claimed four medals at the African AI Olympiad in Tunisia

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | Events | Entrepreneurship | Proptech | Arabictech

More regions: KSA | UAE | Qatar | Egypt | Syria | Morocco | Palestine

Connect with us: Website| LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Lucky (Egypt/FinTech) raised $23M Series B to scale its consumer credit platform and expand into select North African markets

Jozo (KSA/PropTech) raised SAR 8.3M in Seed funding to expand its real estate tokenization platform and unlock fractional property ownership in the Kingdom

ZSystems (Morocco/RetailTech) raised $1.65M Seed to digitize Morocco’s $40B retail supply chain and scale its marketplace connecting brands, wholesalers, and retailers

Maison Safqa (KSA/FashionTech) landed $620K Pre-Seed to help premium and luxury brands clear overstock across the GCC without diluting brand equity

ElGoat (KSA/SportsTech) scored $266K Seed to build its skill-based football prediction platform and grow across the MENA sports gaming market

AVA (KSA/FinTech) secured strategic investment from Plug and Play Middle East to scale its IoT-enabled payment infrastructure for unattended retail and mobility sectors

WAYA Media (Egypt) secured strategic investment from Foras.ai to expand bilingual business journalism and scale its editorial, data, and video capabilities across MENA

Prosperity7 Ventures (KSA) backed NeuBird AI’s $19.3M round to support AI-powered IT operations and digital infrastructure tooling

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Falak Startups (Egypt) exited Delta Oil at 25.5x in a milestone return that highlights the value of hands-on venture building and signals growing ecosystem maturity in Egypt

Tamwilcom (Morocco) rolled out a $69M+ startup program to back 800 ventures, expand venture-building support, and strengthen Morocco’s early-stage innovation pipeline

EnerVenue targeting the Saudi market after a $300M funding round to launch pilot projects, scale long-duration energy storage, and deepen its Middle East commercial footprint

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority backed Blackstone and TPG’s private takeover of Hologic to deepen its exposure to global health tech and women’s medical innovation

Aramco Ventures (KSA) backed Via Separations’ $36M round to scale energy-efficient industrial filtration and advance heavy industry decarbonization

Dubai unveiled a $272M stimulus package to ease business costs, boost workforce flexibility, and support growth across key sectors

Qatar scrapped the physical store requirement for e-commerce licenses, lowering entry barriers for startups and formalizing online retail under a new regulatory framework

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

Propeller brought five deep-tech startups from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia to Silicon Valley through its inaugural Kernel Camp residency

Saudi Arabia launched a regulatory sandbox to fast-track proptech and urban innovation and give startups a real-world testbed for municipal and housing solutions

EFG Hermes unlocked institutional funds for retail investors on its ONE app, expanding access to professionally managed products across gold, equities, and fixed income

Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park launched BASE39 to unite the UAE’s creative sector and build a stronger platform for collaboration, talent, and innovation in Sharjah

Orange Egypt launched the Orange Social Venture Prize with €70K to support early-stage startups and advance top Egyptian winners to regional competition across Africa and the Middle East

DIFC rolled out a support package to help businesses manage short-term economic pressures through payment flexibility, fee relief, and temporary regulatory support

Jordan launched AgriTech Jordan to support startups tackling food security, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural innovation

Orange Maroc and Technopark partnered to grow AI startups in Morocco through the new AI Garden program, focused on data, cloud, and digital transformation support

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Manhat (UAE/ClimateTech) was named among the Change 100 as a top global impact startup to watch in 2026 for its sustainable water distillation technology

Snoonu (Qatar/Q-commerce) inked a deal with NAMA to give local entrepreneurs access to its platform, logistics infrastructure, and growth support services

Chari (Morocco/FinTech) powered a new digital business account for SMEs with Visa and Zazu, bringing faster onboarding and modern financial tools to Moroccan businesses

Ora Technologies (Morocco/FinTech) partnered with Mastercard and Lana Cash to launch the first international payment card issued by a Moroccan startup

ValU (Egypt/FinTech) partnered with the Egyptian government to offer instalment payments for mobile phone customs fees and reduce friction around handset compliance

Labayh (KSA/HealthTech) surpassed 3M users as it scaled mental health support across consumer, corporate, and education segments in the Kingdom

ItsRaw.ai (UAE/MarTech) launched an AI-powered PR platform to help UAE restaurants generate media coverage and tap into the country’s $1B F&B marketing market

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Scale-Beyond Growth Program | Jordan-based
A 9-month growth program for Jordan-based tech startups, offering tailored mentorship, investment readiness support, and market access to the GCC, EU, and US
Deadline: May 3

Orange Corners Sudan Cohort 9 | Sudan
A 6-month incubation program for Sudanese founders, offering one-on-one coaching, coworking access, and up to €5K in financial support
Deadline: April 30

Wiki StartUp 2026 Incubation Program | Tunisia
A tailored incubation program for entrepreneurs and startups at all stages, offering mentoring, training, coworking access, and strategic support through customized service packs
Deadline: April 30

Exel Gaming Accelerator Cohort 3 | KSA
A 16-week gaming accelerator for early-stage startups, offering up to $300K in funding, AI-focused mentorship, and direct access to investors and publishers
Deadline: May 21

TikTok x Blossom SME Empowerment Program | KSA
A hackathon and accelerator program for AI-native startups in KSA, offering funding access, expert mentorship, and TikTok-powered visibility for ambitious founders

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

Dubai launched 100 autonomous taxis across Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim, advancing its driverless mobility strategy and expanding real-world urban AV deployment

Khalifa University unveiled RF-GPT, a breakthrough AI model that translates radio signals into plain language and opens new possibilities for spectrum intelligence and AI-native wireless networks

MBZUAI launched PaperCircle, an open-source AI system to help researchers manage literature overload through automated discovery, analysis, and multi-agent paper review

Egypt tapped Microsoft for an AI overhaul of its national food subsidy system to modernize public service delivery through data and digital infrastructure

Qatar University tapped Huawei to launch AI-powered smart classrooms and build a more interactive, data-driven hybrid learning model

Saudi Ministry of Justice bet on AI to overhaul the national judiciary, aiming to improve procedural efficiency, support decision-making, and upgrade judicial services under a new institutional framework

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | Events | Entrepreneurship | Proptech | Arabictech

More regions: KSA | UAE | Qatar | Egypt | Syria | Morocco | Palestine

Connect with us: Website| LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

GAGA (KSA/EdTech) secured $2.5M Pre-Series A to scale AI-powered live learning for Arabic-speaking students across the Kingdom

MovitOn (UAE/Logistics) secured $2M in pre-sale funding to roll out its decentralized logistics infrastructure and cut cross-border shipping costs through AI and blockchain

HiT (UAE/CollectiblesTech) landed strategic backing to scale its collectibles authentication infrastructure

zypl.ai (UAE/FinTech AI) raised $5.5M bridge round at an $80M valuation to expand its synthetic data platform and enter new international markets

ADGT (UAE/FinTech) secured $250M from Blackstone to build a regulated payments infrastructure and expand globally from Abu Dhabi

GoSwap (Morocco/MobilityTech) secured Seed funding to expand its EV battery-swapping network and accelerate electric mobility adoption across North Africa

ALTÉRRA (UAE) invested in Wireless Logic to scale IoT-enabled decarbonization and accelerate emissions reduction across energy-intensive sectors

Sheikh Hamad joined Neura Robotics’ $1.2B mega-round alongside Amazon and Tether

Prosperity7 Ventures (KSA) backed Gimlet Labs Series A to advance next-generation AI infrastructure

Crescent Enterprises (UAE) co-led $30M Series C in XCath to accelerate surgical robotics R&D

Silicon Badia invested in Scalvy (USA) to address critical energy bottlenecks in compute infrastructure

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Saudi Public Investment Fund preparing a new 5-year strategy to mobilize global private capital, scale co-investment models, and accelerate international partnerships across key sectors

Phoenix Venture Partners (UAE) completed the third close of PVPIF backed by global investors, to expand early-stage tech investments in MENA

Adenia Partners (Africa) closed a $180M fund to back African SMEs, scale founder-led businesses, and drive institutional growth across the continent

Attijariwafa Bank (Morocco) exploring a strategic stake in Mistral AI to secure access to sovereign AI infrastructure and expand its role in global tech ownership

Solutions by STC (KSA) secured a $372M supercomputing deal with Aramco to deploy high-performance computing systems and accelerate AI-driven upstream operations

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

Sheraa awarded AED 500K to 12 women founders as the first Sharjah Women Impact Fellowship concluded in Sharjah

Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research launched Technology Valleys to commercialize academic research and back university-born startups

Damascus Chamber of Commerce unveiled a new economic empowerment strategy for Syrian women to expand access to funding, incubators, and mentorship

Female Fusion crowned the top UAE women entrepreneurs at its inaugural 2025 awards

Orange launched the 16th Social Ventures Prize to support impact startups across MENA and Africa

Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park processed 7,500+ licensing transactions in early 2026

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Mezza (UAE/FoodTech FinTech) launched a debt-free restaurant funding platform to provide upfront capital in exchange for dining credits, helping F&B operators scale without loans or equity dilution

Alaan (UAE/FinTech) launched an AED 3M SME relief initiative to cover utility and telecom bills, reduce operational costs, and support businesses with free access to its corporate spend platform

Ninja (KSA/Q-commerce) advanced its Tadawul IPO plans as a unicorn, expanding across the GCC and engaging global investors ahead of a potential public listing

Navid (KSA/AI) launched a human-rated Arabic text-to-speech leaderboard to benchmark voice models through native speaker evaluation and improve Arabic AI voice quality through open community testing

Prop-AI (UAE/PropTech) launched the Dubai Deal Index to track real estate market data, surface pricing shifts, and help investors navigate the property market with real-time intelligence

Sham Cash (Syria/FinTech) denied a security breach amid controversy over its state adoption, defending its infrastructure as scrutiny grows around Syria’s digital payments rollout

Peekapak (EdTech) grants free access to its wellbeing platform for GCC schools, supporting student mental health and aligning with the UAE’s Year of the Family 2026

XCath (HealthTech) completed the world’s first telerobotic stroke surgery, enabling remote neurovascular procedures and advancing global access to critical care

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Zaka Agentic AI Bootcamp | Online
An 8-week AI bootcamp focused on building real-world AI agents, offering hands-on projects, certification, and practical automation skills for professionals and entrepreneurs.
Deadline: April 1

Misk Challenge for Change Program | Hybrid, KSA
A 7-week accelerator and grant program for non-profits and social enterprises, offering mentorship, bootcamps, and up to SAR 1M in funding per track.
Deadline: April 4

Aqaba Sword-Fish Fund (ASFF) | Aqaba, Jordan
An investment readiness and accelerator program for Jordanian startups, providing mentorship, business model development, and direct access to investors and strategic partners

TechnoPark AI Research Award 2026 | Birzeit, Palestine
A research competition and innovation award for Palestinian researchers, offering cash prizes, incubation opportunities, and global exposure during AI Week 2026.
Deadline: April 10

Agentic AI Challenge 2026 | Birzeit, Palestine
An AI hackathon and innovation challenge for developers, researchers, and low-code builders, offering technical mentorship, cash prizes, and exposure during Palestine AI Week.
Deadline: April 1

Social Innovation Lab 2026 | Hybrid, Yemen
A social innovation lab and incubation program for Yemeni entrepreneurs tackling Blue Economy challenges, offering a $5K equity-free grant, 3 months of incubation, and investor access.
Deadline: April 10

LaunchX Expansion Support Program | Morocco / Africa
A market entry and execution support program for corporates and investors expanding into Morocco and Africa, offering de-risking, local partner access, and hands-on growth support.

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

Morocco joined WIPO’s global AI infrastructure initiative to protect digital IP rights

NYU Abu Dhabi mapped the Sun’s hidden magnetic waves in a breakthrough discovery, enabling better space weather prediction and advancing global astrophysics research

HUMAIN (KSA/AI) partnered with Turing to launch an enterprise AI agent marketplace, enabling businesses to deploy and monetize autonomous AI workflows across functions

Louvre Abu Dhabi launched a museum curriculum portal to digitize UAE school learning, map global artworks to subjects, and integrate cultural assets into classrooms

Saudia integrated Google Find Hub to enhance baggage recovery, enabling real-time item tracking and improving airline operational efficiency

OpenAI shut down the Sora social app after six months, as user retention dropped and moderation challenges exposed limits of AI-first consumer platforms

Meta launched Meta Small Business to drive AI adoption among SMEs,

WhatsApp rolled out AI-generated chat responses and media tools to automate messaging and enhance content creation

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Property Finder (UAE/PropTech) secured $170M led by Mubadala to accelerate regional expansion, deepen data and AI capabilities, and strengthen its position

Kitopi (UAE/FoodTech) raised $50M strategic debt to fuel regional expansion, scale its franchise model, and accelerate international growth without equity dilution

Yakeey (Morocco/PropTech) secured $15M Series A to digitize real estate transactions, modernize brokerage, and expand its proptech platform across MENA

Vennre (KSA/WealthTech) closed $9.6M Pre-Series to expand Shariah-compliant access to private markets and scale its wealth platform

SkipCash (Qatar/FinTech) secured $4M Series A led by Qatar Development Bank to scale its Tap-to-Phone payment infrastructure, and expand digital payments across the GCC

Enakl (Morocco/MobilityTech) raised $2.3M Seed to scale intelligent shared transport systems and expand public and enterprise mobility deployments

Mantas (UAE/InsurTech) raised $1.77M Pre-Seed to launch parametric insurance for cloud downtime, enable automated payouts during outages, and protect from unpriced infrastructure risk

Yozo (UAE/E-commerce) raised $1.7M to build an AI-powered revenue engine that optimizes pricing, demand forecasting, and growth performance for global e-commerce brands

Declic (KSA/AI Social) secured $1M Seed to scale its AI-driven social platform, enhance creator monetization tools, and expand user engagement across regional markets

Juthor (KSA/E-commerce) secured $500K Pre-Seed to streamline multi-channel commerce operations, unify inventory, and scale its AI-driven analytics platform across KSA

Rkiza (KSA/SaaS) raised $133K Pre-Seed to accelerate early product development, expand its digital solutions portfolio, and support local businesses

Receiptable (UAE/RetailTech) secured Seed funding to digitize retail receipts, unlock post-purchase data for merchants, and modernize customer engagement across MENA

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

CedarBridge Capital (UAE) launched a $150M third fund to scale platform businesses across the GCC, with selective expansion into the UK and Europe

NowPay (Egypt/FinTech) entered the Saudi market through a $20M NowAccess joint venture to scale payroll-linked financial wellness solutions

Abwaab (Jordan) acquired Egypt’s Apex Education to expand end-to-end student services spanning tutoring, test prep, and elite global university admissions

Zahid Group (KSA) completed a $1.3B acquisition of South Africa’s Barloworld to expand its industrial footprint across Africa

Glamera (KSA) acquired Booker Group to consolidate booking, payments, and AI-powered operations across GCC

Qoyod (KSA) acquired POS platform Flavours to enter the F&B sector and integrate accounting, payments, and operations

Seventh Decimal (UAE) acquired by Ipsos to scale OOH audience measurement technology across global media and research markets

Merit Incentives (KSA) acquired Australia’s Synchro Marketing to expand globally, deepen enterprise capabilities, and accelerate Asia-Pacific growth

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

Paragon, Adeer and B-Maistro launched the $5M PropteX Accelerator to support proptech startups across Egypt, KSA, and GCC

Moroccan Government announced national AI hackathons and new digital regulations to mobilize local talent

Startup Grind Doha honoured Qatar’s top founders, startups, and ecosystem leaders at the 2025 Tech Startup Community Awards

JoPACC celebrated the graduation of JOIN Fincubator’s third cohort through a six-month incubation journey and Demo Day in Amman

UNDP, Flat6Labs, and New Silk Roads welcomed the fourth GGJAP cohort in Egypt, selecting 26 sustainability-focused SMEs

Qatar Development Bank launched the Reyada Portal to centralize advisory and training services, connect entrepreneurs with service providers, and expand SME support

AUC Venture Lab concluded its Fall 25 Demo Day, graduating 17 startups across AI, fintech, sustainability, and industrial innovation

Tasmu Accelerator graduated its third cohort in Qatar, showcasing 10 startups and generating QAR 330M+ in local sales opportunities

Flow Ventures launched Flow Angels to activate up to $2M in 2026 angel capital for Palestinian Pre-Seed and Seed startups

Leancubator ranked Algeria’s #1 incubator for 2025 after a national evaluation across 192 incubators

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

MoneyHash (UAE) partnered with Spare to enable Pay By Bank for merchants

Madak (KSA) launched a fractional ownership real estate platform under a regulatory sandbox

iSchool (Egypt) partnered with the Financial Regulatory Authority to deliver AI and technology education to employees’ children

Careem Pay (UAE) expanded its global remittance service to Egypt, Lebanon, and the Philippines

Qadi (UAE) partnered with Core42 to power the region’s first sovereign AI RegTech platform

Universal (UAE) secured Central Bank approval to launch USDU, the UAE’s first regulated USD-backed stablecoin

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global (Batch 11) | MENA
A 12-week accelerator for MENA-based tech startups with early traction, offering growth-focused mentorship, market expansion support. Deadline: March

SCALE7 Pre-Acceleration and Acceleration Programs | Hybrid
A seven-week hybrid program with two tailored tracks for creative and cultural startups, offering mentorship, ecosystem access, in-kind support, and funding of up to USD 100K. Deadline: Feb 18

Digital Incubation Center Program | Doha
A 6-month incubation program for tech and ICT startups, starting with a mandatory 4-week Idea Camp, offering mentorship, office space, and legal support

Yasmeen AI Virtual Incubator Program | Remote
A fully virtual pre-seed incubation program for Syrian founders, combining AI-powered technical support, structured training, mentorship, and cash prizes. Deadline: Feb 10

Wathba Business Accelerator | Yemen
A women-focused business accelerator supporting Yemeni female founders building digital startups, offering business development, market readiness, and sustainability training

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

Mowasalat (Karwa) completed a successful public robotaxi trial in Doha

Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence released K2 Think V2, a new open-source reasoning model with full transparency

Government of Algeria mandated a new public-sector cybersecurity framework requiring independent security units across agencies

Arabic AI and Stanford unveiled HELM Arabic, a transparent benchmarking framework to rigorously evaluate Arabic language models across open and commercial LLMs

Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah issued a landmark fatwa banning AI tools from Quranic interpretation

Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre launched a 38,000+ title Arabic digital library on Amazon

