MENA’s startup ecosystem breaks records with $3B in venture funding in 2025 — surpassing Southeast Asia for the first time, led by UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh will host the 9th Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute from October 27–30, 2025, under the theme “The Key to Prosperity.” With 600+ global speakers and $70B in previous investment outcomes, FII9 cements Saudi Arabia’s capital as a global center for innovation, AI, and sustainable growth.
Facebook has upgraded Reels with AI-powered recommendations, “friend bubbles,” and real-time search. With 200B daily views and 3B monthly users, Meta is turning short videos into the future of social connection — but MENA creators want more localization.
Google has rolled out its no-code AI app builder Opal to 15 new countries, including Pakistan and India, introducing faster workflows and advanced debugging — but the Middle East and North Africa remain absent from the expansion list.
Saudi Arabia’s PIF-backed developer ROSHN launches its third PropTech Hackathon for 2025, inviting innovators to reimagine real estate through AI, sustainability, and smart infrastructure. Here’s how to apply, what’s at stake, and why it matters for the Kingdom’s PropTech revolution.
Riyadh — On September 30, The Garage (الكــراج), Saudi Arabia’s flagship startup hub, unveiled its 8th cohort at a packed demo day. Eighteen early-stage...
Pony.ai and Baidu are racing to deploy 1,000 robotaxis across Dubai, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia by 2027–2028. With Uber partnerships, RTA permits, and mega-projects like NEOM, the Gulf is becoming the proving ground for global driverless mobility.