Qewam Holding Relaunches $13M VC Fund as Q Fund to Boost Saudi Startups

Editorial Team

Last updated 17-11-2025

3 min

Qewam Holding now fully owns Iwan Fund, rebranded as Q Fund, valued at 50 million riyals.

Q Fund will maintain operational independence while benefiting from Qewam’s AI platforms and expertise.

CEO Loay Abukheit will guide startups with mentorship, technical support, and practical connections.

The fund supports Vision 2030, aiming to bolster Saudi Arabia's innovative and diversified economy.

The real challenge lies in effectively deploying capital and maintaining Iwan's original agility.

Qewam Holding has taken a fairly bold step by taking full ownership of Iwan Ventures, a venture capital fund in Saudi Arabia valued at 50 million riyals. The deal sets the stage for a complete relaunch under a new name, Q Fund, which is now positioned as the company’s official investment arm. I’ve seen similar moves in the region before, especially as more organisations try to streamline their investment strategies, but this one feels particularly spot on given how fast the Saudi startup scene is evolving.

What caught my attention is that, although the fund is being folded into Qewam’s structure, it will keep its operational independence. At the same time, it gets access to the company’s AI‑driven platforms, networks and in‑house expertise. That mix can be a bit of a faff to balance in reality, but if done well, it often gives early‑stage founders the breathing room they need. And believe it or not, that independence piece can make or break a fund’s reputation among entrepreneurs.

The firm has appointed Loay Abukheit as the CEO of Q Fund, giving him the task of steering the next generation of founders and startups towards sustainable growth. His remit goes well beyond writing cheques; the fund wants to offer mentorship, technical support and practical connections. I reckon this blend of capital and guidance is exactly what many founders in the region keep asking for whenever I chat with them at Arageek events.

Qewam says the launch of Q Fund supports Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 push to build a more innovative and diversified economy. From what I’ve seen across the region, investors are increasingly chuffed to bits when their work aligns with national strategies, because it tends to open doors — sometimes quite literally — for scaling companies.

That said, the real test will be how Q Fund deploys its capital and whether it maintains the agility that made Iwan attractive in the first place. One investor once told me, half‑jokingly, that rebranding a fund is the easy part; delivering impact is where things get a little… trickey. But with the resources now behind it, Q Fund seems well placed to support founders looking for a clearer, more structured path forward in Saudi Arabia’s growing innovation ecosystem.

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