Notion launched full Arabic language support across its platform

Anthropic upgraded Claude with deep workplace integrations, including Slack, Canva, Figma, and Asana

Elon Musk weighed early merger scenarios that could combine SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI into a single tech platform

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | BIBAN

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Rain (Bahrain/FinTech) secured $250M, pushing its valuation to $1.95B, to scale stablecoin-based payments, card issuance, and instant settlement infrastructure across new markets

Mal (UAE/FinTech) secured $230M Seed to build an AI-native Islamic digital bank, advance regulatory licensing, and prepare for a phased UAE launch ahead of global expansion

Flooss (Bahrain/FinTech) secured $22M credit facility to expand Sharia-compliant digital consumer financing, scale its loan book, and strengthen AI-driven underwriting

Governata (KSA/Enterprise SaaS) closed $4M Seed to advance AI-ready data governance, align enterprise data with national regulations, and expand across KSA and MENA

Oasys Health (Egypt/HealthTech) raised $4.6M total funding to scale its AI-powered mental health operating system, automate clinical workflows, and integrate real-time biometric data into care delivery

Khosouf Studio (UAE/Gaming) secured SAR 2.2M Seed led by Merak Capital to relocate operations to KSA, scale original game IPs, and strengthen the Kingdom’s growing gaming ecosystem

Resquad AI (KSA/HRTech) raised $1.5M Seed to scale its AI-powered tech recruitment marketplace, accelerate GCC expansion, and prepare for global launch

Madeed (KSA/HealthTech) raised $400K Pre-Seed to launch a preventive health and longevity platform built on advanced biomarker testing and personalized care plans

Nutra-GreeniX (Syria/Agritech) closed $200K to expand sustainable livestock nutrition solutions, scale production capacity, and strengthen food security through clean energy-driven processes

Yamm (KSA/E-commerce) closed a seed round to automate returns, refunds, and exchanges for merchants while reducing operational friction in post-purchase workflows

Prosperity7 Ventures (KSA) backed Horizon3.ai (Global) to fortify AI datacenters and critical infrastructure using autonomous offensive security and real-world attack simulation

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

eFlow (UAE/EdTech) acquired by EDT&Partners to scale AI-powered conversational learning and expand workforce and institutional training across MENA and global markets

Jadwa Investment (KSA) launched a $200M private credit fund to expand non-bank financing, support mid-market companies, and deepen private debt markets across the GCC

Creators HQ and Alfan launched an AED 5M Social Content Fund to finance family-focused digital creators and strengthen the UAE’s purpose-driven content ecosystem

Hashgraph Ventures (UAE) pledged $1M to back African Web3 and AI startups through the Hedera Africa Hackathon

Moroccan Government unveiled its AI Made in Morocco strategy targeting $10B GDP impact, 50,000 jobs, and 200,000 AI-trained graduates by 2030

Syrian Government unveiled a new investment law aimed at attracting foreign capital, easing entry for investors, and mobilizing private sector funding for national reconstruction

Abu Dhabi Government launched L’imad, its fourth sovereign investment platform, to diversify revenues and deploy capital across strategic global sectors

Public Investment Fund consolidated its $12B gaming portfolio under Savvy Games Group to centralize ownership of global gaming assets

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

makesense MENA supported 10 Lebanese social enterprises with grants of up to $20K each through the Nabad Program

Fikra Ventures and Hub71 partnered to build and scale AI-native startups from Abu Dhabi through venture creation

Creators HQ and Amazon launched the Amazon Creators Foundry to help UAE-based creators build, launch, and scale consumer brands

Zain Kuwait concluded an immersive Silicon Valley tour for 11 MENA startups, connecting founders with global tech leaders and investors

Flow Accelerator launched Flow Ventures to bridge early-stage funding gaps and strengthen deal flow for Palestinian startups

Flat6Labs concluded the sixth Riyadh Seed Program cycle, deploying $17M+ across 60 startups and unlocking significant follow-on funding within KSA’s ecosystem

Creators HQ and 500 Global concluded the Creators Ventures Accelerator, graduating 21 creator-led startups collectively valued at $130M+

QSTP and Merck launched a FemTech Accelerator to support up to 30 deep-tech startups advancing women’s health innovation across Qatar and MENA

Risin Ventures concluded the AIX Summit and Hackathon in Doha, bringing together 300+ innovators to build enterprise-ready AI solutions for fintech, investment, and industry

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

KARTY (Qatar) secured a Payment Service Provider license from the Qatar Central Bank to expand regulated digital payments and e-money services

Botim Money (UAE) partnered with Mastercard to enable global remittances to 150+ countries

Thawani (Oman) partnered with Monak to advance embedded finance across public and private platforms

Arabic.AI partnered with Replit to launch free, fully localized Arabic coding courses

HyveGeo won the UAE FoodTech Challenge 2026 with its AI-powered tree monitoring solution supporting climate-smart food production

Syspos secured first place at the Ignyte du Business Challenge held at the Museum of the Future

Jade Autis won the Zayed Sustainability Prize for Health, recognizing its AI-powered platform for early detection and support of neurodivergent children

Granite (Egypt) secured an FRA fintech license to launch Egypt’s first fully digital money market account, enabling liquid cash management with daily returns and no lock-ins

Jisr (KSA) surpassed 700,000 users as Saudi businesses accelerate HR digitization amid strong hiring growth and expanding enterprise adoption

More highlights → here

Open For Application

SCALE7 Pre-Acceleration and Acceleration Programs Wave 6 | Hybrid/Doha
A seven-week hybrid program with two tailored tracks for creative and cultural startups, offering mentorship, ecosystem access, in-kind support, and funding of up to USD 100K

Sheraa x NAC Agriboost Incubation Program | Sharjah
A six-week agri tech incubation program for early and seed stage startups, offering AED 15K participation support, free co-working space, expert mentorship, and market access

Jada30 Jadathon Challenge | KSA
A four-day challenge at Forsati Forum supporting idea holders to build MVPs across FinTech, logistics tech, cybersecurity, real estate, and business outsourcing

Pitch Afloat by Startup Grind Doha | Doha
An invite-only pitching experience on a traditional Qatari dhow, selecting five funded growth stage startups to pitch directly to VCs and angels in a highly curated networking setting

Hult Prize Student Startup Challenge | Global
The world’s largest student startup competition offering $1M in funding, mentorship, and global networking

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub | Global
An open-access startup support platform offering up to $150K in Azure credits, free GitHub and Microsoft 365 tools, OpenAI credits, and expert mentorship

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

Dubai RTA granted Baidu Apollo Go the emirate’s first permit for fully driverless vehicle trials on public roads

Sama X secured a national license to deliver Starlink satellite internet across Bahrain

Technology Innovation Institute (UAE) released 15 Tiny Falcon open source models designed to power specialized AI use cases with high efficiency and minimal compute

Zoho launched its first UAE data centers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, strengthening data sovereignty, local compliance, and cloud performance

OpenAI acquired health records startup Torch, signed a $10B compute agreement with Cerebras, and introduced targeted ads on ChatGPT’s free tiers to fund large-scale AI deployment

Nvidia and Eli Lilly announced a $1B AI co-innovation lab to compress drug discovery timelines

Wikimedia Foundation signed paid data partnerships with Big Tech and leading AI labs to license Wikipedia content for model training

Elon Musk seeking up to $134B in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | BIBAN

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

eMushrif (Oman/Smart Mobility) secured $7.5M to expand smart school transport safety across KSA and the UAE using AI and IoT

Aamar (KSA/PropTech) closed $4M+ Seed round to automate rental operations and scale AI-powered leasing

MilkStraw AI (UAE/CloudTech) raised $2M Seed funding to scale AI-driven cloud cost optimization for high-growth startups and enterprises

FitXpert (Egypt/SportsTech) closed a strategic investment to accelerate product development and expand its vertical SaaS platform for fitness and nutrition

Business For Teens (Egypt/EdTech) secured a six-figure Pre-Seed to expand entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs for teens and scale school partnerships

Doushesh (Syria/Classifieds) closed Pre Seed to scale a safer, more trusted classifieds marketplace, strengthen infrastructure, and expand into high-value verticals like real estate and automotive

Qatar Investment Authority joined xAI’s $20B Series E alongside a global syndicate to back Grok’s scale-up, expand data center capacity, and accelerate next-generation AI model development

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Red Sea Global partnered with Bunat Ventures to launch a new AI-focused venture fund targeting 25 startups

Ethmar International Holding partnered with Guggenheim Brothers Media to launch a multi-million dollar creative fund in Abu Dhabi

NEOM backed five Saudi gaming studios through its largest Level Up accelerator cohort to scale local game development

Moroccan Government approved MAD 1.28B in funding for 89 SME investment projects expected to generate around 5,000 jobs nationwide

Badir Fund (Kuwait) backed MEVP’s Fund IV to channel growth capital into technology startups and accelerate digital transformation across MENA

Omani Government approved the launch of the Oman Global Financial Centre to attract foreign capital and accelerate financial sector-driven economic diversification

UAE Ministry of Economy unveiled major company law reforms, allowing multi-class shares for LLCs and seamless movement between free zones

Syrian Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade raised minimum capital requirements for new businesses as part of a broader effort to restructure and regulate the private sector

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

EGBANK welcomed 18 startups into the 14th cycle of its zero equity MINT Incubator, supporting founders with product validation, tailored tracks, and funding readiness

Start Smart Competition (KSA) selected 40 AI-focused ideas from 1,000 applicants to join an intensive two-month bootcamp

Field Ready unveiled an Innovation and Digital Manufacturing Lab at the University of Aleppo to enable prototyping, digital fabrication, and hands-on engineering education

Forbes Middle East featured six Moroccan leaders on its 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen list across finance, industry, and retail

Parachute16 concluded the Ghiras Accelerator Demo Day, showcasing sustainability-focused startups including iRama, Logihub, c mass, VEGO Group, and DROP ROOT

Aram Lab defined 2025 as a critical inflection point for Syria’s startup ecosystem, highlighting 200+ active ventures, rising diaspora engagement, and persistent bottlenecks in legal, payments, and infrastructure

SRTI Park launched the Base 39 Creative Accelerator in Sharjah to scale product-led ventures across design-driven industries, starting with furniture and collectible design

Orange Jordan and JoPACC united to accelerate fintech innovation and talent development through applied training, joint projects, and education

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Pay10 and Commercial Bank of Dubai launched a landmark open finance initiative to enable secure data sharing and accelerate next-generation financial services in the UAE

Abhi (UAE) partnered with LuLu Exchange to expand earned wage access and improve employee salary liquidity across the GCC

Saal.ai and Nutanix (UAE) unveiled SovereignGPT to deliver secure, compliant, and regionally hosted generative AI for governments and regulated enterprises

valU (Egypt) secured final regulatory approval to launch in Jordan

Keeta launched its on-demand delivery platform in Bahrain, marking the latest step in Meituan-backed regional expansion across the GCC

Maalexi (UAE) announced plans to launch the world’s first agricultural asset token exchange, enabling tokenized trade of real-world food commodities on blockchain infrastructure

Ziina (UAE) launched Ziina Violet, a lifestyle membership bundling everyday perks and zero FX fees

Cassbana (Egypt) partnered with Orbii to integrate AI-driven credit intelligence and expand data-powered SME lending infrastructure across MENA

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Coffee With a Mentor by Startup Grind Doha | Qatar
A weekly in-person mentorship series connecting founders with experienced mentors and investors for focused 1 on 1 feedback, networking, and guidance over coffee
Dates: Saturdays in January 2026

Orange Corners Baghdad Cohort 12 | Iraq
A fully funded six-month incubation program for early-stage Iraqi startups offering training, mentorship, co-working space, and access to investment opportunities
Deadline: February 15, 2026

Morocco Accelerator Batch 2 by Technopark & Plug and Play | Morocco
An equity-free three-month accelerator for Pre-Seed to Series A Moroccan and diaspora startups, offering global network access, 1 on 1 mentorship, office space, and IT perks to scale from local traction to international markets
Deadline: February 17, 2026

AngelSpark $100K+ Investment Cycle | Global
An angel investment opportunity for Pre Seed and Seed stage startups, offering $100K+ funding, access to 50+ angels, and a fast 24-hour decision after a live pitch

Flow Accelerator x Gaza Sky Geeks Blockchain Bootcamp | Online
An intensive online blockchain bootcamp for students, developers, and founders focused on smart contracts, dApps, mentorship, and hands-on ideation
Deadline: January 15, 2026

Oraseya Capital Zero to One Startup Pitch Competition | Dubai, UAE
A high-profile pitch competition for early-stage tech startups with UAE ties, offering an AED 100K equity-free grant and direct access to regional VCs during DUNE Venture Days
Deadline: January 31, 2026

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

Technology Innovation Institute (UAE) launched Falcon-H1 Arabic models using a hybrid Mamba Transformer architecture to push Arabic LLM performance while cutting compute needs

UAE Ministry of Education embedded AI as a formal subject from kindergarten to Grade 12 starting the 2025 to 2026 academic year

Qatar Council of Ministers Secretariat General and MCIT launched the Smart Legislative Advisor to accelerate drafting, comparison, and review of laws using AI-powered legal analysis tools

Nvidia launched Alpamayo, an open source stack of reasoning VLA models, simulation tools, and driving datasets to help teams train for rare edge case scenarios and accelerate Level 4 autonomy

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health to help users securely manage medical records and wellness data with privacy isolated from core model training

Google unveiled major AI upgrades for Gmail, including a personalized AI Inbox, conversational search, and built-in proofreading tools

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | BIBAN

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

VBooking (UAE/TravelTech) raised $5M to expand its AI-powered travel ecosystem, launch an AI concierge, and develop TUSD for commission-free cross-border payments

Lucid Capital (UAE/FinTech) closed $2.5M Seed round to scale AI-driven quantitative trading, alongside $200M in capital commitments for proprietary strategies

Oumla (KSA/FinTech) extended its seed round with participation from Wa’ed Ventures, Sanabil 500, KAUST Innovation Ventures, and Plus VC to scale sovereign digital asset infrastructure

Newera.ai (KSA/AI) closed $2.1M Pre Seed to scale enterprise-focused generative AI solutions aligned with Vision 2030

BookaHospi (KSA/HealthTech) secured strategic angel investment from Falak Angels Network to digitize cross-border healthcare recruitment and workforce management

Promamec (Morocco/HealthTech) secured $8.5M commitment from AfricInvest’s Transform Health Fund to strengthen Morocco’s national medical supply chain and expand working capital

Woliz (Morocco/CommerceTech) raised $2.2M Pre Seed from Sanlam Morocco to modernize proximity commerce and drive financial inclusion across local retail networks

LAB7 (KSA) invested in Halide Energy (Finland) to advance copper-based grid-scale battery storage technology

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Public Investment Fund sealed a landmark $55B acquisition of Electronic Arts to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position in the global gaming industry

Paragon, Adeer, and B maistro launched $5M PropteX fund to accelerate PropTech startups across Egypt, KSA, and the wider MENA region

TECOM Group invested $167M into Phase 4 of Dubai Internet City’s Innovation Hub to expand Grade A office capacity and support Dubai’s digital economy agenda

Edafa Venture Capital acquired Boutique to accelerate startup scale-up and drive regional expansion into the UAE and Egypt

International Holding Company (UAE) acquired a 70% majority stake in payments technology firm Peko Holdings to strengthen its digital services and fintech portfolio

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

General Entertainment Authority (KSA) concluded its inaugural Entertainment Innovations Challenge, awarding SAR 300K in prizes and over $1M in in in-kind support

Flat6Labs concluded the three-year StartMashreq program after supporting 4,500+ entrepreneurs and enabling $28M in startup funding across the Levant

Flow Accelerator secured over $2.3M in funding for 107 Palestinian startups in 2025 through its end-to-end incubation, acceleration, and expansion programs

Orange Corners Sudan and 249Startups secured over 500M SDG in growth funding for eight startups across agriculture, healthcare, and renewable energy

Jordanian Ministry of Digital Economy and Rainmaking launched the JoGlobal program to prepare high-potential Jordanian startups for international expansion and growth capital

Syrian Society for Startups and Research (SySSR) crowned three winning teams at the Innovative Entrepreneurship Factory finale and connected participants to incubation pathways

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

SpeakUp (UAE/EventTech/) landed a landmark investment live on The Final Pitch Dubai, becoming the only startup to sign a deal on air this season

MNT-Halan (Egypt) launched a fully digital real estate investment fund with Azimut Egypt to democratize access to property assets under FRA regulation

Anghami and Samsung (MENA) launched I Am The Scene, a regional initiative to support emerging MENA artists through mobile-first music creation and mentorship

Fin-Game (Egypt/FinTech) claimed first place at ElevateLab Demo Day for its gamified financial literacy platform targeting Gen Z users

valU (Egypt/FinTech) partnered with Tactful AI to unify customer experience across WhatsApp, web, app, and social channels using AI-driven engagement tools

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Flow Accelerator Formation & Development Cycle 5 | Palestine
A pre-incubation and incubation program for early-stage founders from idea to MVP, offering structured validation, product development support, and expert mentorship
Deadline: January 8, 2026

SEF x 1TANK Pitch Competition | Sharjah
A high-impact pitch competition for market-ready startups at Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival, offering an AED200K equity-free grant pool, investor exposure, and mentorship
Deadline: January 8, 202

Egypt AI & IoT Challenge – 10th Edition | Egypt
A nationwide innovation challenge for startups, senior university students, and STEM students building AI and IoT solutions across smart cities, healthcare, mobility, agriculture, and commerce

Hitachi eMobility Startup Challenge 2026 | Global
A corporate innovation and PoC program for eMobility startups and scaleups, offering PoC funding, executive access to Hitachi leadership, mentorship, and global visibility
Deadline: January 15, 2026

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

Presight (UAE) secured a $118.5M multi-year deal to build Albania’s nationwide AI-powered smart nation infrastructure

Elon Musk discussed AI strategy and future ventures with UAE leadership amid growing Gulf investment and SpaceX IPO speculation

Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies unveiled the DALLA open source framework to cut Arabic AI training and inference costs by up to 75%

MCIT and Microsoft partnered to accelerate SME digital transformation through the SMEs Go Digital program, aligned with Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030

Syrian Association for AI and Entrepreneurship launched as the country’s first official AI body to drive practical AI skills, training, and tech entrepreneurship

Dubai Charitable Activities Department greenlit cryptocurrency donations for all registered charities, modernising philanthropy and expanding digital giving channels

Sama X secured regulatory approval to roll out Starlink satellite internet across Jordan, extending high-speed connectivity to remote and underserved areas

