Snoonu’s $245M Exit Marks Qatar’s First Billion-Riyal Tech Deal

Editorial Team

Last updated 20-01-2026

3 min

Snoonu’s $245m sale to Saudi Arabia’s Jahez marks Qatar’s first tech exit of that scale.

The deal values Snoonu above one billion riyals, a milestone for regional founders.

Consulting HAUS advised on negotiations, valuation and cross‑border GCC complexities.

Leaders say the exit “sets the bar” and highlights Qatar’s growing tech ambition.

The acquisition raises expectations, but gives the startup ecosystem a concrete win.

News of Snoonu’s acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Jahez Group has been doing the rounds, but it’s worth pausing on why this deal matters so much for Qatar’s startup scene. The transaction, valued at around $245 million and putting Snoonu north of the one‑billion‑riyal mark, is widely described as the country’s first tech exit at that scale. For founders across the region, that’s no small potatoes.

Consulting HAUS acted as exclusive sell-side advisor to Snoonu, steering the company through negotiations and the nuts and bolts of the transaction. The advisory firm had been working with Snoonu for close to a year before the deal closed, focusing first on business planning and operational readiness, then moving into valuation, structuring, diligence and the inevitable back-and-forth that comes with cross‑border GCC deals. It’s the sort of process that, if mishandled, can turn into a bit of a faff—so experienced guidance clearly counted.

Laith Dajani, Managing Partner at Consulting HAUS, said the transaction highlighted the importance of professional advisory support in regional deals, and pointed to Qatar’s growing profile as a home for tech innovation that could inspire other local startups to think bigger. That sentiment feels spot on. I’ve sat at enough early-stage pitch days around the MENA region to know how much founders crave concrete examples of exits that actually happen, not just glossy slides.

From Snoonu’s side, CEO Hamad Al Hajri praised the advisory team’s role in getting the deal “over the line” and dealing with challenges along the way. He noted that the agreement with Jahez Group represents one of the largest private investments in Qatar’s history, and the biggest in its tech sector, while keeping the company anchored in local values and talent as it eyes regional leadership.

That said, it’s not just about one company or one advisor. Deals like this tend to ripple outward. On the flip side of the celebration, they raise expectations—investors will be sharper, and founders will be under more pressure to show real traction. Still, I reckon that’s healthy. A headline exit gives the ecosystem something tangible to rally around, and readers at Arageek will know how much momentum matters in these moments.

Consulting HAUS, backed by what it says is more than a century of combined partner experience, has built its reputation on complex, high-value transactions across the GCC. Snoonu, founded in 2019, has grown from a local delivery startup into a core player in Qatar’s digital economy, spanning food, groceries and last‑mile logistics. Seeing those two journeys intersect in a billion‑riyal outcome is, well… chuffed to bits kind of news for the wider ecosystem, even if it also sets the bar uncomfortably high. This exit will definately be used as a benchmark in pitch decks for years to come, you know?

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