Saudi Arabia Raises $536 of Deals in 9 Months

Saudi companies managed to raise $536 million in the first nine months of 2023 through 80 deals.

The third quarter of 2023 witnessed a significant rebound in venture investments, with a total of $87 million invested in 22 deals.

This represents nearly three times the capital flow compared to the second quarter, which was slower due to the influence of Ramadan and the subsequent Eid holidays.

Dominance of Saudi Arabia in the Region

According to a report by MAGNITT, a platform that tracks data on investments in startups, Saudi Arabia has emerged as a dominant force in the region when it comes to venture capital investments in startups.

The report by MAGNITT also highlights that Saudi Arabia has outperformed its peers in the Middle East and North Africa region, thanks to significant funding rounds led by companies like MEGA, HALA, and FLOWARD in the first quarter.

Regional Trends and Investor Insights

The third quarter of 2023 witnessed a slight recovery in financing levels in the Middle East and North Africa region, with a 32 percent increase in financing growth compared to the previous quarter.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates dominated the top ten positions in terms of capital invested, accounting for 50 percent of the total financing in the region during the first nine months of 2023.

The challenging global economic landscape and its impact on the venture capital ecosystem, both globally and in the Middle East and North Africa region, have been examined in the report.

Despite a 44.06 percent decrease in financing values during the first nine months of 2023, the region still managed to raise $1.36 billion compared to $2.43 billion in the same period in 2022.

The number of deals also experienced a decline of 46 percent during the first nine months of this year, with a total of 286 deals compared to 530 deals in the same period last year.

Saudi Arabia accounted for 39 percent of the total financing value during the first nine months of 2023, while the United Arab Emirates led in terms of the number of deals, representing 33 percent of the 286 deals concluded in the first three quarters of this year.

Saudi Arabia’s journey towards economic diversification and reducing oil dependence is showing promising results.

The sustained growth in non-oil sectors, driven by robust domestic demand, has been a key pillar of the country’s economic transformation.

The regulatory reforms, entrepreneurship promotion, and investor protection efforts have contributed to creating a more favorable business environment.