BioEnergy Arabia (KSA) unveiled a scalable waste-to-energy technology at KFUPM to convert used cooking oil into biofuel, advancing circular economy solutions

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | BIBAN

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Noon secured $500M backed by PIF to strengthen its regional platform, scale logistics, and advance plans for a potential IPO

Premialab (UAE/Analytics) secured $220M in growth funding led by KKR to accelerate global expansion

Planys Technologies (UAE/Robotics) secured $12M to expand its underwater robotics and AI-powered inspection solutions across the Middle East

VOLZ (Algeria/TravelTech) closed a record 600M DZD, approximately $5M, to expand across Africa

iVoiceUp (Egypt/AI/SaaS) secured funding from A15 to scale its AI-powered compliance and whistleblowing platform across MENA

Relik (UAE/AI) secured seed funding from regional investors, including KBW Ventures, to scale its AI-driven authentication platform

Orion (KSA/FinTech) closed a pre-seed round to accelerate its AI-driven algorithmic trading platform

Nawah Scientific (Egypt/DeepTech L) raised $23M to expand its scientific research infrastructure across Egypt, KSA, and Africa

Falak Angels Network (KSA) invested in Ballurh to support the scale-up of its AI-powered restaurant SaaS platform

QPioneers (KSA/AI/SaaS) secured its first funding round from Q Fund to build an AI-powered operating system for startups

Croptimus (Egypt/AgriTech) secured an investment from VentureX to scale its regenerative agriculture platform

Rasmal Ventures (Qatar) led a $12M Series A investment in Roamless to back the scale-up of its borderless eSIM infrastructure

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

MGX (UAE) joined Oracle and Silver Lake in a landmark deal to acquire TikTok’s US operations

Moroccan Government launched a 1.3B dirham strategy to support 3,000 startups by 2030 through venture building, VC funding, and Technopark expansion

MSMEDA and Reefy partnered on a $6.3M financing program to support 3,000 micro enterprises across Egypt

Tunisian Government launched the €5M Watani initiative to support early-stage startups, strengthen regional ecosystems, and mobilise diaspora talent

Two Point Zero Group (UAE) acquired full ownership of Maseera to accelerate product integration across its consumer fintech ecosystem

Miral launched the Miral Impact Fund in partnership with Ma’an to drive measurable social and environmental impact in UAE

Global Alliance committed $120M through a UAE-based feeder fund to back startups in India’s Kerala ecosystem

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

ITHCA Group launched a cross-border accelerator and venture investment partnership to help Omani startups enter the Saudi market, offering up to $100K per startup

UAE Government issued the country’s first license for online gaming and sports wagering through the GCGRA

Palestine joined the €1M EU-backed YIELD project to support youth-led deep tech startups in the blue, green, and circular economy

Khalifa Fund and Hub71 partnered to launch the MZN Hub71 Programme in Al Ain, supporting 10 to 15 Emirati-founded startups

Qatar FinTech Hub unveiled a new funding and Lab Model at its 7th Demo Day, introducing grants of up to QAR 1.5M, increased early-stage investments, and a hands-on pathway to regulatory sandbox

Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund unveiled its 10th cohort of AI-driven startups spanning legal tech, healthcare, consumer platforms, and media

Jusoor and Startup Syria launched the LAUNCHPAD investment readiness residency to prepare early-stage Syrian startups for regional funding

Saudi Ministry of Interior and Tuwaiq Academy concluded the world’s largest hackathon with a SAR 1M prize pool

United Entrepreneurs of Algeria launched BusinessMatchAI, an AI-powered platform designed to connect founders, investors, and experts

Orange Corners Palestine graduated its eighth pre-acceleration cohort of 12 startups through Flow Accelerator

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Breadfast (Egypt) eyes up to $13M in potential IFC investment to accelerate nationwide expansion

Qashio (UAE) launched its European headquarters in Dublin to drive international expansion

Nero (KSA) was honored by the Saudi Minister of Transport for its autonomous last-mile delivery technology

AmalXR, Ecobees, and Pixii Motors (Tunisia ) advanced to the finals of Qualcomm’s Made in Africa program

valU (Egypt) secured EGP 1.1B through its 20th securitised bond issuance under a new EGP 10B program to support portfolio growth

EnviBrick (Oman) unveiled engineered bricks designed to cut building energy consumption

MoneyHash (UAE) partnered with Mastercard to streamline merchant payments across MENA through a single API

Property Finder (UAE) introduced an AI-powered home valuation tool with six-month price forecasts

MNZL (Egypt) became the first fintech in Egypt to obtain dual digital lending licences, enabling fully online mortgage and consumer finance

PRYPCO (UAE) secured Sharia certification for its fractional ownership platforms

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Presight Global AI Accelerator | Abu Dhabi
A six-month global accelerator for market-ready AI startups, providing enterprise access, advanced AI infrastructure, mentorship from global experts, and potential strategic investment opportunities

Google for Startups Accelerator 2026 | MENA
A ten-week equity-free accelerator for Seed and Series A startups offering Google mentorship, AI and cloud product access, technical support, and global network exposure to scale high-growth ventures

Propeller Kernel Camp | San Francisco
An 8-week deep tech residency for MENA-based technical founders in AI and deep software, offering sponsored housing, stipends, mentorship, and direct exposure to Silicon Valley’s startup and VC ecosystem

Utopia Studio Co Build Fellowship | Doha
A co-founding venture builder program for domain experts to launch AI native companies with up to $1M in staged funding, technical co-founders, founder stipends, and Qatar-based setup support

AUC Venture Lab Cycle 26 Accelerator | Cairo
A three-month equity-free accelerator for early-stage Egyptian startups, offering investment readiness support, expert mentorship, and access to AUC’s founder and investor network

FinTech Development Grant | Qatar

A milestone-linked grant program by QDB and Qatar FinTech Hub, supporting Qatar-based FinTech startups with regulatory guidance, product development support, and co-funding to accelerate market deployment

Techy Bytes

Qatar Investment Authority and Qai launched a national AI initiative backed by $526B in sovereign capital and a $20B JV with Brookfield to build a large-scale AI data center capacity

UAE Government established the National Media Authority to centralise media regulation, unify national messaging, and extend oversight across digital platforms

stc and Humain launched a joint venture to build next-generation data centres with up to 1 gigawatt capacity in Saudi Arabia

G42 (UAE) unveiled the NANDA 87B open model to serve India’s AI ecosystem, advancing large-scale bilingual language AI

PureHealth (UAE) unveiled an AI-powered national reference laboratory capable of processing over 30 million tests annually

MBZUAI and AWS forged a multi-year alliance to accelerate AI research, cloud skills, and startup incubation

Libyan Ministry of Youth launched the country’s first AI Youth Club to equip young talent with skills in AI, programming, and robotics

Coursera and Udemy agreed to merge in a $2.5B all-stock deal, creating a global edtech powerhouse

Amazon entered talks to invest up to $10B in OpenAI, potentially valuing the company above $500B

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | BIBAN

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Nabta Health (UAE/FemTech) raised 2M USD in a Pre Series A round to expand its AI-powered hybrid care model across MEA

ٍٍٍٍٍSecure.com (UAE/Cybersecurity) secured $4.5M to roll out its AI-powered Digital Security Teammates and help lean security teams automate alert investigation

Kingpin (UAE/AI/Retail) closed a $3.5M seed round to scale its AI-driven B2B retail distribution platform, unifying product discovery, pricing, and sales for over 300 brands

STAMP (KSA/RegTech) secured $2M in pre-seed funding to build an AI-powered compliance platform that unifies licensing, registrations, HR workflows, and governance tasks

Takadao (KSA/Web3/FinTech) secured $1.5M in seed funding to scale its Shariah-compliant DeFi ecosystem

SahmAlgo (KSA/FinTech) secured 1M USD to accelerate its AI-driven financial intelligence platform

Shatib (KSA/ConTech) raised 750K USD in pre-seed funding to scale its group buying marketplace for construction materials

KitchenomiKs (Oman/FoodTech) secured $3.2M to expand its satellite kitchen network across Oman and new regional markets

bluworks (Egypt/HR Tech) raised $1M to digitise blue-collar workforce management for SMEs, streamlining scheduling, attendance, payroll, and compliance

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Humain (KSA) led a landmark $900M Series C round for US-based Luma AI, tying Saudi Arabia’s upcoming 2 gigawatt AI supercluster to frontier multimodal world models

Saudi Arabia and the United States announced plans to lift Saudi investment commitments in the US to nearly $1T, deepening strategic cooperation around advanced tech, AI, defense, and energy

Qewam Holding (KSA) acquired Iwan Ventures to launch Q Fund, a SAR 50M founder-first investment arm that combines capital, AI infrastructure, and venture building

FAST Ventures (MENA) launched FAST Foundry, a $3M venture studio fund backing early-stage AdTech, retail, creator economy, and AI

Taiz Chamber of Commerce announced a 10B Yemeni Rial fund to finance youth-led ventures across Taiz

Egypt and Alibaba Group entered advanced talks to establish a regional e-commerce and logistics hub serving African markets

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

Exel by Merak (KSA) launched its second gaming cohort with 19 startups, offering a $300K investment package and a 16-week hybrid program in Riyadh

Hub71 (UAE) opened a direct pathway for smart and autonomous mobility startups, giving founders access to regulatory sandboxes and industry partners

Qatar FinTech Hub unveiled the Wave 7 pre-acceleration cohort of 13 startups focused on open banking, crowdfunding, and insurtech

Egypt Entrepreneurship Awards celebrated its fifth anniversary at the Grand Egyptian Museum, honoring 15 winning startups across sectors from AI and fintech to sustainability and culture

Seedstars and SANAD (MENA) launched the SANAD Elevate Her Programme to empower 40 female-led startups with acceleration, mentoring, investor access, and post-program support

Takween Accelerator (Iraq) secured dual grants from GIZ and MEPI to expand its pre-accelerator, investor readiness, and digital transformation programs

Hadhramaut University (Yemen) debuted its first Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hackathon alongside a new startup support center in Mukalla

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

MNT Halan and Azimut (Egypt) launched a fintech-powered real estate fund, opening digital access to Egypt’s property market

Madak (KSA) partnered with the Real Estate Registry to launch regulated fractional property ownership, integrating directly with national systems to automate real estate registration

Jusoor Labs (Jordan) won the GESS Award for Best Game-Based Learning Platform

Rology (Egypt) secured the 100000 grand prize at Meta’s AMET AI Accelerator for its AI-powered teleradiology platform that automates X-ray reporting

Flash (Egypt) received a Central Bank license to roll out electronic payment services, enabling wider adoption of its QR and card-based payment solutions

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Scale Up MENA Growth Program | Cairo

A three-day intensive growth simulation by Falak Startups and Strategy Tools for founders in food, energy, and water

West Bank Tech Boost Innovation Cohort | Palestine

A six-month residency-based acceleration program at Palestine Techno Park for tech and tech-enabled startups

MENA InsurTech Accelerator 2026 | MENA

A six-month hybrid accelerator for growth-stage InsurTech and tech ventures with validated products, providing direct access to leading insurers and expert regulatory guidance

Startup Syria Awards | Global

An awards program celebrating Syrian founders, startups, and support organizations worldwide, offering regional visibility, ecosystem recognition, and networking with investors and partners

Binance Academy Hackathon | Global

A global virtual hackathon powered by BNB Chain and Ignyte for developers, startups, and builders creating next-generation Web3 solutions in AI, DeFi, RWAs, and payments

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

UAE Researchers released a global benchmark called UAVBench to test AI in autonomous drones

Qatar completed its first autonomous air taxi trial, demonstrating a self-piloted eVTOL passenger flight between Old Doha Port and Katara

TII (UAE) advanced its quantum computing programme by integrating Qibo with NVIDIA’s CUDA Q platform, enabling hybrid quantum classical workflows

Adobe agreed to acquire Semrush for $1.9B in cash, making a strategic bet on generative engine optimization

PIF × SITE × Microsoft signed an MoU to explore a Saudi sovereign cloud, localising sensitive data while enabling advanced cloud and AI services

Al Khaboura College Team (Oman) created a prototype that turns fish waste into biodegradable bioplastics

Google unveiled Gemini 3 as its most powerful AI model yet

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | BIBAN

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Ghanem (KSA/PropTech) secured $7.1M to scale its fractional real estate ownership platform across the kingdom

GARBALISER (Lebanon/AgriTech) secured $436K from IM Fndng and Shark Tank Dubai to scale its organic waste to liquid fertilizer technology

TJDEED Technology (Jordan/Tech) secured a strategic investment from SME Fund Jo to scale its AI, automation, and cybersecurity solutions globally

Falak Investment Hub (KSA) backed Technology Synapse to accelerate its AI and cloud portfolio

Quintas Capital (UAE) invested $18 million in Petal Group to drive the international expansion of its portfolio of floral e-commerce brands

QIA Invested in AI Infrastructure Firm D-Matrix, lifting its valuation to $2B, and advancing its AI inference hardware platform

Biban Investors Arena facilitated SAR 3.8M in investment pledges for eight fintech startups during its 2025 forum in Riyadh

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Qewam Holding (KSA) acquired Iwan Ventures to launch Q Fund, a new SAR 50M investment arm supporting founders with capital, AI-driven infrastructure, and a founder-first venture-building ecosystem

Takamol Holding (KSA) backed Saqr Fund II to expand early-stage tech investment in Saudi Arabia, supporting high-growth sectors such as FinTech, SaaS, cybersecurity, and AI

Tarmeez Capital and Monsha’at unveiled a $1B financing portfolio for SMEs built on Sharia-compliant Sukuk instruments, expanding access to capital for entrepreneurs

DataCamp acquired Optima (UAE), marking its first major expansion into the Middle East, while integrating adaptive AI learning technology to accelerate national upskilling efforts

Binbar Investment and Jawa Capital (KSA) launched a SAR 500M fund that leverages digitized rental agreements to unlock liquidity for Saudi companies

Crescent Enterprises (UAE) announced plans to deploy AED 1B over three years through CE-Invests, targeting mid-market companies across the GCC, India, and Southeast Asia

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

ADCB Egypt launched the third ClimaTech Accelerator to support startups advancing Egypt’s plastic circular economy through biomaterials, recycling tech, and digital waste solutions

Arab National Bank graduated 16 fintech startups from its first anb Innovate cohort, run with Monsha’at and Plug and Play

GIZ Egypt and Plug and Play launched the Egypt Climate Invest Programme to connect financial institutions with climate tech startups

Kick-Start Algeria launched its national incubation journey, supporting innovative project holders through a 12-month program focused on market validation and business readiness

Clyntech Accelerator kicked off its fourth cohort in Lebanon, welcoming 13 cleantech startups to a multi-month program combining design thinking, product development, and market strategy support

Oman’s AI Hackathon awarded eight startups for AI-driven solutions after a four-day program by Omantel Innovation Labs and the Rising Omani Startups Program

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Talabat (MENA) reported strong Q3 2025 results with GMV up 27 percent to $2.4B and revenue up 32 percent to $1B

Tabby (KSA) secured an official BNPL license from SAMA, cementing its status as a regulated fintech player in Saudi Arabia

PayLater (Qatar) teamed up with QIIG to launch Sharia-compliant insurance installments, allowing customers to split premiums into four interest-free payments

Property Finder (UAE) partnered with Keyper to introduce monthly rent payments, integrating rent now pay later functionality directly into its platform to modernize the UAE rental market

Valu (Egypt) partnered with El Kasrawy Group to expand flexible car financing through Valu Shift, enabling rapid approvals and installment plans for new and used vehicles across Egypt

Tanami (Bahrain) debuted the world’s first private markets robo advisor, SmartMatch, offering algorithm-driven portfolio building with no minimums to democratize access to alternative investments

CoinMENA (UAE) partnered with Botim to simplify funding for digital asset accounts, integrating Botim Pay to expand secure crypto accessibility across the region

SmartCrowd (UAE) expanded into Abu Dhabi with the capital’s first crowdfunded property on Yas Island, opening regulated fractional access to premium real estate

More highlights → here

Open For Application

ADIB Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge | UAE
An opportunity for CyberTech startups to partner with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, strengthen digital resilience and advance secure, Shariah-aligned technology adoption in UAE

In5 Tech Investor Readiness Bootcamp | Dubai
A three-day investor readiness bootcamp, helping founders sharpen their pitch, understand their metrics, and prepare for upcoming fundraising rounds

Tech X Green Hackathon | Jordan and Egypt
An online idea-stage competition inviting young entrepreneurs to develop green-economy solutions, offering training, mentorship, and cash prizes

HEYA Innovation Program | Jordan
An EU-funded program supporting women founders and home-based entrepreneurs across Jordan, offering training, mentorship, and financial assistance

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

Digital Dirham completed its first government transaction, marking a major milestone and strengthening UAE’s push toward an integrated digital economy

Dubai Municipality deployed AI-powered drones to monitor 52 million square metres of green space, shifting the city toward predictive urban management and smarter sustainability planning

Ooredoo Kuwait launched the country’s first sovereign AI data centre with NVIDIA, unlocking domestic generative AI capacity

Saudi Arabia trained over one million citizens in AI through the national SAMAI program, marking a major step in building nationwide AI literacy

SenseTime MEA × King Saud University launched a joint AI Innovation Hub in Riyadh to drive advanced research, sector use cases, and talent development

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | BIBAN

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

BRKZ (KSA/ConTech) secured $30M debt facility from Stride Ventures to expand its B2B construction marketplace, scale embedded financing, and support Saudi’s giga-project boom

Logexa (KSA/LogiTech) secured $2M pre-Series A to scale its on-demand warehousing platform, digitizing supply chains and enabling flexible logistics solutions across the Kingdom

Velents (KSA/AI) raised $1.5M from angel investors to deploy Agent.sa, the first autonomous Arabic-speaking AI employee built for regional businesses

Rmz.ai (KSA/GenAI) secured $100K pre-seed to develop creative AI agents for content production, including its first launch, the AI Product Photographer for instant professional visuals

WTDcare (KSA/HealthTech) raised a pre-seed round to expand its digital platform for medical transport and home healthcare, enhancing nationwide accessibility

MidLyr (Egypt/FinTech) raised $2.5M pre-seedto redefine AI infrastructure for banks and fintechs, expanding its compliant automation tools and building new partnerships across MENA

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Algeria launched a $1B fund to finance African startups and innovators, aiming to bridge the continent’s funding gap and foster cross-border collaboration

Goldtrack Ventures launched a $250M industrial biotechnology fund to scale biotech ventures across Saudi Arabia and MENA

