I am Saad Bin Atyan. I rebuilt investing access, which reshaped who can participate

Saad Bin Atyan does not describe Madkhol as a product looking for users. He frames it as a correction. When asked about how the idea took shape, he returns to a single conviction: investing in the Kingdom had become structurally inaccessible to most people. Tools, strategies and even basic clarity were concentrated among institutions and high net worth investors, while the average individual was left with fragmented options and little transparency.

Madkhol, as he explains it, began with a deliberate redesign of the experience itself. Automation was not the headline, but a means. Technology and human expertise were combined to open up investment capabilities that had previously been closed off, without lowering standards or diluting discipline.

On the question of why he chose investment specifically, Bin Atyan grounds the decision in both demand and timing. Investment, in his view, is not an optional financial activity but a core mechanism for stability and long-term growth. In Saudi Arabia, that reality is colliding with structural change.

Vision 2030 created a moment where capital markets, personal finance and digital infrastructure were all moving at once. That convergence, he suggests, made it possible to build something modern rather than incremental, a platform designed for a broader segment of society rather than a narrow financial elite.

When the conversation turns to what Madkhol provides in practice, Bin Atyan is careful to be specific. At its core is a fully integrated digital investment management platform that automates portfolio construction and management. Around that core sits a range of products spanning passive ETF-based approaches, active strategies and tailored solutions for companies, including programmes such as Ratiby+.

Equally central is education. He positions the platform’s educational interface not as an add-on, but as part of the investment infrastructure itself. Transparency, clarity and informed decision-making are treated as features, not marketing language.

Asked to reflect on how Madkhol compares with other investment providers in the Kingdom, Bin Atyan does not deny competition. Instead, he draws the line around experience and structure. Many firms offer investment services. Fewer rebuild the experience from the ground up.

Madkhol’s differentiation, as he describes it, rests on deeper automation, lower fees and product design that aligns more closely with varied investor needs. Technology is not positioned as novelty, but as a way to remove friction and widen choice without increasing complexity.

Pressed on competitive advantage beyond positioning, Bin Atyan points to operational realities. Madkhol offers what he describes as the lowest investment fees in the market, alongside a breadth of strategies that allow investors to move beyond one-size-fits-all portfolios. Portfolio control and flexibility are embedded into the platform, supported by systems that are fully automated.

For him, automation underpins trust. Efficiency and transparency are not aspirational goals but operational requirements, and the platform is designed accordingly.

When asked about challenges, Bin Atyan does not focus on growth metrics or market noise. He centres trust. Operating in a relatively new segment meant convincing investors that a digital-first, automated model could still be reliable, compliant and aligned with their interests.

Technical hurdles emerged along the way, but he frames them as formative rather than obstructive. Each issue became an opportunity to strengthen infrastructure and operational resilience rather than a reason to slow down.

On the subject of funding, Bin Atyan is direct. Madkhol has raised early-stage investment that allowed it to expand its team and launch strategic offerings such as Ratiby+. But he resists treating capital as validation.

Funding, in his words, is a means to execute a long-term vision. Sustainable growth, not fundraising itself, is the objective.

Asked what ultimately attracts investors, Bin Atyan returns to fundamentals. Official licensing and regulatory compliance establish a baseline of trust. Transparency reinforces it. Value, delivered through low fees and diversified performance, sustains it.

Beyond that, he highlights user experience. A clear digital interface, supported by educational content and non-traditional product design, is intended to make investing understandable rather than intimidating.

When the conversation turns to expansion, Bin Atyan is measured. Saudi Arabia remains the priority, both because of its scale and because depth matters more than footprint. Regional expansion into Gulf markets sits firmly in the long-term plan, but only after local leadership is secured.

Asked to reflect on the near future, Bin Atyan outlines a focused agenda. Madkhol aims to cement its position as the Kingdom’s leading automated investment platform by expanding its product range for individuals and companies, refining the digital experience and integrating more advanced technologies into portfolio management.

Underlying these goals is a broader ambition. Higher savings rates, greater financial inclusion and alignment with Vision 2030 are not framed as slogans, but as outcomes the platform is built to support.