Company Insights Wamda Banking & Finance Wamda News Banking & Finance Banks and VCs pour cash into Saudi small businesses Funding for small companies in Saudi Arabia from banks, financial institutions and venture capitalists rose sharply in 2023, bucking regional and global trends. Figures released in December by Sama, the kingdom’s central bank, show that the total value of loans to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) rose 17.8 percent year on year to SAR268.6 […] January 9, 2024 Opinion Banking & Finance Investors go lukewarm on startups but Riyadh is red hot Rising inflation and interest rates plus economic slowdown resulted in investor hesitancy in 2023 January 8, 2024 Tech Tech startups shape future of UAE mobility sector Technological advances and evolving consumer demands are bringing massive growth to the UAE’s mobility and logistics startup sectors. Logistics startups in the Middle East and Africa raised $5.9 million in funding in December, according to venture capital firm Wamda. This ranked the sector third behind “cleantech” (technology designed to reduce negative environmental impacts) and fintech […] January 4, 2024 Retail UAE enforces new rules for buy-now-pay-later operators Updated regulations for buy-now-pay-later service providers and other finance companies providing short-term credit facilities have been introduced by the Central Bank of the UAE. Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL), a business model that allows consumers to make immediate online purchases and spread their payments over interest-free instalments, has grown in popularity in the Gulf post Covid-19. Last month, […] January 2, 2024 Finance Mena startup funding bounces back in November Startup funding rose sharply in November, reflecting regional and global investors’ renewed confidence in the Middle East and North Africa. Investment totalled $764 million from 42 deals, according to Dubai-based venture capital company Wamda. It was the highest monthly figure in 2023, an increase of 390 percent from October’s figure and a year-on-year rise of […] December 14, 2023 Finance US private equity giant General Atlantic opens Gulf offices Global private equity firm General Atlantic, which manages $77 billion in assets, is opening offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The company has been investing in the Middle East since 2015 without a local base, but is now establishing a stronger foothold as it nears the completion of new investment deals in the region. […] November 29, 2023 Logistics Last-mile delivery drives growth in logistics sector Last-mile delivery is recording strong growth in the Mena logistics sector, which itself is receiving substantial funding in the region. Logistics was the third highest-funded sector in the Mena region last year, amounting to $362 million, according to data from advisory service and investor Wamda. Wize, a logistics startup in Dubai which specialises in last-mile […] November 28, 2023 Tech E-commerce beats fintech to Jordan VC funding top spot The e-commerce sector accounts for the biggest share of Jordan’s venture capital funding, bucking the dominance of fintechs across the wider Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. E-commerce/retail has attracted 20 percent of Jordan’s total funding, and 17 percent of deals, between 2018 and 2022, according to a report by Jordan’s Ministry of Digital […] November 20, 2023 Finance Agtech in spotlight as Mena startup funding recovers Startup funding in the Mena region in October remained subdued on a year-on-year basis, but agtech is one of the areas set to shine. Mena startups raised $156 million in October, compared to $646 million raised in October 2022, but vastly up on the $36 million raised in September, according to data from Wamda, a […] November 17, 2023 Exclusive Banking & Finance $250m Aliph Fund expects closure on GCC deals Aliph, a private equity fund that attracted $125 million from an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund last year, is aiming to close up to three investments in GCC states UAE and Saudi Arabia by the end of 2023. The Aliph Fund, set up by Aliph Capital and one of the few female-led private equity companies […] October 2, 2023 Posts navigation Previous 1 2 3 4 … 7 Next
Banking & Finance Banks and VCs pour cash into Saudi small businesses Funding for small companies in Saudi Arabia from banks, financial institutions and venture capitalists rose sharply in 2023, bucking regional and global trends. Figures released in December by Sama, the kingdom’s central bank, show that the total value of loans to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) rose 17.8 percent year on year to SAR268.6 […] January 9, 2024
Opinion Banking & Finance Investors go lukewarm on startups but Riyadh is red hot Rising inflation and interest rates plus economic slowdown resulted in investor hesitancy in 2023 January 8, 2024
Tech Tech startups shape future of UAE mobility sector Technological advances and evolving consumer demands are bringing massive growth to the UAE’s mobility and logistics startup sectors. Logistics startups in the Middle East and Africa raised $5.9 million in funding in December, according to venture capital firm Wamda. This ranked the sector third behind “cleantech” (technology designed to reduce negative environmental impacts) and fintech […] January 4, 2024
Retail UAE enforces new rules for buy-now-pay-later operators Updated regulations for buy-now-pay-later service providers and other finance companies providing short-term credit facilities have been introduced by the Central Bank of the UAE. Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL), a business model that allows consumers to make immediate online purchases and spread their payments over interest-free instalments, has grown in popularity in the Gulf post Covid-19. Last month, […] January 2, 2024
Finance Mena startup funding bounces back in November Startup funding rose sharply in November, reflecting regional and global investors’ renewed confidence in the Middle East and North Africa. Investment totalled $764 million from 42 deals, according to Dubai-based venture capital company Wamda. It was the highest monthly figure in 2023, an increase of 390 percent from October’s figure and a year-on-year rise of […] December 14, 2023
Finance US private equity giant General Atlantic opens Gulf offices Global private equity firm General Atlantic, which manages $77 billion in assets, is opening offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The company has been investing in the Middle East since 2015 without a local base, but is now establishing a stronger foothold as it nears the completion of new investment deals in the region. […] November 29, 2023
Logistics Last-mile delivery drives growth in logistics sector Last-mile delivery is recording strong growth in the Mena logistics sector, which itself is receiving substantial funding in the region. Logistics was the third highest-funded sector in the Mena region last year, amounting to $362 million, according to data from advisory service and investor Wamda. Wize, a logistics startup in Dubai which specialises in last-mile […] November 28, 2023
Tech E-commerce beats fintech to Jordan VC funding top spot The e-commerce sector accounts for the biggest share of Jordan’s venture capital funding, bucking the dominance of fintechs across the wider Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. E-commerce/retail has attracted 20 percent of Jordan’s total funding, and 17 percent of deals, between 2018 and 2022, according to a report by Jordan’s Ministry of Digital […] November 20, 2023
Finance Agtech in spotlight as Mena startup funding recovers Startup funding in the Mena region in October remained subdued on a year-on-year basis, but agtech is one of the areas set to shine. Mena startups raised $156 million in October, compared to $646 million raised in October 2022, but vastly up on the $36 million raised in September, according to data from Wamda, a […] November 17, 2023
Exclusive Banking & Finance $250m Aliph Fund expects closure on GCC deals Aliph, a private equity fund that attracted $125 million from an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund last year, is aiming to close up to three investments in GCC states UAE and Saudi Arabia by the end of 2023. The Aliph Fund, set up by Aliph Capital and one of the few female-led private equity companies […] October 2, 2023