The Lab Ventures closed its AED 124M Fund II to accelerate B2B innovation across MENA and Europe, focusing on PropTech, HealthTech, and AI-enabled enterprise solutions

Jahez (KSA) finalized the acquisition of Qatar’s Snoonu, securing a 76.56% stake to strengthen its regional expansion and solidify its presence in the Qatari delivery market

Qaws.ai (KSA) acquired Samas Gamify to launch an AI-powered recruitment platform, integrating gamified behavioral assessments and smart matching tools to transform hiring in Saudi Arabia

Aramco announced plans to acquire a minority stake in PIF’s HUMAIN, consolidating Saudi Arabia’s AI infrastructure to build a national AI champion

Beltone VC (Egypt/VC) exited from Moroccan logistics startup Cathedis, achieving a 100% IRR, marking its first regional exit

Capital Bank of Jordan secured $25M from the Arab Fund to boost SME financing and climate lending

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

The Final Pitch Dubai unveiled 16 founders for its inaugural season, filmed at Expo City Dubai, bringing together entrepreneurs and investors to showcase regional innovation and startup talent

Sheraa selected 21 startups for the new Startup Studio (S3) cohort in Sharja, tackling key sectors in sustainability, EdTech, and creative industries

Oman established the Oman Entrepreneurship Association to strengthen SME growth, foster innovation, and build a central platform for entrepreneurs across the Sultanate

Palestine rallied ecosystem leaders at the Green Forward Conference to advance a green and circular economy, uniting public, private, and startup sectors around sustainable innovation

Bader Accelerator selected five tech startups for its third cohort, offering SAR 300K in funding, mentorship, and a three-month program to scale early-stage ventures across Saudi Arabia

Riyadh Valley Company concluded its Qafila University Tour, engaging 16,000 participants to promote entrepreneurship and bridge academia with industry

ALX Morocco × Technopark Maroc forged a strategic partnership to develop tech talent and startups, connecting training programs with innovation hubs

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Tabby (KSA) reached a $4.5B valuation following a secondary share sale to HSG and Boyu Capital

Fawry (Egypt) secured a $5.2M loan from the EBRD to finance youth-led MSMEs, expanding financial inclusion and supporting entrepreneurship

HUMAIN (KSA) unveiled Humain One, a voice-driven AI operating system that enables users to control computers through speech

Thawani Pay became the first Omani fintech licensed by Visa to issue credit cards, marking a major milestone in the Sultanate’s digital payments evolution

Dubizzle Group (UAE) paused its landmark IPO on the DFM, despite reporting 75% revenue growth and strong profitability across regional operations

Cash Plus (Morocco) secured approval for a $75M IPO on the Casablanca Stock Exchange

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Aurora Tech Award | Global
A global competition for women-led tech startups from emerging markets, offering a $100K prize fund, mentorship, and VC exposure

Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator | Saudi Arabia
A 6-month program providing seed funding, mentorship, and networking for social startups in the housing and municipal sectors

Scale Now Cycle 3 | Qatar
A growth program for scaling tech companies, offering mentorship, expansion support, and market access

SANAD ElevateHer Program | MENA
A women-focused accelerator providing mentorship, investor access, and visibility for gender-inclusive startups

VentureX Online Pitching Sessions | Remote
An online pitching platform connecting founders with the VentureX Angel Network, offering capital, mentorship, and networking opportunities

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

TII (UAE) achieved a milestone with 70 patents across AI, robotics, and quantum tech

du entered the cryptocurrency sector with its new Cloud Miner service, offering regulated, hardware-free Bitcoin mining through a subscription-based model in UAE

Qatar launched an AI-powered system to issue building permits in just 120 minutes, cutting approval times from 30 days and setting a global benchmark in GovTech efficiency

Presight (UAE) opened its first Central Asia AI R&D Lab in Kazakhstan, advancing sovereign AI development

ADX (UAE) launched a Market Intelligence Lab at Liwa University to advance financial literacy, offering students real-time trading access and hands-on market training

HUMAIN × Replit partnered to build a Nation of AI Coders across the GCC, empowering students and developers to create software using natural language and AI tools

Snap Inc. expanded its MENA footprint with a new office in Doha, launching the region’s first AR Academy

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | GITEX

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Property Finder (UAE/PropTech) secured $250M to accelerate growth, expand market presence, and invest in product innovation across the MENA real estate ecosystem

Cercli (UAE/HRTech) raised $12M Series A to scale its AI-native HR platform, enhancing workforce management and streamlining recruitment for enterprises across the region

TachyHealth (UAE/HealthTech) raised $5M Series A to scale its AI-driven healthcare solutions, bridging the gap between providers and payers and driving efficiency across medical operations

TabSense (KSA/Fintech) raised $5M to scale its AI Agentic Point-of-Sale platform, integrating autonomous agents to help retailers optimize transactions, inventory, and customer experience

Squadio (KSA/HRTech) secured $3M pre-Series A to fuel its regional and global expansion and strengthen its platform for remote tech talent hiring

Najeeb.ai (KSA/InsurTech) raised a pre-seed round to advance its AI-powered insurance solutions, streamline medical and vehicle claim processing

KitchenomiKs (Oman/FoodTech) raised $3.2M to scale its AI-driven cloud kitchen platform, expand its satellite network across Oman and GCC

Yakeey (Morocco/PropTech) secured up to $7M to expand its real estate platform that simplifies property transactions and financing across MENA

Hypeo AI (Morocco/MarTech) secured $200K pre-seed to scale its AI-powered influencer marketing platform, automating brand-creator collaborations, campaign tracking, and payments across MENA

Anavid (Tunisia/RetailTech) raised $200K pre-seed to advance its AI-driven video analytics platform, helping retailers enhance store performance, reduce losses, and analyze customer behavior

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

PIF (KSA) invested over $1B in US-based Magic Leap to drive augmented and mixed reality innovation

Qashio (UAE) acquired Sanad Cash (KSA) to accelerate its expansion in Saudi Arabia, combining spend management technology with local expertise to power the Kingdom’s digital economy

BasharSoft (Egypt) acquired iCareer, creating Egypt’s largest integrated employment and career services group

Prosperity7 Ventures (KSA) participated in Uniphore’s $260M Series F round, joining NVIDIA, AMD, Snowflake, and Databricks

Beta Lab (KSA) backed French precision fermentation startup Nutropy in a €7M seed round, supporting its mission to produce animal-free dairy proteins

Wa’ed Ventures (KSA) led a $10M Pre-Series A for US-based Kure Cells to localize advanced cancer therapy manufacturing in the Kingdom

Mubadala Capital (UAE) backed US-based Electra Therapeutics in a $183M Series C round to advance precision immunology and cancer therapies

Uni-Ventures (KSA) announced a 225x return on its exit from Salla, marking one of the largest venture returns in Saudi Arabia

CE-Ventures (UAE) exited its stake in Transcorp, achieving a 7.6x return through a strategic sale to Elite Co

More updates → here

Ecosystem Updates

Hub71 (UAE) launched Hub71+ Life Sciences, a new specialist ecosystem for BioTech, MedTech, and digital health startups, and unveiled a new Venture Building Program, offering startups up to AED 750K in incentives

Misk Foundation graduated the third cohort of the Misk 500 Accelerator, featuring 16 MENA startups that completed a fully virtual 14-week program

Zain Group selected 13 startups from six MENA countries to join its Zain Great Idea Global Acceleration Program in Silicon Valley

Ma’an launched Athar+, a new hub in Abu Dhabi dedicated to accelerating social entrepreneurship

Bahrain FinTech Bay partnered with Tether, advancing digital asset education and stablecoin adoption

Saudi Tourism Development Fund graduated 17 startups from the second Tourism Growth Accelerator, showcasing innovative travel, hospitality, and tech solutions

StartUp Bahrain Pitch crowned Dona’s Wonders and You’re Nuts as winners of its 20th edition

Orange Jordan wrapped up the fourth Orange Summer Challenge, showcasing youth-led innovations in safety tech, smart cities, and accessibility

MBZUAI (UAE) unveiled Build It Demo Day, a new AI innovation showcase offering builders over $200K in tech credits

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Shgardi (KSA) shut down after six years of operation, citing fierce competition and price wars in KSA’s delivery market

Tamara (KSA) gained a restricted finance license from the UAE Central Bank, paving the way toward a customer-centric financial super-app

Tabby (KSA) × MoneyHash (UAE) partnered to enable BNPL via a single API for merchants across KSA and UAE

Money Fellows (Egypt) surpassed $1.5B in transactions, serving 8M+ users, completing 2M+ savings circles, and achieving profitability

Bokra (Egypt) launched a Sharia-compliant savings and investment app, offering multi-asset halal options including real estate, metals, Sukuk, VC, and working-capital finance

Valu (Egypt) renewed its strategic partnership with Amazon Egypt, expanding financing options and flexible payment plans for online shoppers

SmartBricks (UAE) secured a spot in TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200, becoming the first MENA PropTech startup to join the global cohort

Nsr (KSA) was recognized among the top 5 startups in the Tourism Development Fund Accelerator, standing out from 500+ ventures

Dhahaby (UAE) won the Financial Inclusion and Digital Payments Challenge by Ignyte, earning a $10K prize for its gold-backed lending platform

Whish Money (Lebanon) secured financial licenses in Canada, marking its first international approval

Bionl.ai and Syntonym (Qatar) won top honors at Qatar’s Digital Business Awards 2025

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Scale·Forward Investor Readiness Program | Jordan

A 12-month investor-readiness track for post-MVP tech startups offering 1:1 mentorship, EU–GCC–US investor matchmaking, and growth support

Jahez Investment Readiness Program | Jordan

A national program for early-stage tech startups with grants up to $10K, training, and mentorship

Emirati Accelerator Program 2025 | UAE

For Emirati-founded post-revenue startups and SMEs, offering mentorship, market access, funding pathways, and workspace in Dubai

NBB Innovation Programme 2025 | Bahrain

A three-week hybrid program offering Fintech startups mentorship, workshops, $10K prize money, and 3-month incubation

MINT x CREATIVA Tech Hackathon | Egypt

A nationwide hackathon across four cities to solve real-world challenges and turn ideas into scalable ventures

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

Dubai launched a new AI Task Force and Unicorn 30 Programme, uniting 27 government entities under a shared AI adoption framework

KAUST (KSA) opened a 1,000 m² Robotics Bay, a state-of-the-art R&D hub for autonomous systems, multi-robot swarms, and marine robotics

Morocco rolled out a nationwide AI education program for children to build a digitally fluent generation through AI literacy

QSS AI & Robotics (KSA) partnered with UK-based Humanoid to deploy 10,000 humanoid robots in Saudi Arabia

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-powered browser that lets users chat with search results, automate online tasks, and personalize browsing

Sam Altman launched Merge Labs, a new neurotech startup developing non-invasive brain–computer interfaces that use sound waves and magnetic fields to link the human brain with computers

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | GITEX

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Astra Nova (KSA/Web3 & AI) secured $48.3M to scale its AI-powered Web3 entertainment ecosystem, empower creators and accelerate global expansion across Europe and Asia

KLIQ (KSA/MarTech) secured $2.25M in Seed funding to scale its AI-driven influencer marketing platform connecting brands and creators across Saudi Arabia

CADO (UAE/E-Commerce) raised $4.5M in pre-seed funding to digitalize and globalize corporate gifting, expanding operations across KSA, Kuwait, and the US

MNT-Halan (Egypt/Fintech) raised $71.4M through its seventh bond issuance, continuing its EGP 8B ($168M) securitization program to expand digital lending operations

SehaTech (Egypt/InsurTech) raised $1.1M in Seed funding to expand its AI-powered insurance automation platform improving healthcare access and reducing fraud across emerging markets

Nanovate (Egypt/AI) secured $2M pre-seed to scale its Arabic-first AI platform across the MENA region, enabling businesses to build custom voice and chat agents via its no-code AI dashboard, with upcoming expansion into KSA and UAE

Chari (Morocco/Fintech) secured $12M Series A to scale its operations, launch a merchant super app, and develop a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform

Docline (Morocco/HealthTech) raised an undisclosed round to scale its B2B virtual care platform for insurers and corporates, expanding telemedicine access and AI-driven health services across Morocco and Africa

PAYDAY (Tunisia/Fintech) raised $3M pre-seed to expand its ethical earned wage access platform offering interest-free and credit-free salary advances and group insurance solutions across Tunisia

Alchemist Doha invested in Bionl.ai, a US-based AI-powered bioinformatics platform, as part of its strategy to back frontier technologies

Comml (KSA) invested $1.38M in US-based Kure Cells, supporting Kure’s CAR-T therapy innovations and oncology research

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Saudi Arabia launched IB Ventures, a $50M investment platform to back startups in life sciences, establish incubator and accelerator programs, and open offices in Switzerland and the US

Crescent Enterprises (UAE) pledged $68M to expand its venture-building platform CE-Creates, backing high-growth, impact-driven startups from the UAE to global markets

University of Dubai launched Dubai TechX, a AED 100M ($27M) fund to commercialize university research and drive innovation across energy, health, education, and smart cities sectors

Investcorp (Bahrain) closed its $750M Golden Horizon Cooperation Fund to target high-growth companies in consumer, healthcare, logistics, and business services

Ithaka Group (Oman) led a $40M round for US-based 5G and satellite communications firm Movandi to collaborate with universities and launch AI-driven connectivity pilots in Oman

GWC (Qatar) acquired a stake in Austria’s Quivo to integrate digital logistics gateways across its facilities in Qatar, KSA, and the UAE

M2 Capital (UAE) invested $21M in Nasdaq-listed AVAX One, the native token of Avalanche

Multiply Group (UAE) announced a mega-merger with 2PointZero and Ghitha, creating a new $32.6B investment powerhouse in Abu Dhabi

Rasmala Investment Holdings (UAE) exited its Poseidon Fund with an 8x return, marking one of its largest exits in recent years.

Central Bank of Egypt launched the Banking Reform and Development Fund to modernize Egypt’s financial sector and accelerate fintech innovation

CI Capital (Egypt) launched an EGP 1B ($21M) turnaround fund to revive distressed industrial companies

Egypt’s Ministry of Planning unveiled a new economic strategy to foster private sector participation, attract investment, and position Egypt as a regional hub for startups

More news → here

Ecosystem Updates

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy launched Launchpad Dubai, a one-stop platform to simplify market entry for global startups

500 Global × ITIDA graduated 22 startups from the sixth Egypt Seed Bootcamp, providing founders with investor access, growth frameworks, and over 90 one-on-one VC meetings

Creativa Innovation Hubs launched the Creativa AI Lab, a new national program to support AI and Generative AI startups from ideation to market entry

Egypt’s Ministry of Communications introduced a new digital investor platform connecting entrepreneurs with global investors

Central Bank of Egypt graduated 38 fintech startups through its FinTekrs Initiative, marking a major step in building Egypt’s financial innovation pipeline

Omantel Innovation Labs unveiled eight startups for its sixth accelerator cohort, covering AI, fintech, agritech, and deep tech sectors.

AUC Venture Lab × Standard Chartered × Village Capital launched the Futuremakers Women in Tech Accelerator, unveiling the first cohort of 11 women-led startups

Iraq designated March 4th as the National Day for Entrepreneurship

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Foodics (KSA) signed a $10M strategic agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to enhance its AI-powered restaurant management platform

Dubizzle (UAE) confirmed plans for a landmark IPO on the Dubai Financial Market, offering 1.24B shares in a deal that could value the company near $2B

Crypto.com (UAE) secured In-Principle Approval from the UAE Central Bank for a digital payments license, allowing customers to pay Dubai Government fees using digital assets converted to dirhams

Wise secured Central Bank approval to launch its low-cost money transfer and management services in the country

Holo (UAE) launched a mobile-first AI platform that serves as its internal command center to streamline client management and mortgage submissions

Tawqi3i (Jordan) won the DiSiFi Challenge 2025 for its secure eSignature solution for financial institutions

AIM Intelligence (Korea) won the $100K Supernova Challenge 2.0 at Expand North Star, recognized for solutions that secure generative AI models and embodied AI systems

Sahl (KSA) won the TiE Women MENA 2025 competition, earning an AED 70K equity-free grant to scale its compliance automation platform, with TarKeys named runner-up

PayTabs × Valu (Egypt) launched a merchant app that transforms in-store payments through QR-powered, smartphone-based transactions

WideBot (Egypt) launched MENA’s first Arabic AI Voice Agent for WhatsApp Business calls, enabling real-time, multi-dialect voice automation for enterprises and governments

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Attliq Accelerator Program | Saudi Arabia

Startups House Investment Company invites early-stage tech founders to join the fifth edition of the Attliq Accelerator, providing up to SAR 375K in funding, mentorship, and investor access

Qatar FinTech Hub Accelerator (Wave 7) | Qatar

QFTH has opened applications for its 7th Acceleration Program, welcoming FinTech startups with live products to scale in Qatar and the wider MENA region. Offers market access, regulatory guidance, investor readiness, and mentorship

CleanTech Hackathon | Egypt

Entlaq Holding invites researchers and early-stage CleanTech startups to join a five-day in-person hackathon designed to turn prototypes into scalable climate innovations

IMPACTNASS Program | Morocco

A six-month free support program for Moroccan associations working with vulnerable communities. Offers training, coaching, and networking to strengthen inclusive entrepreneurship

FinTech 525 National Directory | Saudi Arabia

FinTech 525 invites Saudi FinTech startups and companies to join its new national directory, a community-driven hub to connect startups, investors, and regulators shaping the Kingdom’s FinTech ecosystem

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Cool Events

Orange Corners Masterclass with Luma Fawaz | Oct 21 | Online

A live masterclass on fundraising and investment readiness, teaching founders how to negotiate term sheets, target investors, and prepare for due diligence

Robotics and Automation Workshop by Robotna | Oct 21–22 | Amman

A free two-day workshop for youth to gain hands-on experience in industrial robotics, automation, and smart manufacturing

Investment Meetup by Entrepreneurship Vision | Oct 25 | Riyadh

A curated evening bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and decision-makers to foster partnerships and unlock new opportunities in Saudi Arabia

AI for (X) by ITIDA – EME Innovation Labs | Nov 1 | Giza

A one-day event at Creativa Hub bringing together innovators, students, and startups to explore the latest AI trends and applications shaping Egypt’s tech ecosystem

Rowad Conference 2025 | Nov 17–19 | Doha

Qatar’s flagship entrepreneurship and investment event, featuring workshops, networking sessions, and the Pitching Arena connecting startups with regional and global investors

