Saudi Arabia

42 Articles

Artificial intelligence

Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Aramco Collaborate to Develop Industrial AI Applications

Sony Semiconductor Solutions and Aramco announced on September 7, 2026, that they had signed a basic cooperation agreement to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence in the industrial sector. The collaboration focuses on integrating Sony’s sensing, vision, and edge AI technologies with Aramco’s data, operational expertise, and infrastructure.

2026-09-08

Startups

Velents Enters the Bahraini Market Through a Partnership with stc to Provide AI Agents for Enterprises

Saudi AI company Velents has entered into a strategic partnership with stc Bahrain to launch an exclusive suite of agentic AI solutions for enterprise customers in Bahrain. The partnership aims to provide local tools and infrastructure that help companies deploy digital agents while taking local regulatory and data requirements into account.

2026-09-07

Financial Technology

Sav Raises $3.5 Million to Fund Its Expansion from the UAE to Saudi Arabia

UAE fintech company Sav has raised $3.5 million in a pre-Series A round led by Phoenix Venture Partners, bringing its total funding to approximately $6 million. The company will direct most of the investment toward entering the Saudi market and developing its AI-based products and infrastructure across the Gulf.

2026-09-07

Financial Technology

Salla Acquires Saudi Payments Company Paylink to Expand Its Financial Services

Saudi e-commerce platform Salla has acquired Saudi Central Bank-licensed fintech company Paylink, aiming to integrate its payments infrastructure into the platform’s commerce ecosystem. The move will focus on accepting and managing payments through electronic and physical channels, with support for SoftPOS, international payments, and multiple currencies.

2026-09-04

Artificial intelligence

LEAP 2026 Announces Nearly $15 Billion in Investments and Agreements in AI and Digital Infrastructure

LEAP 2026 concluded in Riyadh with announcements, investments, and agreements totaling nearly $15 billion, focused primarily on artificial intelligence, data centers, and cloud services. Key commitments include the AWS cloud region in the Kingdom, the expansion of AWS’s partnership with HUMAIN, and programs to train and provide AI tools to millions of beneficiaries.

2026-09-03

Startups

Saudi FlyAkeed Raises $25.15 Million to Expand Corporate Travel Platform and Deferred Payment Service

Saudi corporate travel management platform FlyAkeed has secured SAR 94.3 million in growth funding through an equity investment and Murabaha sukuk, aiming to launch and expand an embedded deferred payment service for large enterprises.

2026-09-03

Artificial intelligence

OmniOps and HPE Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Develop Sovereign AI Solutions in Saudi Arabia

OmniOps and HPE signed a memorandum of understanding during LEAP to develop AI solutions that combine HPE-produced infrastructure in Saudi Arabia with locally developed OmniOps platforms and in-Kingdom deployment capabilities. The partnership aims to help government entities and companies move AI use cases from experimentation to operation, while keeping the infrastructure, software and management processes within Saudi jurisdiction.

2026-09-03

Startups

COFE Tech Raises Pre-IPO Funding at a $178 Million Valuation and Targets Saudi Listing by 2029

COFE Tech, which began in Kuwait as an online coffee marketplace, closed a pre-IPO funding round at a $178 million valuation without disclosing the investment amount. The company plans to use the funding to expand its AI-powered procurement and enterprise commerce solutions in the region, while targeting a Saudi listing by 2029.

2026-09-02

Startups

Gulf-based company Enhance raises $18.2 million to fund its U.S. expansion

Enhance, a company specializing in personal training management software for fitness clubs, has raised $18.2 million in a round combining equity financing and venture debt. The company will primarily use the capital to accelerate its expansion in the United States, where its platform is used by more than 700 clubs.

2026-09-02

Startups

Egyptian Company 3C Coding School Raises $3 Million to Expand in Saudi Arabia and Develop an AI-Powered Educational Platform

3C Coding School raised a $3 million seed funding round led by MRG Economic Group and plans to use the investment to enter the Saudi market and develop an educational platform that adapts to each student’s level. The company says it has reached more than 120,000 students and recorded 230% revenue growth.

2026-09-02

Financial Technology

Aajil Capital Obtains CMA License to Manage Investments in Saudi Arabia

Aajil Capital has obtained a license from the Saudi Capital Market Authority to conduct investment management activities, but has not yet begun regulated activities, as it must complete the requirements for commencing operations. The company intends to provide Sharia-compliant investment management services focused on the small and medium-sized industrial enterprises sector, leveraging the data and supply network of its sister company, Aajil.

2026-09-01

Cloud Computing and Data Centers

Humain and DataVolt Begin Developing a 100-Megawatt AI Data Center in Oxagon

Humain and DataVolt have begun construction of an AI-ready data center in Oxagon, NEOM, with the first 100 megawatts expected to enter service during 2028. The project represents the first phase of a planned complex with total capacity of up to 1.5 gigawatts.

2026-08-31

Cloud Computing and Data Centers

Microsoft to Make the Saudi Arabia East Cloud Region Available in November 2026

Microsoft intends to make the Saudi Arabia East data center region available to customers in Saudi Arabia starting in November 2026, with three availability zones to support the hosting of eligible workloads locally. The company links the move to the expanding use of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, alongside programs to develop skills and build a local technology ecosystem.

2026-08-31

Cloud Computing and Data Centers

AWS Prepares to Launch Its First Cloud Region in Saudi Arabia by December 2026

AWS announced that its first cloud infrastructure region in Saudi Arabia is on schedule for launch in December 2026, with a planned investment exceeding $5.3 billion. In cooperation with HUMAIN, the company will also provide up to 50 megawatts of computing capacity in the Kingdom’s first artificial intelligence region by 2028.

2026-08-31

Technologies

LEAP 2026 Launches in Riyadh with a Focus on AI Applications and Technology Capital

The fifth edition of the LEAP conference launches in Riyadh on August 31, 2026, with the participation of 1,289 investors and more than 100 finalist startups in the Rocket Fuel competition. The event combines AI sessions with demonstrations of robotics, autonomous mobility, and gaming, alongside an expanded program of events across the capital.

2026-08-31

Startups

Saudi startup Raff raises $1.7 million to connect brands with physical retail

Saudi startup Raff has raised $1.7 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Vision Ventures to finance its expansion across the GCC and accelerate the development of its platform and artificial intelligence capabilities. The company says its platform has enabled more than 900 brands to expand through physical retail channels in nine countries.

2026-08-25

Startups

Saudi Fitting Raises $1.1 Million to Expand the Digitization of Construction Supply Chains

Saudi construction technology platform Fitting has closed its second Seed round, raising $1.1 million with participation from an undisclosed strategic investor from the contracting and real estate development sector. The company will use the funding to expand within the Kingdom and develop its technology infrastructure and operational capabilities.

2026-08-19

Startups

Qatar’s Rasmal Ventures Invests in Yuno’s $45 Million Funding Round

Rasmal Ventures joined the Series B funding round of payments infrastructure company Yuno, led by Global PayTech Ventures with participation from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Tiger Global. The move coincides with Qatar becoming the company’s regional hub in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

2026-08-15