Syria plans a “Fund of Funds” with the Finance Ministry. 
The model backs fund managers, not startups, pooling capital and expertise. 
It aims to fix fragmented funding and add a formal financing tier. 
Clear governance and independent management will be crucial for investor trust. 
If done right, it could reshape Syria’s startup funding architecture.

Saudi startup Rkiza raised a quiet USD 133,000 pre-seed round from angel investors. 
Founded in 2024, it works on SaaS, e-commerce, web technologies and digital platforms. 
An unusual angle includes building “interactive games” alongside enterprise digital solutions. 
The team aims to help local firms go digital without “getting lost in jargon”. 
New funding will speed product development and strengthen Rkiza’s market position.

Saudi startup Declic raised a $1 million seed round, led by digital advertising firm VidMatic Digital DMCC. 
The AI-powered app helps people discover events, manage ticketing, and build local communities. 
Founded in 2024, Declic bets on “meaningful, face‑to‑face connections” supported by smart technology. 
The funding will drive regional expansion, with Gulf markets next after Tunisia and Morocco. 
VidMatic’s backing may sharpen discovery features as Declic scales, while keeping a community-first feel.

Anghami appointed Meshal Abdullah Mohammad Ali as chairman, reshuffling leadership for its next growth phase. 
Outgoing chair Sheikha Adana Al-Sabah steps back, while remaining OSN Streaming chair. 
Two new directors add “numbers-driven discipline” and “storytelling savvy” to the board. 
Changes follow OSN+ integration and the Warner Bros. Discovery partnership across MENA. 
The revamped board aims to “unlock value” and keep Anghami ahead in streaming.

Glamera signed an MOU to acquire Bookr Group, signalling faster consolidation in beauty and wellness tech. 
Founded in 2022, Glamera has processed over SAR 4 billion with more than 4,500 partners. 
Bookr adds “solid ground game”, with 300,000 users and operations across key GCC markets. 
The deal aims to build a “unified, AI-powered ecosystem” and speed up regional expansion. 
Hijazi called it a “turning point”, eyeing scale, efficiency and a future stock market listing.

UPFRONT and CredibleX team up to improve SME financing through “clearer, real-time financial data”. 
CredibleX clients will use UPFRONT to manage cashflow, payments, receivables and payables in one view. 
Better structured data promises lenders a “cleaner picture” of SME performance and payment behaviour. 
Founders say the focus is better financing decisions, not just faster approvals. 
The deal follows UPFRONT’s $10m pre-seed round, backing its SME financial infrastructure play.

TII Racing set the pace with a “blistering” 12,032-second lap, showing rapid software-driven gains. 
Multi-drone races exposed real challenges, with MAVLAB winning through calm coordination and planning. 
Human versus AI ended on a knife-edge, as Minchan Kim’s instinct edged the final race. 
Strict “single camera” rules pushed teams to rely purely on software intelligence. 
The event signalled how serious the region has become about applied, real-world AI.

Mantas, a UAE insurtech, raised $1,77m seed to insure businesses against cloud downtime. 
Its parametric policies trigger automatic payouts when verified outages occur, avoiding lengthy claims disputes. 
The platform targets digital-first firms suffering “unpriced liabilities” from AWS and Azure failures. 
Funding will support product development and early rollouts across MENA and North America.

Dukhan Bank struck an exclusive deal offering Rafeeq Pro for “just QAR 1 a month”. 
Visa Infinite, Signature and Platinum cardholders qualify by registering their Dukhan Bank card. 
The offer runs until December 2026, sharply down from the usual QAR 35 price. 
The partnership reflects banks “moving beyond traditional banking” into everyday lifestyle perks. 
Rafeeq gains wider reach as it pushes to become a go-to app across Qatar and GCC markets.

MoneyHash and Tap Payments are upgrading MENA’s payments “plumbing” through a new technical integration. 
Merchants can access Tap’s gateway via MoneyHash’s single control layer, avoiding multiple dashboards. 
The partnership aims to cut checkout friction and “fewer failed transactions” across regional markets. 
Tap adds local coverage across nine MENA countries and support for varied payment preferences. 
Founders hope smoother payments free them from firefighting and back to growing their businesses.

Inception and Visa are teaming up to push “agentic commerce” across CEMEA markets. 
Visa’s payments infrastructure will let AI agents “browse, decide and pay” securely. 
The tie-up combines Inception’s AI models with Visa’s tokenisation and authentication tools. 
Both firms plan pilots and new commerce tools, stressing trust as “make-or-break”. 
Founders see promise for procurement, though clear guardrails will be essential.

Notion launches full Arabic support from 26 January 2026, its first major Middle East product move. 
The platform is now fully available in Arabic across apps, website, mobile and desktop. 
Notion says the region is among its most engaged, shaped by startups and digital transformation. 
Founders say Arabic support removes “language gaps” for teams thinking and building in Arabic. 
A Dubai “Make with Notion” event signalled deeper, on-the-ground regional commitment.

Wio Bank has partnered with Pine Labs to modernise how UAE merchants accept payments. 
The deal replaces “legacy technology” with API-first, cloud-native acquiring through Credit+. 
Wio aims for quicker onboarding, real-time settlements and smoother transaction processing. 
Pine Labs says the platform supports high volumes and fast feature updates. 
The partnership fits the UAE’s push towards cashless, low-friction digital banking.