Techy Bytes

Core42 launched an on-demand sovereign AI Cloud platform in the UAE, offering instant access to NVIDIA-accelerated computing

G42 × OpenAI unveiled a landmark partnership during GITEX, announcing the Stargate project, the first OpenAI data infrastructure hub outside the US

Deloitte teamed up with Dell and NVIDIA to launch an advanced AI platform in the Middle East

Kuwait launched Kuwait AI, a national initiative to accelerate the country’s digital transformation through free AI training, global partnerships, and nationwide upskilling programs

Abu Dhabi Government introduced a no-code AI-in-a-box platform to empower public employees to build and deploy AI tools without coding skills

Abu Dhabi launched a global online marriage service through its TAMM super app, allowing couples worldwide to legally marry remotely via a fully digitalized process

Presight × Khazna partnered to deploy an AI-powered facility management system across 30 data centers in the UAE

e& × AWS introduced AI Nation, a nationwide upskilling initiative to train 30,000 individuals in AI and ML to strengthen the UAE’s knowledge-based economy

Google introduced AI Mode in Arabic, bringing its generative search experience to millions across the MENA region

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech | GITEX

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website | LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Tachyhealth (UAE/Healthtech) raised $5M Series A round to scale its AI-driven healthcare solutions across the GCC region

Oqood (UAE/LegalTech) raised $1M in a seed round to expand its AI-driven legal solutions and accelerate digital transformation across law firms in the Gulf

Engagesoft (KSA/HRTech) raised $3.5M in a Pre-Series A led by Silicon Badia to enhance its AI-driven employee engagement and organizational effectiveness platform

Nuxera AI (KSA/HealthTech) secured $2.5M in pre-seed funding from Sanabil Venture Studio to advance its Arabic-first AI platform for hospitals

EMMA Systems (Qatar/Aviation) secured an undisclosed seed round from Plus VC to expand its AI-powered SaaS platform, unifying real-time operational data for airports and airlines

Tagaddod (Egypt/Cleantech) raised $26.3M in a Series A to scale its renewable feedstock platform, digitizing waste-to-biofuel supply chains across Africa, Asia, and Europe

Amplify Growth Partnership (KSA-UAE) invested $5M in Turkish fashion brand Touché Privé to drive GCC expansion

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

MGX (UAE) acquired a stake in OpenAI as part of a global secondary share sale, aligning Abu Dhabi’s tech investment strategy

Thabet Investment (KSA) launched Everbridge Capital, a $100M Riyadh-based FinTech venture focused on bridging Saudi’s SR300B SME financing gap

UAE Ministry of Economy launched a national Entrepreneurship Program to train 10,000 citizens in startup and innovation skills

Emirates Development Bank launched an AED 500M financing package to support founders through co-lending programs, fintech partnerships, and non-financial mentorship

Janus Henderson secured $125.5M in the first close of its MENA Private Credit Fund IV, anchored by Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, and SVC, to provide Sharia-compliant financing and bridge the region’s $250B SME funding gap

JCIF (Jordan) acquired a 27% stake in leading health insurance administrator NatHealth, supporting AI-driven claim management and regional expansion across Jordan, Palestine, and Iraq

M2 Group (UAE) invested $10M to accelerate Falcon’s synthetic dollar protocol and DeFi infrastructure, bridging tokenized Treasuries with on-chain liquidity

Bybit secured the UAE’s first full Virtual Asset Platform Operator License, authorizing it to offer trading, custody, brokerage, and fiat conversion services across the Emirates

VARA fined 19 firms in a major crackdown on unlicensed virtual asset operations in UAE

More news → here

Ecosystem Updates

Dubai Founders HQ launched under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed to build a hybrid hub-and-digital platform supporting founders with mentorship, funding, and global expansion

Emerge FZCO (UAE) debuted as a founder-first ecosystem enabler, offering global startups licensing support, setup services, and investor access

Federal Youth Authority introduced a national initiative to empower Emirati founders through incubators, mentorship, and the new Made by Youth certification

Careem introduced its first Careem Food Awards, recognizing 180 restaurants across 30 categories in Dubai and Abu Dhabi through public voting

Spring (Bahrain) rebranded as a unified venture and ecosystem platform, merging its venture studio and innovation services to scale startups and national programs across MENA

National Bank of Oman concluded its 2025 Fintech Hackathon, awarding top prizes to teams Card Shield, Payce, and Kanzie for innovative banking solutions

Bahrain Fintech Bay × Ripple partnered to accelerate blockchain and digital asset adoption, launching proofs of concept, talent programs, and pilot projects

Thiqah (KSA) unveiled the Sharakah Program, an open innovation platform connecting startups with government and private stakeholders to scale solutions across key sectors

Orange Jordan × ICON launched the second phase of their Startup Growth Acceleration Program in Al-Karak and Aqaba

Tahfiz Niswa Program (Morocco) launched to boost female social entrepreneurship, aiming to create 5,000 jobs and support 400 women-led cooperatives by 2028

TIEC (Egypt) welcomed 33 new startups into the third cohort of its Creativa Incubation Program, supporting pre-seed ventures across EdTech, energy, e-commerce, and smart cities

Shark Tank Egypt launched its fourth season, following EGP 874M in previous investments and 817M digital views

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Huru (UAE) launched with Central Bank of the UAE licensing, providing unbanked and low-income workers with zero-balance IBAN accounts, remittance, and savings tools

Fasset (UAE) secured regulatory approval in Malaysia to pilot a stablecoin-based Islamic bank under the Labuan FSA

Space42 (UAE) shipped three domestically integrated SAR satellites to the US, marking the UAE’s first locally tested advanced platforms

Metric × Nabta (UAE) launched a $12M partnership to deploy financial intelligence across 1,000 clinics in MEA

Takalam × Inception (UAE) introduced Sanad, the region’s first bilingual AI assistant for therapists

Strataphy (KSA) won the Enersol Energy Challenge 2025 at ADGM for its geothermal Cooling-as-a-Service model

QSalary × Jisr (KSA) partnered to enable on-demand salary access for over 500K employees across 4,500 companies

Amwal Tech (KSA) secured a US patent for its biometric authentication system

Compare360 (Lebanon) relaunched its digital insurance aggregator under Chedid Capital to offer car, health, travel, and pet insurance

Valu (Egypt) closed its EGP 1.09B bond issuance, the second under its EGP 10B securitization program with EFG Hermes

Taskedin (Egypt) offered free access to 1,000 entrepreneurs at Techne Summit

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Smart Retail Challenge | UAE

Competition by Ignyte and du for startups to build AI-powered retail solutions that improve demand forecasting and inventory for SMEs, with a $10,000 prize for the winning project

TON × Ignyte: Chain the Future Challenge | Global

Global hackathon inviting students, startups, and scale-ups to build Web3 products for payments, business, and tokenization on TON blockchain within Telegram

MENA Angel Investors Summit 2025 | Bahrain

Apply to showcase your startup at the 10th MENA Angel Investors Summit hosted by Tenmou, connecting founders with 300+ investors and VCs from across the region

Innovate For Tomorrow Accelerator | UAE

Dubai Holding, in partnership with in5, invites global scale-ups to join its circular economy accelerator, offering an AED 850K prize pool, mentorship, and a funded pilot project

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Interesting Picks

Professor Omar Yaghi made history as the first Saudi Nobel laureate in Chemistry, recognized for pioneering reticular chemistry and developing MOFs and COFs

Revolut Co-Founder Nik Storonsky relocated to the UAE, joining a wave of high-profile founders leaving the UK after tax reforms

SRMG CEO Jomana Al-Rashed made history as the first Saudi named to the TIME100 Next list, recognized for transforming the Middle East’s media landscape

Saudi Arabia granted citizenship to Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick and Red Sea Global CEO John Pagano, aligning with Vision 2030 to attract global talent

More picks → Here

Techy Bytes

TII fired the UAE’s first liquid rocket engine, marking a breakthrough in sovereign space tech and advancing the nation’s ambitions for Moon and Mars missions

KAUST × Deloitte teamed up to accelerate AI innovation in Saudi Arabia, linking research and industry to drive Vision 2030 goals and build national AI talent

Qatar launched the region’s first AI knowledge system for government excellence, an internal platform that uses AI to assist officials in performance evaluation and decision-making

RAK Ceramics deployed the UAE’s first commercial self-driving trucks in Ras Al Khaimah

OpenAI launched In-Chat Apps and introduced AgentKit, creating a new ChatGPT app ecosystem and developer toolkit to simplify AI agent creation and integration

Alibaba formed a new robotics and embodied AI team under Qwen, expanding its focus from digital AI to physical intelligence and signaling a push into real-world robotics applications

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week’s digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website| LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

YAL.ai (UAE/AI & Cybersecurity) raised $12M in a Series A to scale its AI-driven telecom fraud protection platform, enabling real-time, on-device scam detection

UPFRONT (UAE/Fintech) secured $10M in a pre-seed round to tackle a $250B SME cash flow gap across MENA and expand operations into KSA

Aydi (UAE/AgriTech) closed a $7.5M seed round to scale its AI-powered farming OS Orth and expand globally

Climaty AI (UAE/MarTech) raised $2 to build an agentic AI marketing platform that autonomously runs campaigns while measuring and reducing carbon impact across industries

Tadawulkum (KSA/PropTech) secured 1.5M SAR in seed funding to enhance its SaaS real estate platform, helping brokers and property firms digitize listings, contracts, and payments

Sadq (KSA/Digital Infrastructure) raised $1M in a pre-Series A extension to strengthen its sovereign digital trust infrastructure and scale its e-signature and authentication platform across MENA

Plstka (Egypt/Climate Tech) secured $1Mto expand its gamified recycling platform across Egypt’s Delta region and scale its AI-powered waste management system

Sabika (Egypt/Fintech) secured a six-figure USD strategic round to enhance its Sharia-compliant digital gold and silver platform and expand into Saudi Arabia

Careem (UAE/Mobility) invested in UAE-based Swapp, deepening their strategic partnership to advance digital car rentals through instant verification, one-hour delivery, and new rent-to-own programs via the Careem app

Waed Ventures (KSA) invested in South Korean AI chipmaker Rebellions, part of its $250M Series C round, to support the company’s expansion in KSA and accelerate next-generation AI chip production

Aramco Ventures (KSA) backed UK-based OXCCU in a $28M Series B, reinforcing its investment in sustainable aviation fuel technologies that convert waste carbon and hydrogen into jet fuel

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

PIF led a record-breaking $55B acquisition of gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA), marking the largest leveraged buyout in history

BECO Capital unveiled $370M across two new funds to back founders from pre-seed to IPO, expanding its capacity to support startups through full lifecycle stages across the UAE and KSA

Sukna Capital partnered with Partners for Growth to launch a $50M regional lending partnership, providing Sharia-compliant, non-dilutive credit solutions for tech and SME founders across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East

Merak Capital teamed up with the Saudi Cultural Development Fund to launch an $80M Fashion Private Equity Fund, backing Saudi fashion brands and growth-stage companies across the apparel, beauty, and e-commerce value chain

Iliad Partners (UAE) secured a second close for its $50M Tech Ventures Fund I, backed by leading Greek banks to strengthen cross-border venture ties and accelerate investments in early-stage B2B startups across KSA and the UAE

Audi Capital (KSA) launched the region’s first CMA-regulated Art Investment Fund, bridging finance and culture to invest in modern and contemporary MENA art and foster a new asset class for institutional investors

31C (UAE) acquired Canadian firm Xynthor AI Software to build an AI-native cybersecurity platform, merging Deep Packet Intelligence with AI-powered Data Loss Prevention to safeguard corporate data amid rising generative AI risks

More news → here

Ecosystem Updates

IFZA & Plug and Play launched the Scale360 Program, a high-support, zero-cost initiative helping 17 global startups fast-track entry into the UAE market through mentorship, setup support, and access to Plug and Play’s corporate and investor network

Stars of Science unveiled its Season 17 finalists, spotlighting seven Arab innovators tackling regional challenges in healthcare, sustainability, and technology at Qatar Science and Technology Park

TiE Women MENA announced the winners of its 2025 Saudi Track, with Ayesha Mansha (Sahl) taking first place, followed by Dr. Muna Sambawah (FBNI) and Norah Almahmoud (TFNN), granting them access to the TiE Women Global Accelerator and platforms at GITEX UAE and the Jaipur Grand Finals

Ignyte & Binance partnered to accelerate blockchain innovation across MENA, launching a regional hackathon supported by DIFC to drive Web3 adoption and provide year-round mentorship, training, and developer tools for startups

Hub71 signed its first US partnership with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to create a transatlantic bridge supporting startup expansion, soft-landing programs, and investor access between Abu Dhabi and the United States

Scale Iraq sponsored five Iraqi startups to join the Bridge Baghdad program by KAPITA, fostering cross-border expansion, investment readiness, and new pathways into the Saudi market

Exits MENA & Falak Startups signed an MoU to strengthen Egypt’s startup ecosystem through joint initiatives, founder support programs, and collaborative efforts under Elevatelab

Orange Jordan introduced the Digital Solutions Hackathon for Tourism, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, empowering university students to design inclusive tourism tech solutions

Startup Grind Doha & QSTP formed a strategic partnership to merge Qatar Science & Technology Park’s institutional programs with Startup Grind’s community network, expanding mentoring, events, and visibility for early-stage founders in Qatar

UM6P launched the Smart Factory Academy in Morocco, a permanent training and technology hub to drive Africa’s Industry 4.0 transformation, offering hands-on industrial innovation programs and practical upskilling for manufacturers

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Tokinvest (UAE) secured VARA’s first multi-asset licence and raised $3.2M, debuting with a sold-out tokenized racehorse and positioning Dubai as a hub for regulated RWA investing

Snoonu (Qatar) committed QR750M to R&D through 2030 and launched the Snoonu Innovation District, focusing on AI, automation, and green logistics

UmrahCash (KSA) expanded to Indonesia to serve Hajj and Umrah travelers with sharia-compliant FX, payments, and planned savings and ethical lending

Woliz (Morocco) partnered with Attijari Payment and Visa to digitize merchant payments, starting with FMCG, integrating acceptance solutions and financial education

AnaAkhtar (UAE) launched the region’s first bilingual SEB EdTech, offering interactive tools for emotional and behavioral learning tailored to MENA schools

nybl × IBM partnered to integrate n.vision with IBM’s Maximo and watsonx platforms, enabling AI-driven fault detection and predictive maintenance across energy, utilities, and industrial sectors

Chari (Morocco) launched Chari Pay, a PCI-certified online payment gateway for e-merchants, extending its fintech arm and advancing its vision to become a B2B super app for retailers across Francophone Africa

ABHI (UAE) joined Mastercard’s global Start Path program, becoming one of eight startups selected worldwide to scale SME financial solutions and expand its earned wage access platform across MENAP

More highlights → here

Open For Application

ECSEL Expo Hackathon | Algeria
48-hour e-commerce hackathon at ECSEL Expo in Algiers with expert coaching, networking, visibility, and prizes.
• Deadline: Oct 8 Event: Oct 15–17 Location: Safex

249Startups Legal Due Diligence Tender | Sudan
Tender for accredited legal firms to conduct SME legal due diligence supporting investments in resilient businesses relocating from conflict areas.
• Deadline: Oct 9 How to apply: EOI, technical and financial proposals to Procurement@249Startups.com

Hard Skills Bootcamp | Morocco
Three-day bootcamp by Bidaya Incubateur in Rabat for young entrepreneurs in the ideation phase to gain technical and practical skills to build their startup ideas
• Sessions: Oct 6–2 Location: Rabat

CREATIVA Incubation Program Cohort 4 | Egypt
Nine-month incubation for early-stage tech startups with up to EGP 360k zero equity funding, mentorship, investor access, and space across 16 hubs.

Biotech Incubator by Health Entrepreneurship | Saudi Arabia
Specialized incubation for biotech and precision medicine startups offering labs, mentorship, funding, and regulatory support under Vision 2030

More Programs and Opportunities → here

Techy Bytes

UAE × OpenAI held a high-level meeting between the UAE President and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to advance the country’s national AI agenda and cement its role as a global hub for AI

MBZUAI × MIT teamed up to launch a joint AI research program, connecting top researchers from both institutions to advance projects in health, robotics, and digital systems

Morocco × UNDP launched a $38M Digital Hub to drive AI adoption across Africa and the Arab States, advancing sustainable development and empowering women and youth

Yango Tech won Best Tech Solution Provider at the Entrepreneur Tech Innovation Awards 2025, recognized for its AI-powered B2B ecosystem spanning retail, robotics, and cloud automation

Meta announced plans to use AI chat data for targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram, expanding its ad engine and raising new privacy concerns for users across MENA

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Instant Checkout, enabling users to buy products directly in chat and signaling a shift toward agentic e-commerce, challenging Google and Amazon

Anthropic released Claude Sonnet 4.5, a next-gen coding model capable of autonomously building full applications, reclaiming leadership in AI-driven software development

Perplexity AI launched its free global AI browser Comet, intensifying competition with Google and OpenAI, and giving users worldwide access to advanced AI productivity tools

Alibaba Cloud unveiled a full-stack AI strategy, launching the trillion-parameter Qwen3-Max model, new agentic platforms, and upgraded cloud infrastructure to power next-gen AI development

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week's digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website| LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Erad (KSA/Fintech) secured $33M in a debt financing round led by India’s Stride Ventures, its first major investment in KSA, to scale Shariah-compliant SME financing across Saudi Arabia and the UAE

DOO (KSA/AI) closed a $1.7M round led by Merak Capital to scale its culturally-aware AI customer experience platform designed for Arabic dialects and GCC enterprises

Mada (Jordan/Fintech) raised $1.55M in a pre-seed round led by Vision Ventures to advance consumer finance solutions and roll out BNPL services

ADIA (UAE) participated in Empower Semiconductor’s $140M Series D to advance integrated voltage regulator chips that boost efficiency for data centers

CE-Ventures (UAE) co led a $7.7M Series A in India-based Distil to scale its R&D driven specialty chemicals platform and expand into MENA

Meedaf (UAE) invested in global fintech InDebted to expand its AI-powered debt resolution platform across the GCC through a new UAE hub

Arcapita (Bahrain) co-led a $1B Series C in US-based Figure AI, valuing the humanoid robotics startup at $39B and marking one of MENA’s largest deep tech bets

Emergent raised $23M in a Series A to expand its agentic AI coding platform globally, with MENA as a priority market under UAE and Saudi digital transformation initiatives

More rounds → here

Main Headlines

Presight and Shorooq launched Presight–Shorooq Fund I in UAE, a $100M global AI fund based in ADGM, pairing capital with G42 ecosystem access to accelerate AI ventures worldwide

Riyadh Valley Company invested in Japan’s Abies Ventures Fund II to tap into deep tech sectors, including robotics, materials, and advanced communications

Avanz Capital (Egypt) joined Algebra Ventures’ $100M second fund as a secondary LP, marking one of Egypt’s first secondary transactions and pushing for more local capital in VC

Fawry (Egypt) acquired Dirac Systems to form Fawry Dirac, launching cloud-based payroll and accounting solutions for SMEs, with plans to scale enterprise offerings

Stride Ventures (India) announced plans to deploy $200M in KSA over two years and $500M across the Gulf over four years, kicking off with a $33M round in Saudi fintech Erad

PayPal committed $100M to invest in digital commerce across MENA and Africa via PayPal Ventures, building on its Dubai hub and prior bets on Tabby and Paymob

MGX moved to acquire a 15 percent stake in TikTok’s US operations in a White House brokered $14B deal, joining Oracle and Silver Lake as co-investors to resolve national security concerns

Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledged $89M through SFD and QFFD to support Syria’s economic recovery, channelled via UNDP to fund public sector salaries and stabilize essential services

PIF joined an investor group led by Silver Lake in a reported $50B leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts, which would be the largest gaming acquisition in history!

