Saudi Venture Capital Hits $1.72 Billion Across 257 Deals in 2025
Saudi Arabia led the Middle East and North Africa venture capital market in 2025, securing $1.72 billion across 257 deals. That represents a 145% increase over the previous year and accounts for roughly half of all regional funding, according to data from venture capital platform MAGNiTT.
Venture capital provides equity financing to high-growth startups. Data published in January 2026 shows the Saudi market has moved beyond incremental gains into sharp expansion, driven by regulatory reforms and closer alignment between government policy and private sector activity, according to Al Watan newspaper.
How much venture capital did Saudi Arabia raise in 2025?
Total venture funding in the Kingdom reached $1.72 billion in 2025, up from about $700 million in 2024. The number of deals climbed to 257, the highest annual total ever recorded in the Saudi market, the MAGNiTT report showed.
Noura Al-Sarhan, Deputy CEO and Chief Investment Officer at the Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), said the 2025 figures reflect a qualitative shift in deal size, sector diversity, and startup readiness, Al Watan reported.
| Year | Funding ($ millions) | Number of deals |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 700 | Not detailed |
| 2025 | 1,720 | 257 |
How did Saudi Arabia rank regionally in venture capital?
The Kingdom held its position as the top regional market for a third consecutive year. It captured roughly 50% of the $3.4 billion in total Middle East venture funding deployed in 2025, according to the financial analysis unit of Al Eqtisadiah newspaper, citing MAGNiTT data.
Globally among emerging markets, Saudi Arabia ranked first with a 145% growth rate. Vietnam followed at 92% growth with $349 million in funding, then South Africa at 91%, the UAE at 67%, Kenya at 40%, and Nigeria at 1%. Other markets contracted: Turkey and Indonesia each fell 24%, while Singapore and Egypt declined 11%.
Which sectors attracted the most venture funding in Saudi Arabia?
Fintech topped the list domestically, drawing more than $506 million across 55 deals, according to the MAGNiTT report. Regionally, the same sector recorded $1.04 billion — a 164% increase — through 152 deals, Al Eqtisadiah reported.
Fintech also remained the largest venture-backed sector globally among emerging markets in 2025, totaling $3.5 billion. That figure was more than three times the funding directed to e-commerce and retail, even though global fintech investment dropped 12% year over year.
- Fintech: $506 million in Saudi Arabia across 55 deals.
- Top funded companies: Ninja, Tabby, and Hala.
- Largest regional deal: Saudi firm Ninja at $254 million.
What were the largest venture capital deals in 2025?
Saudi company Ninja closed the largest deal in the Middle East in 2025, raising $254 million, Al Eqtisadiah reported. Fintech peers Tabby and Hala also featured among the year's most significant rounds.
The scale of these transactions points to growing investor appetite for Saudi startups and larger average check sizes across the Kingdom's venture market.
How do tech events support Riyadh's investment ecosystem?
Riyadh hosts major technology conferences that channel some of this investment momentum. LEAP 2026 wrapped its fifth edition in the capital with announcements, investments, and agreements approaching $15 billion, covering artificial intelligence infrastructure, data centers, cloud computing, and venture capital, Al Eqtisadiah reported.
Venture capital investments, funding rounds, and fund commitments announced during the conference totaled roughly $857 million. The event drew participants from more than 165 countries, over 1,300 speakers, and 1,500 investors managing assets exceeding $18.3 trillion.
- Amazon Web Services announced plans to launch its first cloud region in Saudi Arabia in December 2026, with an investment surpassing $5.3 billion.
- Al Moammar Information Systems committed $1.2 billion to expand data center capacity to 192 megawatts.
- NHC Innovation unveiled an $800 million investment to develop the Khuzam Digital Valley, scalable to 65 megawatts.
- Adobe pledged more than $4 billion to expand its partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Human.
The MAGNiTT report measures national performance rather than city-level data. However, a Transport General Authority index released in the second quarter of 2026 showed the Riyadh region accounted for 44% of delivery requests out of more than 132 million total operations, according to Okaz newspaper, underscoring the capital's weight in commercial and digital activity.
What is the role of the Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC)?
The Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC) is a state-owned investment firm focused on supporting the Kingdom's venture capital ecosystem and startups. SVC CEO and board member Dr. Nabil bin Abdulqader Koshk said the company's strategy has contributed to the ecosystem's development, backed by government initiatives launched under Vision 2030, according to the official news portal.
MAGNiTT CEO Philippe Bahous said Saudi Arabia continues to make significant strides in fostering innovation and building a robust startup ecosystem. He pointed to venture deal flow that represented 30% of regional deal activity in the first half of 2024, compared with 24% during the same period in 2023.
Key figures
- Total Saudi venture funding in 2025: $1.72 billion (Al Watan)
- Annual growth rate: 145% (Al Eqtisadiah)
- Number of deals: 257 (Al Watan)
- Saudi share of regional funding: Roughly 50% of $3.4 billion (Al Eqtisadiah)
- Saudi fintech funding: $506 million across 55 deals (Al Watan)
- Largest regional deal: Ninja at $254 million (Al Eqtisadiah)
- Venture capital investments at LEAP 2026: $857 million (Al Eqtisadiah)
What to watch next
Late-stage deal activity warrants close attention now that the data confirms the Saudi market can absorb rounds on the scale of Ninja's raise. The scheduled December 2026 launch of the Amazon Web Services cloud region will test whether local infrastructure costs decline for startups. Founders and investors should also track the sixth edition of LEAP, set for April 12–15, 2027, which will serve as a primary venue for upcoming funding and partnership opportunities.