Saudi fintech Vennre secured a $9,6m pre-Series A, mixing equity and debt. 
The round, led by Vision Ventures and anb seed Fund, signals selective investor confidence. 
Vennre targets high-income individuals with &#8216;curated private market investments&#8217; from $5,000. 
Sharia-compliant options aim to match local expectations often &#8216;underestimated&#8217; by platforms. 
Strong regional backing helps Vennre compete in a crowded, trust-sensitive fintech space.

Visa has reshaped its Gulf presence, grouping the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar under one region. 
The move aims to stay “closer to the ground” and speed up digital payments innovation. 
Fadi Moukaddem is appointed to lead, bringing finance and operational experience. 
Visa says unified leadership will deepen partnerships and support cashless, fast-growing economies.

Jeel partners with Ripple to explore blockchain’s role in Saudi financial services. 
The focus is faster, cheaper cross-border payments using Ripple’s technology. 
The collaboration also tests digital asset custody and tokenisation, “within regulation”. 
Pilot projects will run inside Jeel’s regulatory sandbox under Vision 2030 goals. 
Both firms see practical blockchain use, not hype, shaping everyday banking services.

Manara and AWS hosted the Cloud Catalyst Tech Forum in Riyadh, spotlighting Saudi tech talent. 
A Generative AI hackathon drew 1,000 participants building solutions aligned with Vision 2030. 
Panels explored cloud adoption, AI’s workforce impact, and the Kingdom’s digital momentum. 
Manara and AWS also signed a $2,8m deal to train 5,000 regional engineers by 2028. 
Participant stories showed how exposure to AWS tools gives graduates a clear edge.

Ankabut partners with WeVideo to expand “video-led learning” across the UAE and GCC. 
WeVideo plugs into Ankabut’s edtech stack, easing rollout for schools and universities. 
The deal aligns with the UAE’s push for a “knowledge-based economy”. 
Students build digital fluency through creating content, not just “static slides”. 
Ankabut becomes WeVideo’s main go-to-market partner across the GCC.

Breez AI raised USD 1,3 million to make enterprise voice AI “actually reliable”. 
The no-code platform deploys natural AI voices across phone systems in minutes. 
Expansion targets North America and the GCC, backed by strategic partnerships. 
The startup argues voice AI failures stem from telecom infrastructure, not the AI itself. 
Paid pilots handling thousands of daily calls signal early enterprise traction.

BeyondTrust is expanding its Pathfinder platform across the UAE, India, Singapore and South Africa. 
The move targets rising risks from “machine identities” and agentic AI systems acting autonomously. 
Pathfinder offers “one place to see, manage and lock down” human and machine access. 
CEO Janine Seebeck says weak machine identity control is now a security and compliance risk. 
The firm is also extending a free risk assessment to highlight hidden identity gaps.

Saudi e-commerce startup Juthor raised $500,000 pre-seed from Flat6Labs and angel investors. 
Founded in 2025, it aims to simplify selling across “crowded online marketplaces”. 
Its cloud platform unifies listings, orders and real-time inventory across regional channels. 
An AI-driven layer helps retailers understand customer data and avoid costly overselling. 
Founders call the round an “early milestone”, with success hinging on execution not hype.

Taly secured ISO 22301 certification with ZeroSploit, strengthening its business continuity and resilience. 
The standard ensures payments stay running, protecting “uninterrupted access and data integrity”. 
Executives say it builds trust and shows operational maturity, not just box‑ticking compliance. 
The certification followed a two-year journey covering risks, recovery planning and testing. 
It reflects a wider MENA fintech shift from rapid growth towards long-term stability.

Saudi startup Qarah quietly secured a million‑riyal angel investment round focused on water services. 
Founded in 2025, it runs a smart platform for filters, misting systems and maintenance. 
The app aims to “standardise pricing” and improve service quality across a fragmented market. 
It also creates steady income for technicians through direct access to customers nationwide. 
Founders see this as “just the beginning” of a broader growth journey.

Mogo signed a strategic deal with Geidea to strengthen Egypt’s fast-growing fintech ecosystem. 
The partnership blends “smart POS devices” with instalments for smoother, more secure payments. 
SMEs gain flexible checkout options, reducing payment friction where cash still dominates. 
Mogo says the deal supports a “digital payment ecosystem” tailored to real market needs. 
Geidea sees it advancing financial inclusion as merchants and consumers demand smarter solutions.

EHRDC and du sign an agreement to “open more doors” for Emirati tech talent. 
The deal backs Emiratisation through telecoms and ICT roles central to the “new economy”. 
Tailored training aims to build practical skills and long‑term career pathways. 
Both sides stress linking education with real market needs, not “one‑off training schemes”. 
Success will depend on execution, but the partnership supports Dubai’s tech hub ambitions.

Editorial Team

Editorial Team, Author at Arageek

Home

Archives for Editorial Team

Arageek: MENA&#039;s Tech Pulse — Web3, AI &amp; Startups

Arageek

https://cdn.arageek.com/en-magazine/Untitled-design-85.png

https://en-backend.arageek.com/wp-content/uploads/en-magazine/avatar_user_5_1736251510.png