More news → here

Ecosystem Updates

MISA launched the Saudi Startup Program, a national initiative offering streamlined setup, mentorship, funding incentives, and partnerships

CMA expanded its Fintech Lab to 50 registered companies with 68 experimental permits granted, positioning Saudi Arabia as a leading fintech hub under Vision 2030

TiE Women MENA named Aziza, Dosy Bikes, and Super Abla as winners of its Egypt track, with founders securing access to the TiE Women Global Accelerator and platforms at Expand North Star and the Grand Finals in Jaipur

Gulf Business Awards celebrated its 13th edition in Dubai, honoring Miral Group as Company of the Year, Rola Abu Manneh of Standard Chartered as Business Leader of the Year, and Gerald Lawless with the Lifetime Achievement Award

Sheraa concluded its Dojo+ Program in Sharjah, incubating 34 student startups from 14 universities and awarding AED 32K in grants to winners in AI, edtech, and sustainability, with top teams joining Sharjah Startup Studio

EGBANK graduated 17 startups from the 14th MINT Incubator cohort in Egypt, bringing its total to 157 graduated startups that have created 13,000+ jobs and collectively raised over $18M in funding

Startup Syria launched the Catalyst Bootcamp, a seven-day online program training 45 ecosystem builders across Syria in community facilitation, partnerships, and storytelling to strengthen local startup activity

Abu Dhabi Youth Business Council launched the Manarat Al Rowad initiative to fast-track 40 youth-led ventures with licensing support, SME financing, ADGM scholarships, and a premium membership in the Youth Business Gateway

Zain Bahrain launched its flagship Great Ideas Accelerator for the first time in Bahrain, offering training, mentorship, and a Silicon Valley immersion trip to help young founders scale

CDC × Smart Capital introduced the GreenTECH Tunisie initiative to finance 32 green startups and support 10 more SMEs, targeting 300+ jobs while promoting renewable energy, sustainable mobility, and eco-innovation

Jeel × Bahrain FinTech Bay partnered to build a bilateral fintech bridge, enabling startups to test in Saudi’s sandbox and expand into Bahrain

Kuwait Banking Association launched Mutawar, a national fintech initiative, offering dual tracks for ideas and MVPs, a 4-month bootcamp, and a KD 60K prize pool to foster youth innovation

Yasmeen AI Virtual Incubator launched in Syria as the country’s first AI-powered virtual incubator to provide non-profit incubation and diaspora-linked startup support

More updates → here

Startups Highlights

Tanami × Certify (Bahrain) won the 19th StartUp Bahrain Pitch, showcasing AI-driven investing and recruitment solutions, with Thobify, Lamea, and X-Scene among the finalists

Intella × Visa (MENA) partnered to deploy Arabic-first conversational AI across regional banks, rolling out intellaCX and paving the way for Ziila AI agents to transform customer interactions and compliance analytics

Space42 (UAE) announced the launch of the UAE’s first Sovereign Mobility Cloud with Core42 and Microsoft, enabling secure, regulation-compliant data hosting for autonomous transport and smart mobility systems

MNT-Halan (Egypt) introduced the country’s first digital investment-backed lending solution, allowing customers to borrow up to 80% of their investment value via the Halan App without liquidating assets

HyperPay (KSA) signed MoUs with Mastercard and Mozn to issue SME-focused business cards and integrate AI-powered compliance, strengthening Saudi Arabia’s digital payments ecosystem

Nabta Health (UAE) secured a place on TIME’s Top Global HealthTech Companies 2025 list, recognized for its AI-driven hybrid care model tackling women’s health equity gaps across MEA

Talabat (MENA) approved an interim dividend of ~$202M (3.2 fils/share), equal to 90% of H1 2025 net income, with payout slated for Oct 21, 2025

Careem (MENA) expanded its Dirhams for Delays campaign to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, automatically compensating late food deliveries via Careem Pay while maintaining safe driving standards for captains

Keeta (MENA) launched in Dubai, bringing Meituan’s global delivery expertise with 50% off first meals, long-term free delivery, and an on-time guarantee, intensifying competition in the UAE’s food delivery market

More highlights → here

Open For Application

Plug and Play Dubai Accelerator Program | UAE

Plug and Play invites post-revenue, scaling startups (focus on FinTech and Trade & Logistics) to join its new accelerator; benefits include corporate PoCs, market access, investor network, and Dubai workspace — deadline: Oct 12, 2025

Next Up Investment Program 2025 | Saudi Arabia

Annual national program for Saudi startups (2–5 years old) in the growth/expansion stage; benefits include investor access, funding up to SAR 500M, networking, and Demo Day in Riyadh; challenges in Jeddah, Madinah, Buraydah, Riyadh; deadline: Nov 13, 2025

StartSmart Competition 2025 (AI-Focused) | Saudi Arabia

Targeting AI-powered ideas, MVPs, and pre-seed startups; top 40 selected enter a 2-month virtual bootcamp with mentorship and roadshows across KSA; winners receive equity-free cash prizes (SAR 50K / 30K / 20K) — deadline: Nov 13, 2025

Thimar Investment Readiness Accelerator | Syria

An 8-week program preparing early-growth Syrian startups for funding; includes investment readiness training, tailored mentorship, and a Demo Day

Techy Bytes

UAE’s TII × Nvidia launched the Middle East’s first AI and robotics lab in Abu Dhabi, combining advanced GPU chips with humanoid and autonomous robotics research

HUMAIN unveiled the world’s first Agentic AI laptop, Horizon Pro, running on its HUMAIN ONE OS and powered by ALLAM, Saudi’s Arabic-first LLM, with an aggressive global market entry strategy

MBZUAI awarded its inaugural Honorary Doctorate to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, recognizing his global AI leadership and deepening Abu Dhabi’s role in international AI collaboration

Microsoft halted select cloud and AI services to the Israeli military after confirming misuse for Palestinian surveillance, setting a precedent for global tech compliance in conflict regions

Kuwait deployed AI-powered patrols equipped with facial recognition, license plate scanning, and mobile fingerprint tools to modernize law enforcement and enhance public safety

Algeria launched a robotics training program through its Ministry in Annaba, part of a national strategy to expand digital skills in AI, robotics, and cybersecurity

Morocco engaged OpenAI to explore collaborations in AI research and innovation, aiming to build a culturally aligned ecosystem and apply AI in education, governance, and sustainability

Omantel × Publicis Groupe launched the country’s first AI-powered AdTech platform, enabling data-driven campaign targeting and revenue optimization in line with Oman Vision 2040

Alibaba announced a new Dubai data center opening in 2026 as part of its global AI and cloud expansion, alongside facilities in Mexico, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia

More tech → here

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week's digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech

More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco

Connect with us: Website| LinkedIn | Share your story

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

HALA (KSA/Fintech) secured $157M in a landmark Series B to expand its digital payments and SME banking solutions

Lendo (KSA/Fintech) entered a $50M facility agreement with Jadwa Investment’s GCC Private Credit Fund to expand SME financing capacity

LDUN (KSA/Fintech) secured $4.8M in a seed round led by Sadu Capital to scale its SAMA-licensed trade finance platform for MSMEs

Wadaie (KSA/Fintech) closed a seed round led by VentureSouq to scale its Sharia-compliant savings and investment platform

Spare (KSA/Fintech) closed a $5M pre-Series A led by anb Seed Fund to scale its open banking APIs across the GCC

Zahib (KSA/Laundry Services) closed a seed round to modernize laundry operations across the Kingdom

Hesstak (KSA/Proptech) secured a strategic investment from Prime Estates, signaling confidence from a leading Saudi real estate family in its fractional ownership model for income-generating properties

Oumla (KSA/Fintech) raised $2.4M in a seed round led by Core Vision with Avalanche to build digital asset infrastructure and tokenization platforms for corporates, banks, and government bodies

Sindbad.Tech (KSA/B2B Tech) raised SAR 18M ($4.8M) in a seed round led by Alkhabeer Capital to scale its procurement automation and supply chain management platform

Moneymoon (KSA/Fintech) secured SAR 11M ($2.9M) in a pre-Series A led by Core Vision Investment to scale its SAMA-regulated peer-to-peer micro-financing platform for short-term, Shariah-compliant loans

Bwatech (KSA/Fintech) raised $16M (SAR 60M) led by Sharaka Financial to expand its integrated corporate finance platform offering digital bank guarantees, multi-bank management, and open banking services

Bynow (KSA/Fintech) secured $1.2M from Merak Capital to scale its B2B Buy Now Pay Later platform and develop automation tools for accounts receivable and payable processes

Qashio (UAE/KSA Fintech) received a strategic investment from Alinma Bank to expand its corporate spend management platform and deliver advanced digital financial solutions

Value Makers Studio (KSA) announced strategic investments in Arab Therapy and Ballurh, backing regional founders in digital mental health and restaurant technology to drive innovation across key sectors

Amaani (UAE/Beauty) raised $3M in a seed round led by Peak XV’s Surge to launch AÏZA, an Arab beauty brand blending regional heritage with global cosmetic innovation and already surpassing $2M in early annualized revenue

Oncount (UAE/Accounting Tech) raised $1.5M in a seed round to launch its AI-powered accounting and tax compliance platform for SMBs across MENA

Armoir (UAE/Travel) secured $500K in a seed round led by Salica Oryx Fund, to scale its design-driven premium luggage brand inspired by French wardrobe trunks

Nucleon Security (Morocco/Cybersecurity) raised €3M led by NewFund Capital, to scale its agentic AI-powered Zero Trust platform across Europe and Africa

Done (Morocco/Super App) raised $2.1M from local investors and business angels to build Morocco’s first super app, integrating food delivery, e-commerce, payments, and BNPL services into one platform

LRNOVA (Egypt/EdTech) secured funding from EdVentures, the CVC arm of Nahdet Misr Group, to accelerate regional expansion of its AI-powered platform for interactive digital learning content

Clarity (Global/AI) raised $12M with participation from Saudi and UAE VCs, including STV, Sukna Ventures, Oraseya Capital, Phaze Ventures, and Wamda Capital

Main Headlines

UAE Government launched The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World campaign, aiming to train 10,000 Emirati entrepreneurs, create 30,000 jobs by 2030, and unite 50+ incubators and accelerators under a national entrepreneurship platform

BlueFive Capital (UAE) launched a $1B Asia-focused fund backed by Middle Eastern family offices to target aviation, mining, and transport infrastructure

PIF (KSA) finalized a $1.99B acquisition of a 54 percent majority stake in MBC Group

Duaya (Egypt) acquired pharmacy SaaS provider EXMGO in a six-figure deal, relaunching it as Duaya Go to digitize pharmacy operations and expand its healthcare e-commerce solutions across Egypt and the GCC

SILQFi (KSA) acquired OXO to launch Omni, an embedded finance platform integrating POS, payments, procurement, and instant credit for SMEs

ANAVA Fund of Funds (Tunisia) committed $4M to Rasmal Innovation Fund I, attracting international capital to Tunisian startups and backing Aqua Development, a biotech aquaculture venture

QIA invested $54M in Japanese semiconductor firm Tekscend ahead of its IPO, securing exposure to critical chipmaking components

Nadrah Trading Co. (KSA) invested in US defense tech firm UNION Technologies as part of its $51.3M seed round

UAE and Morocco co-launched the Future of Investment and Trade (FIT) Partnership with 12 other nations to champion open and fair trade, strengthen supply chains, and boost cross-border investment

MSMEDA announced plans to establish permanent African markets for Egyptian SMEs to expand exports

MGX (UAE) joined Silver Lake in acquiring a majority stake in Intel’s spun-out Altera business

Saudi’s Ministry of Investment and Fasanara Capital signed an MoU to boost SME fintech lending, committing over SAR 3B to enable $8B in cumulative SME financing

Kuwait announced plans to regulate the delivery sector under New Kuwait 2035, while expanding digital government services through the Sahel app and biometric systems that have already processed 30M+ transactions

Al Rawaj Foundation (Morocco) secured a €10M loan from the EBRD under the Youth in Business program to finance youth-led SMEs

Algeria launched a National Tech Hub through its sovereign wealth fund, FNI, and four ICT partners to modernize finance, foster startups, and position the country as a regional digital powerhouse

Iraq signed an agreement with Nokia to build its first national data centers in Baghdad, strengthening data sovereignty, e-government services, and the foundation of its digital economy

Oman launched 15 new government platforms and signed six strategic agreements at COMEX 2025 to accelerate Vision 2040 digital goals

Ecosystem Updates

Startup Grind Doha highlighted AI innovation in its All-Star Pitch Battle, crowning Be My Sense as winner, with PitchPro.me second, paintit.ai third, and Meta Souq earning Most Creative Pitch

Fintech Saudi launched the Financial Innovation Lab with Riyadh Bank’s Jeel and SAB’s Xperiment to provide a testing environment for fintech solutions and help founders scale regionally

1957 Ventures × Lean Node (KSA) partnered to launch a Fintech and AI Foundry offering programs, direct funding, and AI tools for founders

E3.Ventures × Groq partnered to give AI startups access to high-performance processors and expert support aligned with Vision 2030, accelerating compliant, scalable solutions

AstroLabs × Al Rajhi Bank (KSA) deepened collaboration to streamline market entry by coordinating bank touchpoints and clarifying milestones for global clients entering KSA

Trusity × ENOC (UAE) launched a nationwide initiative to scout, upskill, and incubate Emirati student ventures, funneling the top 10 ideas into Trusity’s TruPreneurs program and TruNext incubator with investor pitches

Berytech × Zaka AI (Lebanon) hosted the Clyntech Hackathon, bringing together 25 innovators in nine teams to co-create AI-powered cleantech solutions, with three winning teams earning cash prizes and fast-tracks to the accelerator program

Warba Bank launched the sixth Rowad program with DIFC Innovation Hub, an eight-week AI and fintech talent track for GCC students

Leancubator × Algeria FinLab partnered to accelerate fintech and insurtech through the Algeria Startup Challenge under UAR patronage, fostering sector digitalization

Scale Up 2025 awarded soft loans and technical grants to top Syrian startups after a competitive cohort from 527 applicants, with ongoing Aga Khan Foundation mentorship

Women in Tech Futuremakers awarded $75K to three women-led Bahraini startups after an eight-week incubation with mentorship and pitch training

Hub71 launched a Startup Immersion Program in Hong Kong to fast-track later-stage startups into Abu Dhabi

UAE Delegation (UAE) will join 4,000 professionals at the Moscow Startup Summit on Oct 1 to 2 to tap BRICS and SCO capital with AI awards assessed using Sberbank GigaChat

Flow Accelerator × SPARK will convene the Green Forward Conference in Palestine to build BSO networks and scale green and circular economy solutions under an EU-funded program

Young Arab Pioneers concluded its fourth edition in Abu Dhabi, bringing 40 innovators from 13 countries for business model training, storytelling practice, and field visits to Athar Plus and G42

Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship launched the Jahiz program in Jordan to ready MVP and scaling startups with training, mentorship, networking, and grants up to $10,000

Bank Albilad concluded a FinTech hackathon in Riyadh selecting 28 finalist projects from 180-plus student ideas with support from SAMA, Fintech Saudi, and Monsha’at

NeuroNexus Hackathon awarded top teams in HealthTech and GreenTech in Egypt with a 60,000 EGP prize pool run by ITIDA and EME Innovation Labs

Startups Highlights

Talabat (Qatar/Commerce) resumed operations after a one-week suspension, following compliance with consumer protection regulations, payment of QAR 1.14M in fines, and corrective measures, including a new call center

Tamara (KSA/Fintech) entered talks to secure a landmark $1.4B+ debt facility from Goldman Sachs, Citi, Apollo, and others, potentially scaling to $2.4B

Holo (UAE/Proptech) launched an AED 500K property giveaway, offering homebuyers extra incentives as Dubai’s real estate transactions hit AED 431B in H1 2025

Jisr (KSA/HR Tech & Fintech) introduced Jisr Spend, Saudi Arabia’s first locally developed expense management platform, integrating HR and finance data with VAT and ZATCA compliance to automate workflows, cut fraud risk, and save finance teams hours weekly

Foodics × Lean Technologies (KSA/F&B & Fintech) partnered to embed open banking into its platform, unifying financial dashboards and enabling data-driven credit access for restaurants and retailers, advancing Saudi Arabia’s fintech ecosystem

inDrive (Global/Mobility) launched ride-hailing in Riyadh, its second Saudi city, bringing a fare-negotiation Realtime Deals model and lower service fees to intensify competition in the Kingdom’s transport sector

Farid (Egypt/Edtech) expanded to Saudi Arabia with a $1.3M partnership with Amad Association, establishing a Riyadh office to train 500 local graduates as certified coaches and deliver character-building programs to 4,000+ children

Digital Zone (Iraq/E-commerce) entered the Saudi market, marking one of the first major regional expansions by an Iraqi startup.

Valu × noon (Egypt/Fintech) launched Egypt’s first licensed in-app BNPL service under the FRA’s new FinTech License. Noon users can now self-onboard digitally with eKYC, receive instant credit limits, and complete purchases without leaving the app

Kamel Pay (UAE/Fintech) received in-principle approval from the UAE Central Bank to offer payment services

MNT-Halan (Egypt/Fintech) expanded into the GCC to serve underserved and low-income consumers

Ceer (KSA/E-mobility) unveiled a new brand identity ahead of its global EV debut, featuring the world’s first bilingual Arabic-English automotive logotype and a 32-light design signature

Techy Bytes

Abu Dhabi launched an AI-powered MRI technique to accelerate multiple sclerosis diagnosis, developed by NYUAD, Yas Clinic, and ADSCC

UAE’s Tajmeel launched SmileVerse, an AI and robotics-powered dental hub in Abu Dhabi offering precision care, same-day restorations, and digital smile design

Saudi Arabia accelerated its cashless economy, launching Google Pay and signing a deal to integrate Alipay+ by 2026 through the Saudi Central Bank’s Mada network

Oman rolled out a large-scale AI education initiative, deploying 4,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses across public schools to modernize classrooms and align with Oman Vision 2040

Bahrain launched a national cyber awareness program, training 75 specialists across 55 organizations under the NCSC’s “Lamea” initiative to strengthen digital resilience

ADNOC deployed an AI smart port system, cutting vessel turnaround time by 90 percent across key petroleum ports and projecting $950K in annual savings by 2028

Bahrain Polytechnic partnered with SICO to launch a cybersecurity research lab, strengthening higher education and developing a skilled national workforce

Tunisian engineers developed an AI-powered medical device for remote diagnostics, already undergoing trials in Canada and the UK after winning international awards

CONCAT Tech celebrated the graduation of 63 interns in web development in Lebanon, empowering refugee and female developers through hands-on projects and training

Nvidia announced a $5B stake in Intel, forging a landmark partnership to co-develop next-generation AI chips for data centers and PCs

Meta unveiled new Ray-Ban smart glasses , featuring a built-in display and a neural wristband controller that translates subtle hand gestures into commands

OpenAI introduced stricter safety measures for minors, adding parental controls and restrictions on sensitive topics to protect ChatGPT users under 18

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week's digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

Connect with us: Website| LinkedIn

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Fintologya (Bahrain/Fintech) raised $1M in a seed round to scale its cloud-based payments infrastructure and expand operations beyond Bahrain and Saudi Arabia into new GCC markets

Property Finder (UAE/Proptech) raised $525M led by Permira to accelerate product and regional expansion across MENA’s booming real estate market

CredibleX (UAE/Fintech) secured a $100M senior secured credit facility from Pollen Street Capital. The funding will expand CredibleX’s SME loan book and embedded finance partnerships following its $55M seed round in 2024

PRYPCO (UAE/Proptech) raised a major pre-Series A investment from General Catalyst, having facilitated nearly AED 10B in mortgages and supported 3,000+ Golden Visas

Metric (UAE/Fintech) secured funding led by A typical Ventures to scale “Max”, its conversational CF AI serving 130,000+ businesses in 190 countries on $4.2B of transactional data

Wahed (UAE/Fintech) raised a strategic investment from Phoenix Venture Partners, formalizing a long-term partnership ahead of a planned Series C as the Islamic investing platform grows beyond 300,000 clients across 9 licensed jurisdictions

TERN Group (UAE/Healthtech) raised $24M Series A co co-led by Notion Capital and EQ2 Ventures to expand its clinical AI workforce platform that cuts medical staff hiring from one year to under ten weeks across the GCC, Europe, and the UK

DawaDose (KSA/Pharma Tech) closed a pre-seed round from angel investors and set up its KSA headquarters to launch an integrated digital platform that connects consumers with pharmacies and drug warehouses across the Kingdom and the wider GCC

21Doctors (KSA/Healthtech) secured a pre-seed round from angel investors and established its KSA headquarters to scale an AI-driven healthcare network that links patients with doctors, pharmacies, and labs, with a focus on Arabic language medical tools

Bab Plus (Jordan/Customer Engagement) received funding and a year long support package from ZINC through Zain Al Mubadara, including 10,000 JOD cash, legal and technical advisory, branding, and market access to scale its omnichannel customer automation platform

Jobzyn (Morocco/Recruitment) raised an undisclosed round from Janngo Capital to scale its AI-powered recruitment platform across Africa

Rihal (Oman/Data & AI) secured $7.5M in the first close of its Series A, led by ITHCA Group, to scale its data and AI platforms across regional and global markets

Cyfr Capital (Oman) backed five startups through its Seed Fund in partnership with Oman Future Fund, including Firdous Biotech (Oman), AFAQ AI (Oman), Cassbana (Egypt), National Rocks (Oman), and Helpdesk (UAE), strengthening its portfolio across AI, biotech, fintech, and deep tech

CE Invests invested in Flipspaces (Contech) to support the company in developing its AI-led design platform, VR walkthroughs, and full-stack delivery model

QIA joined a $1B Series E for US quantum computing leader PsiQuantum. The round values the company at $7B as it races to build a 1M qubit photonic quantum computer

Rasmal Ventures (Qatar) backed AI logistics firm NEXX during the Belt & Road Summit in Hong Kong, to support the company in scaling its agentic AI logistics platform while strengthening Qatar’s role as a hub for cross-regional innovation

Viaka Angel Network (MENA) invested in Vessel, a VC infrastructure platform streamlining investor relations, fundraising, and reporting for fund managers, marking its third investment and reinforcing its thesis of backing high-impact ventures tied to the MENA ecosystem

Main Headlines

VentureSouq (UAE) closed its second fintech fund with backing from PIF’s Jada Fund of Funds, SVC, Mubadala, and Jordan’s ISSF

Sarat Ventures (KSA) launched a $50M Y Innovations Biotech Fund to back early-stage life sciences

ORA Technologies (Morocco) acquired last-mile delivery platform Cathedis to vertically integrate logistics into its e-commerce and fintech ecosystem

Oman announced a $265M AI and Advanced Technologies Zone in Muscat, spanning 100,000 sqm to attract global startups and position the Sultanate as a regional hub for AI innovation

Riyadh Valley Company invested in US-based FinTech Collective’s Fund IV, to expand exposure to global fintech innovation

Vision Invest (KSA) committed $700M to ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, marking its first direct investment in Africa to accelerate green and inclusive industrial ecosystems across 14 countries

Egypt × Tunisia signed an MoU to strengthen SME ecosystems through joint training, incubator creation, and trade exhibitions

Egypt launched the National Narrative for Economic Development, a private-sector-led strategy targeting 7 percent annual growth and an investment rate of 25–30 percent of GDP by 2030

Oman Investment Authority (Oman) announced plans for two new cross-border funds to strengthen investment corridors with China and Central Asia

Syrian Development Fund launched under Presidential Decree No. 112 to finance reconstruction and development across six sectors, enabling contributions from Syrians at home and abroad through formal donation channels

Ecosystem Updates

Mubadala × Antler × Hub71 (UAE) launched the National Founders Programme, a six-week venture-building track to convert breakthrough university research into startups

216 Capital (Tunisia) partnered with Plug and Play to launch the 216 Capital Venture Accelerator, a six-month program offering Tunisian startups €50K seed funding, mentorship, and access to Plug and Play’s global network

Falak Angels (KSA) signed a strategic partnership with Finjan Investments (Qatar) to build a cross-border investment corridor, co-investment syndicate, and investor education programs

Taibah University (KSA) launched an Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in Madinah with Monsha’at, offering foundational workshops, intensive training, and expert mentorship

Sunbulah Accelerator (KSA) showcased 13 AgriTech and FoodTech startups from 8 countries at its Paris finale

Sanabil Accelerator by Orbit showcased 11 startups from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, and Hong Kong, each backed with $100K seed funding, mentorship, and a global network

LAUNCH UP 2025 Bootcamp concluded its first phase in Hama with 30 startups and 60+ founders across healthcare, logistics, tourism, and edtech

Orange Jordan celebrated the graduation of 14 AI-driven startups from the second and third cohorts of its AI Incubator

Palestinian Youth Union launched the Empowering Women in Agricultural Entrepreneurship program across seven villages in Ramallah and Salfit, training women in modern farming, livestock, food processing, and financial planning

Startup Teen crowned its first winners in Egypt, with Team NextPay, Team BreScan, and Team ECOVOLTIX taking top prizes

BENEFIT (Bahrain) concluded the 4th MASAR FinTech Summer Programme, upskilling 40 Bahraini youths via hands-on projects, workshops, and field trips

Tunisia’s Youth dominated the 6th Arab Let’s Innovate competition in Amman, including Grand Prize for S-Drone, Best Educational Game for Play and Code, and Best Presentation for SOS Maison and Save Eat

Startups Highlights

NanoPalm (KSA/Biotech) won KPMG’s National Tech Innovator for its AI-driven, programmable lipid nanoparticle platform enabling in vivo gene therapy delivery

Talabat was suspended for one week by Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry over alleged consumer protection violations, including misleading practices and poor service quality

Fawry (Egypt/Fintech) partnered with Odoo’s Golden Partner CDS Solutions to plug its POS directly into Odoo ERP, streamlining acceptance, reconciliation, and reporting for thousands of SMEs and large enterprises

Shahbandr (KSA/E-commerce & AI) launched Shahbandr AI, the region’s first integrated Arabic-native generative AI toolkit—50+ preset tools for images, videos, voice-overs, copy, and SEO—free for 18,000+ stores across Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Ottu (Kuwait) launched ECHO, an AI-powered platform that autonomously manages dispute resolution, merchant support, and system configuration

Luxury For You (UAE/Luxury E-tail) launched a members-only, capital-light marketplace offering access to $300M+ inventory across 1,200+ brands,

Gathern (KSA/Traveltech) reached $2B+ in gross bookings and 44% share of Saudi short-term rentals, and preparing regional expansion into Kuwait and Bahrain

StashAway (UAE/Wealthtech) launched Shariah Global Portfolios offering four risk levels via compliant ETFs (equities, sukuk, gold), citing five-year annualized returns up to 13.7% and fees from 0.2%–0.8%, with no minimums or lock-ins

MoneyHash × noon Payments (MENA/Fintech) partnered to offer single-API access to local rails across KSA, UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, and Oman

Gainz × Watermelon Ecosystem (UAE/F&B Fintech) teamed up to close the F&B financing gap via Sharia-compliant crowdfunding integrated with a 1,000+ outlet network

The PartyPlatform (UAE) launched in Dubai as a digital marketplace streamlining event planning by connecting customers directly with vetted vendors and offering AI-driven recommendations

Open For Application

Zain Great Idea 2025 | Saudi Arabia

Flagship accelerator for Saudi tech startups; 14-day Silicon Valley bootcamp, mentorship, investor access, and technical support via ZainTECH.
Deadline: Sep 20

Algerian Agripreneurs Challenge 2025 | Algeria

National program selecting 65 winners across Idea and Growth tracks with tailored coaching, specialist services, and network.
Deadline: Sep 28

Egypt Entrepreneur Awards 2025 | Egypt

Top founders are invited to apply across 15 categories, including AI, Fintech, Logistics, Sustainability, Fashion, and Rising Entrepreneurs.
Deadline: Sep 30

Tremplin Maroc 17th Edition | Morocco

Offering expert mentorship, personalized coaching, and project structuring to turn ideas into viable startups.
Deadline: Sep 30

Game by Code (3-Month Incubator for Game Developers) | Saudi Arabia

Nationwide incubator by MCIT and NTDP for aspiring developers and entrepreneurs (Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Ahsa).
Deadline: Sep 30

rowth’Act+ (6-Month Acceleration, €750K Tickets) | Tunisia

Advanced program by WIKISTARTUP for later-stage GreenTech, AI, and BioTech startups.
Deadline: Oct 19

Techy Bytes

UAE announced the launch of K2 Think, an open-source reasoning model developed by MBZUAI and G42, endorsed by the President as a landmark step toward global AI leadership

Abu Dhabi’s EAD launched AI-powered avatars to enhance environmental awareness, featuring lifelike Emirati characters Souheil and Dana designed for bilingual, culturally-attuned public engagement

Oman launched Maeen, its first national AI model, alongside a dedicated AI zone, Green AI Alliance, and $109M in tech deals under Oman Vision 2040

UAE’s FAHR deployed an AI HR Assistant to automate 80% of federal government HR services, serving 50K+ employees and saving an estimated 170K working hours annually

Qatar launched the Technology Radar Initiative, starting with healthcare, to systematically adopt, test, and monitor emerging technologies

Qatar began public robotaxi trials in Doha with Mowasalat and Pony.ai, marking its first major step into autonomous mobility

Abu Dhabi launched the region’s first Executive Program for Chief AI Officers, a two-week ADSM–Polynome AI Academy initiative to train senior leaders on AI deployment, governance, and strategy

Iraq opened two new AI engineering colleges in Baghdad and at Middle Technical University, expanding national AI institutions to ten

HBMSU deployed agentic AI across faculty operations, automating course design, assessments, and student performance analysis, cutting admin load by 95% and boosting learning outcomes by 40%

Kuwait’s Academy X graduated its second cohort of young women in tech, with 14–18-year-old participants developing 50+ projects in AI, app development, and UI/UX

Lebanon granted Starlink a license to provide satellite internet, breaking the state monopoly and launching B2B services from $100/month to strengthen connectivity and competition

Morocco signed an agreement to develop a national AI platform and sovereign LLM, aligning with its legal, cultural, and linguistic context to ensure ethical, sovereign, and responsible adoption

Albania appointed Diella, an AI entity, as a symbolic cabinet minister for public procurement, aiming to eliminate corruption and increase efficiency in government tenders

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week's digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

Connect with us: Website| LinkedIn

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Orbii (KSA/Fintech) secured $3.6M in a seed round led by Prosus Ventures, with backing from VentureSouq, Dash Ventures, Taz Investments, and Sanabil 500, to scale its AI-powered credit infrastructure and target $1B in SME loans across MENA by 2026.

Seraya (UAE/Proptech) raised $1.8M in a seed round led by a KSA-based family office and DLL, bringing total funding to $2.15M, as it scales its premium serviced apartments in Dubai with 92%+ occupancy and targets 50 units by end of 2025

Intella (Saudi Arabia/AI) secured $12.5M in an oversubscribed Series A led by Prosus to expand its Arabic speech-to-text AI, scale enterprise solutions, and grow across MENA

WheelsOn (UAE/Mobility) secured $12.5M in equity, fleet financing, and bank debt to expand its car rental platform, grow its fleet, and roll out AI-driven pricing and digital key features across the GCC

Fitting (KSA/Contech) raised $500K in a pre-seed round from a strategic angel investor to scale its construction supply chain platform and strengthen partnerships in Saudi Arabia

Justyol (Morocco/E-commerce) raised $1M in equity and inventory financing from an angel investor and Turkey’s Danis Group to expand its cross-border platform across North Africa

Addvocate.AI (Tunisia/AI) secured a strategic investment from 216 Capital to expand its AI-powered sales performance platform and accelerate international growth from its France-Tunisia base

Main Headlines

anb capital (KSA) and Lexham Partners (UK) launched a $200M MENA Tech Growth Fund to back late-stage and pre-IPO technology companies, with a focus on Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 digital transformation agenda

Progressio and Falak Startups (Egypt) launched a $10M Intellectual Property Venture Fund to commercialize patents and research-driven innovations across universities and scientific institutions

Qatar Investment Authority joined the $13B Series F round of US-based AI firm Anthropic, led by ICONIQ with participation from Fidelity, Lightspeed, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs, to support global AI safety and enterprise expansion

Basata Holding (Egypt/Fintech) announced plans to deploy $7M in 2026 to strengthen its payments ecosystem, expand into Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Kurdistan, and grow its merchant network to 150,000

Khazna Data Centres (UAE) secured a $2.62B credit facility from ADCB and FAB to expand its UAE footprint, grow across MENA, and pursue global projects targeting 1GW capacity with AI-enabled infrastructure

Qatar Cabinet approved the establishment of a National Center for Artificial Intelligence under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to formalize and lead the country’s AI ecosystem

G42 (Abu Dhabi) announced plans to sell a 2% stake in Presight AI via an accelerated book build, expected to raise $100M+, reduce its holding to 68.5%, and boost free float ahead of potential FTSE index inclusion

Saudi Arabia and the UK signed $5.3B worth of investment agreements at the Great Futures Summit in London across 38 deals spanning mining, chemicals, and biotech, with a bilateral trade target of £30B by 2030

UAE Ministry of Finance issued new corporate tax decisions for Free Zones, expanding qualifying activities, clarifying treasury and financing rules, and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a competitive global business hub

Oman’s Financial Services Authority introduced the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) on the Muscat Stock Exchange to expand SME access to capital, support green finance, and promote innovation under a simplified regulatory framework

Oman Future Fund (Oman) launched an SME lending portfolio run with Beehive’s AI underwriting, targeting sub-2-week decisions and complementing OMR 1.249B invested across 45 projects

Madinah Angels (Global/Muslim Tech) launched as the first angel syndicate dedicated to Muslim founders and investors, announcing its first seed investment in REG-1, an AI-powered Regtech ecosystem led by Shak Ashraf

Monsha’at (KSA) launched the second Esterdad refund initiative worth SAR 1.5B to reimburse key government fees for startups in their first three years, with applications open until end of 2026 and disbursements running through 2028

Ecosystem Updates

Cultural Fund in Saudi Arabia launched Namaa Accelerators Handicrafts track aligned with Year of Handicrafts 2025, training 113 craft establishments and advancing 40 into a 14-week accelerator with mentorship and investor access to boost a SAR 1.5B market

500 MENA announced the 3rd cohort of Sanabil Startup Unlocked by 500 Global in Riyadh, selecting 17 startups, including FinFlow.AI, Najeeb.Ai, Scale by AI, and Zameeli, for a 5-day bootcamp with hands-on mentorship and workshops to prepare for Saudi expansion

Numu Angels (KSA) hosted the Spark Angel Event in Riyadh, connecting 200+ investors and entrepreneurs, featuring five startup pitches from fintech and automotive ventures, and announcing a larger follow-up event this December

Hub71 welcomed a record AI-intensive Cohort 17 of 26 startups from 12 countries, collectively funded with $223M+, 81% AI-driven, and eligible for up to AED 500K in incentives (with top performers up to AED 1M)

Sheraa announced 12 shortlisted startups for Access Sharjah Challenge 2025 from 4,600+ applications across 90+ countries, offering a Startup Readiness Sprint and AED 250K pilot contracts per track ahead of a September 9 Pitch Day

Abu Dhabi Business Women Council and du signed an MoU to equip women-led SMEs with discounted connectivity and digital tools, supporting innovation and participation in the UAE’s digital economy

Sharjah Business Women Council (UAE) launched an initiative to sponsor eight women-led startups at Expand North Star 2025 in Dubai, covering premium booths, automatic entry into the $214K Supernova Challenge, and access to category prizes such as Sustainability Leaders and Fintech Disruptor

TiE Dubai (UAE) announced 11 women-led startup finalists for the TiE Women MENA Pitch Event, set for September 10 at in5 Dubai, with the winner advancing to the regional finals

Jahez and Kuwait Innovation Center concluded Kuwait’s first Food Innovation Hackathon, engaging 19 teams to tackle food sector challenges with tech-driven solutions, awarding Project Wasel, Project Lamma, and Dynamic Pricing as winners in line with Kuwait Vision 2035

AB Xelerate (Jordan) concluded its 3rd bootcamp with 10 regional AI startups from Jordan, KSA, UAE, Egypt, and Palestine, crowning Wittify.ai as winner, with InvoiceMate and Veehive as runners-up

Afkar Plus introduced the Dukan Afkar initiative in Hama, offering its fully equipped hall free of charge for community-led events and knowledge-sharing sessions, reinforcing its role as an incubator for entrepreneurship and local impact

Aram Lab (Syria) unveiled the country’s first interactive startup ecosystem map, created by local and diaspora Syrians to clarify actors across ideation, growth, funding, and regulation

Madinet Masr and Orange Corners (Egypt) celebrated the 2024 cohort graduation, supporting 130 startups across Delta and Upper Egypt with €4K grants each and programs emphasizing inclusion and job creation expected to exceed 3,000 roles

MCIT (Egypt) launched the first Digitopia Competition with EGP 10M in prizes across software & AI, gaming & digital arts, and cybersecurity, targeting participants aged 10–35 from students to entrepreneurs,

Ministry of Economy & Finance in Morocco launched the pilot Gender Lens program in Souss-Massa with Tamwilkom and GIZ to boost women-led SMEs via training and preferential financing up to MAD 5M at 2% for up to 7 years

Riyada opened a new Entrepreneurship Center in Sohar, serving 22,250 registered enterprises in North Al Batinah with co-working spaces, mentorship, training, and financing opportunities, bringing Riyada’s nationwide network to 29 centers

Big Geeks X Challenge 2025 in Cairo concluded with Ecoshell and Biolumnicare winning grand prizes of EGP 30K each, and Online with U taking first prize of EGP 10K; 24 teams competed, with Vortex and Manbat fast-tracked into pre-incubation

Suez Canal University (Egypt) organized a Start Your Own Business program for 32 youth, offering seven training modules covering business planning, market exploration, money management, and scaling, reinforcing entrepreneurship as a pillar of the national economy

Innovation Factory (Morocco) concluded its second edition, crowning 9 youth-led social ventures from 470+ applicants and awarding 6-month tailored incubation

DeepTech Entrepreneurship Summit concluded in Egypt with 40 projects, 10 finalists, and wins for Energtic, Palm Shield & Exomotion, bridging research–industry via Electronics Research Institute and Edafa VC

Startups Highlights

Ninja (KSA) is reportedly preparing for an IPO at a $1.5B valuation, reflecting the growing maturity of Saudi’s tech ecosystem as firms like Tabby and Emkan Finance also line up listings

Noon (UAE/KSA) is considering a dual IPO in Saudi Arabia and the UAE within 24 months, contingent on profitability, as it explores autonomous delivery, M&A, and expansion into new markets

Suplyd and Poultry Sync (Egypt) were selected among the Top 20 semi-finalists in Africa’s Business Heroes competition, standing out from 32,000+ applicants with scalable solutions in foodtech and agritech

SEEN (KSA) launched a digital hub to simplify the journey for newcomers, expats, and visitors in Saudi Arabia, offering life setup packs, categorized services, and an upcoming AI assistant

Sorbet (UAE) crossed $500K in payment volume within five months of beta launch, onboarding ~1,500 users to its stablecoin neobank for freelancers and startups, with plans to expand services and global-first payment tools

Aqari (UAE) processed 2,000+ digital transactions in its first six months, adding 42K+ new units and 2M sqm of land to Sharjah’s real estate database as part of the emirate’s digital transformation

TradeHub (Egypt) shut down after raising $1.4M, with founders returning remaining capital to investors following two pivots and challenges achieving product-market fit

Qushour and Nahj won first and second place in the Injaz Oman 2025 university category, with Qushour set to represent Oman at the regional Injaz Al-Arab competition

Qlub (UAE) partnered with Mastercard, which also made a minority investment, to expand its QR-based payment platform across 3K+ restaurants and 3M+ users in the GCC hospitality sector

Bokra (Egypt) relaunched its Sharia-compliant savings app with AI-driven features, serving 45K+ clients and 2K+ first-time sukuk investors, after securing a landmark FRA license for non-banking financial services

Hubpay (UAE) partnered with RAK Properties to enable international clients to purchase real estate in Ras Al Khaimah using digital assets like USDT, Bitcoin, and Ethereum, with all transactions processed through Hubpay’s ADGM-regulated and VARA-licensed framework

Open For Application

StartUp Bahrain Weekend (5th Ed.) | Bahrain

54-hour startup marathon at AUBH for 250+ founders/devs/designers (Oct 9–11, 2025); mentorship, networking, cash prizes up to BD 1,000, and fast-track into programs

Forward·Inc Scale-Up (12 months) for Syrian Founders | Jordan

Tailored growth program for Jordan-registered, Syrian-led tech/tech-enabled startups: 1:1 coaching, investor matchmaking (EU/GCC/US), global visibility

Web3 Unleashed #3 Hackathon (DMCC × Bybit) | UAE

Global Web3 competition with new DeFAI/DeSci tracks, $140K prize pool; top 5 pitch live in Dubai (Nov 26

Govern It Smartly Hackathon | Oman

48-hour national hackathon (Salalah) to build digital governance solutions; multidisciplinary youth teams, expert mentoring

1000 Fikra (1000 Ideas) | Morocco

Nationwide training caravan with free Rebel Business School workshops, mentorship, and funding up to 200,000 MAD

AIX Hack | Qatar

Doha Oct 24–26 @ QSTP: dual CXO summit + hackathon with AI bootcamp, expert mentorship, cash prizes & cloud credits

Creators Ventures Accelerator (w/ 500 Global) | UAE

10-week hybrid accelerator for creators & creator-economy startups with access to an AED 50M fund, hands-on mentorship, and a demo at the 1 Billion Followers Summit — priority deadline: Sep 12, 2025; final: Oct 3, 2025 (program: Oct 27–Jan 12, 4 weeks in-person Dubai)

Tamara AI Hackathon 2025 | Saudi Arabia

48-hour AI creativity sprint in Riyadh to produce a 90-sec, production-ready AI video — event: Sep 11–13, 2025

Pitch Lounge – Foodpreneurs Collective (Pitch + Networking) | UAE

F&B founders: online pitch lounge (Sep 11) + Dubai breakfast networking (Sep 15, DWTC) — pitch slots limited; free registration for networking

Arab Innovation Award | Regional

Honors individuals, startups & institutions delivering sustainable, high-impact innovation; winners get recognition, media promotion, networking, 1-year membership

Techy Bytes

du (UAE) launched the world’s first Arabic Telecom LLM, built in-country with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University’s 6G RC & ITU, to use in target internal ops like complaint handling and device troubleshooting

Khalifa University (UAE) secured a U.S. patent for a reconfigurable hybrid robotics system, to be licensed to Dexter Robotics for applications in aerospace, automotive, and advanced manufacturing

Presight launched NewsPulse on Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an AI-powered news intelligence assistant processing 500K+ daily articles in 100+ languages with subscriptions from $99/month

InnoTech & bp Oman launched the fourth cycle of FabTech Mobile Lab, doubling capacity and adding VR, IoT, and AI to engage 600+ students across Omani schools

Saudi Arabia conducted its first drone delivery trial for postal parcels, a GACA–TGA initiative to cut delivery times and modernize logistics in line with Vision 2030

INSEAD & SC Ventures launched Lexarius, an AI-powered EdTech venture from Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, combining avatars and agentic AI for experiential role-play learning in leadership, sales, and customer service across 20+ languages

OpenAI acquired Statsig for $1.1B in stock, bringing experimentation tech in-house to accelerate ChatGPT and Codex development, while reshuffling leadership to focus on applications and science

Snapchat rolled out Imagine Lens, a text-to-image AI generator exclusive to Snapchat+ Platinum and Lens+ subscribers, letting users create and edit Snaps with custom prompts

Google fined €2.95B ($3.5B) by the EU for abusing adtech dominance, the bloc’s second-largest antitrust fine; Google plans to appeal while facing parallel U.S. scrutiny

Amazon launched Lens Live, a real-time AI visual search tool integrated with Rufus, letting U.S. iOS users point their camera at objects and instantly compare products in-app

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week's digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

Connect with us: Website| LinkedIn

Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!

We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.

Fundraising Roulette

Holo (UAE/Proptech) secured $22M in a Series A led by Impact46, with backing from Mubadala, Rua Growth Fund, anb seed, and others, to expand its digital mortgage solutions into Saudi Arabia and across the GCC

Maalexi (UAE/Agri-fintech) secured a $20M Shariah-compliant credit facility from Amwal Capital Partners to scale operations in the UAE and KSA, support thousands of SMEs, and strengthen regional food security

Cointel (UAE/Crypto) raised $7.4M in a strategic round led by Avalanche and Japan’s Sugafam Inc. to expand its AI-native crypto education and intelligence platform into North America and other global markets

Seraya (UAE/Proptech) raised $1.8M in a seed round led by a KSA-based family office and DLL, bringing total funding to $2.15M, as it scales its premium serviced apartments business in Dubai with 92%+ occupancy and plans to expand to 50 units by end of 2025

Spoilz (Saudi Arabia/Gaming) secured investment from Merak Capital, Impact46, and others to expand its game development and LiveOps services

Sheba Joy (Saudi Arabia/Gaming) raised $293K in a pre-seed round led by Merak Capital to expand production, attract talent, and develop culturally grounded games from its new Riyadh headquarters

Munify (Egypt/Fintech) raised $3M in a seed round led by Y Combinator, with participation from BYLD and DCG, to build a cross-border neobank serving Egyptians abroad and expand across the Middle East

Mubadala (UAE/Sovereign Wealth Fund) invested $35M in UK-based graphene semiconductor firm Paragraf, acquiring a 12.8% stake as part of a $55M round to fuel global expansion and scale next-generation electronics production

Main Headlines

Bluecove Capital (Bahrain) and CICC Capital (China) launched a $500M joint investment fund to support the expansion of Chinese companies in technology, green energy, and advanced manufacturing across the Gulf region

Saudi Esports Federation and Merak Capital (KSA) signed an MoU to accelerate the gaming ecosystem with talent development, startup enablement, and initiatives linked to the $80M Merak Gaming Fund and Vision 2030

Oman launched its Golden Residency program for investors on August 31, alongside new initiatives to support high-performing Omani companies and accelerate digital transformation as part of Vision 2040

Qatar issued a new corporate governance law requiring listed companies to enhance transparency, granting them one year to comply, as the country strengthens market discipline and investor confidence

Iraq’s Central Bank announced the upcoming launch of Riyada Bank, a specialized institution dedicated to financing SMEs, offering collateral support and risk-mitigation mechanisms to expand credit access for entrepreneurs

onebank (Egypt/Fintech) secured CBE approval to become Egypt’s first fully digital bank, backed by CI Capital and Egypt Post, targeting youth and SMEs with a mobile-first model supporting financial inclusion

Egypt announced new measures to attract large companies to list on the EGX, with plans to introduce derivatives, activate market makers, and expand financial instruments

Ecosystem Updates

P16 Saudi Growth Accelerator (Palestine to KSA) concluded with a Riyadh Demo Day at The Garage, showcasing six Palestinian startups prepared for KSA expansion through IFC, Flow Accelerator, and Parachute 16

Sharjah Islamic Bank launched a new Ruwaad 2025 cohort to develop Emirati talent through leadership, technical training, job rotations, and mentorship

Al Baraka Islamic Bank hosted an Entrepreneurship Masterclass with INJAZ Bahrain for employees’ children aged 9–15, covering financial literacy, creative thinking, leadership, and startup basics

Orange Jordan concluded the 9th Orange Social Venture Prize, naming Hi Health-Technologies, Recycle of CO₂, and EyeLocate as winners who advance to Cape Town finals across 17 countries for prizes up to €25K

Cairo University launched AI Hackathon 2025, unveiling a university-wide AI strategy, a new company to commercialize intangible assets, and the CU AI Nexus 2025 conference on October 18–19

Zain Group expanded its Zain Great Idea accelerator to Iraq, offering selected startups a Silicon Valley program and access to Zain Ventures and ZainTECH support, building on 7,000 entrepreneurs upskilled and $135M raised

Oman Environmental Innovation Platform celebrated the graduation of 10 startups, with four pitching to investors, and three be’ah tek winners recognized for circular-economy solutions

MENACatalyst Foundation organized a Ramallah hackathon under the 21st Century Skills project, engaging 100 students and crowning six winning teams focused on green and social innovation

Future Entrepreneurs Bootcamp concluded a nationwide program across 11 governorates in Oman, engaging 530+ students and launching 33 new startup ideas under the Promising Omani Startups umbrella

Fayoum University and Athar Accelerator signed a cooperation protocol to strengthen entrepreneurship training and mentorship in Egypt

Startups Highlights

Botim (UAE) introduced MENA’s first integrated gold investment service in partnership with O Gold, enabling 8.5M+ users to buy, sell, and lease fractional gold (from 0.1g) with 3% annual returns

InvoiceMate (UAE) won the Ignyte × du Business Challenge for SME capital access, adding a $10K prize to traction of 1,700+ SME users, $200M+ tokenized invoices, and $4.3M+ in financed receivables

Space42 (UAE) signed a 5-year MoU with Angola’s SISM spanning seven domains, including satellite communications, Earth observation, AI, HAPS, and national security drones

Fuze (UAE) was penalized by Dubai’s VARA after an investigation found AML deficiencies, unlicensed virtual asset activity, and governance failures, with the company now implementing a regulator-supervised remediation plan

OmniOps (KSA) signed a strategic MoU with Groq to accelerate high-performance, low-latency, locally hosted AI inference for public and private sectors in line with Vision 2030

Enjaz (KSA) partnered with Orange Egypt to launch free-fee remittances to Orange Cash wallets, offering senders zero transfer fees and recipients EGP 500 cashback across a 140-branch network and digital channels

Valu (Egypt/Fintech) introduced Shop’IT, an in-app marketplace with integrated cashback and exclusive deals, unifying shopping from partners like Amazon, 2B, and B.Tech inside the Valu app

PALM (Egypt) launched Egypt’s first incentivized goal-based savings app after securing an FRA portfolio management license, offering daily yields, zero fees, EGP and USD portfolios, and optional Sharia products

Tactical (UAE) launched MAiK , an AI creative studio for social-native content, offering brands a model-agnostic playground to experiment with AI-generated storytelling at speed and scale

Journify expanded into KSA with AstroLabs to scale its AI customer data platform, following a $4M round in Jan 2025, $1M ARR in nine months, and campaigns reaching 30M users

Open For Application

Zain Great Idea | Regional
Tech accelerator for founders in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, KSA, and UAE with mentorship, investor access, and a 14-day Silicon Valley sprint (deadline: Sep 20, 2025)

EBRD Star Venture Programme | West Bank & Gaza
24-month scaleup support (mentoring, diagnostics, investor links) for high-potential startups co-funded by the EU (deadline: Sep 15, 2025)

Expand North Star – Palestine Pavilion | UAE
Opportunity for Palestinian startups/SMEs to exhibit in Dubai, meet investors, and explore GCC expansion (event: Oct 12–15; apply by Sep 5, 2025)

Sharjah Women Impact Fellowship | UAE
16-week Sheraa fellowship for 12 founders with AED 500K equity-free grant, leadership labs, and investor roadshows (apply by Oct 5, 2025)

GovJam 2025 Innovation Challenge | Saudi Arabia
National challenge for startups to build digital government solutions; grants up to SAR 150k plus salary support and lab access

OCIF Entrepreneurship Challenge | Iraq
Six-week business simulation for youth-led startups with weekly decision rounds and cash prizes (apply by Sep 15, 2025, Erbil)

Djezzy Open Innovation Impact Challenge | Algeria
Startup competition to boost digital inclusion; winners get 200,000 DZD, expert access, and potential collaboration with Djezzy

Green Growth & Jobs Accelerator | Tunisia
5-month hybrid program for 25 SMEs/startups to scale with expert mentorship, strategy workshops, and green growth support

OST Greenification Program | Tunisia
9-month OST program offering in-kind funding (up to 60k TND) + mentorship to launch/scale green projects (apply by Sep 21, 2025)

BRAIN Accelerator 5.0 | Pan-African
1-year hybrid accelerator for seed DeepTech (climate/health): SA bootcamp, tailored mentorship, investor access, and global immersions

Promoted

Cool Upcoming Events

REN Summit 2025 | Refugee Entrepreneurship Network | London | September 19
A global gathering on the future of refugee entrepreneurship, bringing together ecosystem leaders, funders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs for keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking at Loughborough University, London.

Techy Bytes

HUMAIN (KSA) launched HUMAIN Chat powered by the ALLaM 34B Arabic LLM, offering real-time search, multi-dialect speech, and seamless AR/EN switching (KSA-only, web/iOS/Android)

University of Dubai launched CyberSHE, a bootcamp to train 1,500 women in cybersecurity over three years using UoD’s C-SAR labs and industry mentorship

ADGM, TII & partners launched the UAE’s first quantum-secure communications testbed using QKD across a live three-node network in Abu Dhabi

National Curriculum Center in Saudi Arabia launched a nationwide AI curriculum spanning elementary to university, rolling out to 6M students from 2025–26

KACST (KSA) concluded an 8-week advanced tech program for 27 students from 11 universities, yielding projects in VR cycling, robotic arms, AV navigation, sign-language translation, and assistive GenAI

Egyptian Tax Authority formed an AI task force to modernize tax operations and services

WhatsApp launched Writing Help, an in-chat AI that rephrases messages and adjusts tone (professional, funny, supportive) with on-device private processing

Google rolled out AI language-practice in Google Translate plus enhanced live conversation in 70+ languages, including Arabic

Perplexity launched a revenue-share program paying publishers 80% from Perplexity Pro

That’s a wrap for this week!

We hope this week's digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.

Stay tuned for more insights next week

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