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Saudi Arabia

HUMAIN partners with Adobe to develop Arabic-first generative AI on Saudi-built hyperscale infrastructure

Nov 20, 2025

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2 min read

HUMAIN partners with Adobe to develop Arabic-first generative AI on Saudi-built hyperscale infrastructure

Collaboration spans infrastructure, models and creative tools. Adobe to become first customer of HUMAIN’s AI data centres, with support from Qualcomm.

Saudi Arabia

HUMAIN leads Luma AI’s $900M Series C to train multimodal AGI using 2GW Saudi supercluster

Nov 20, 2025

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2 min read

HUMAIN leads Luma AI’s $900M Series C to train multimodal AGI using 2GW Saudi supercluster

Funding led by HUMAIN will accelerate development of frontier “World Models” as Luma positions to scale real-world AI across robotics, enterprise, entertainment, and regional customisation.

Saudi Arabia

Nov 20, 2025

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2 min read

Elon Musk announces 500MW xAI data centre in Saudi Arabia in partnership with HUMAIN

Project launched during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s US visit. Built in partnership with Saudi sovereign-backed HUMAIN AI and powered by Nvidia chips.

Founder Playbook

Nov 19, 2025

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9 min read

How to build a winning startup culture

Companies invest a great deal of energy in presenting a particular idea of their culture. The real version is simpler and harder to fabricate: it’s whatever people actually do when something goes wrong and there is no immediate reward for doing the right thing.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi fractional real estate platform Ghanem raises $7.1M from Al-Romaih Group

Nov 19, 2025

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2 min read

Saudi fractional real estate platform Ghanem raises $7.1M from Al-Romaih Group

The newly launched startup aims to expand access to property investment through a regulated fractional ownership model.

Healthtech

Nabta Health raises $2M pre-Series A to scale AI-powered women’s health platform

Nov 19, 2025

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2 min read

Nabta Health raises $2M pre-Series A to scale AI-powered women’s health platform

The UAE-based startup brings total funding to USD 4.5 million as it accelerates a hybrid care model spanning digital, at-home and in-clinic services across MEA.

Founder Playbook

How to preserve and evolve your culture as you scale

Nov 19, 2025

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10 min read

How to preserve and evolve your culture as you scale

Culture is easiest to shape when the team is small. As you grow, alignment becomes harder and drift inevitable unless you actively manage it. The founder’s job is not to preserve the past but to guide how culture evolves.

Founder Playbook

Nov 19, 2025

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6 min read

Communication, trust and transparency

Healthy cultures grow from honest communication. Early on, most problems can be solved with a direct conversation. As you scale, the organisation becomes a reflection of how information flows.

Founder Playbook

How to hire (and onboard) for cultural fit

Nov 19, 2025

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6 min read

How to hire (and onboard) for cultural fit

The people you hire shape your culture more than any statement ever will. Early on, you can afford to be selective. Each hire either strengthens what you stand for or erodes it.

Founder Playbook

Nov 19, 2025

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5 min read

The importance of leading by example

Culture is defined by behaviour, not declarations. Teams follow what founders do. If leadership cuts corners, people assume it is acceptable. If leaders show consistency, ownership and integrity, the organisation absorbs it.

Founder Playbook

Define your core values (but keep it real)

Nov 19, 2025

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5 min read

Define your core values (but keep it real)

Every founder eventually faces the pressure to define their company’s values. Rush it, and you risk creating words nobody believes. Wait too long, and you lose a chance to guide behaviour. What matters is authenticity.

Weekly round-up

Tamara posts Q3 profit, Instashop struggles to keep pace

Nov 14, 2025

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15 min read

Tamara posts Q3 profit, Instashop struggles to keep pace

DataCamp acquires UAE’s Optima in a more than $15 million deal, Kamco Invest and TechInvest plan a $150 million JEDI Opportunity Fund, Lean eyes new bets ahead of a potential IPO, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Food Delivery

Talabat posts strong Q3 while newly acquired Instashop still struggles to keep pace

Nov 14, 2025

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2 min read

Talabat posts strong Q3 while newly acquired Instashop still struggles to keep pace

Talabat’s core delivery engine continues to expand at pace, though Instashop’s recovery remains uneven following its USD 32 million acquisition earlier this year.

Fintech

Lean Technologies eyes new bets ahead of potential IPO

Nov 14, 2025

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3 min read

Lean Technologies eyes new bets ahead of potential IPO

Saudi fintech wants to push beyond open banking as it preps for a future listing, with CEO Hisham Al-Falih signalling a wider product roadmap.

Fintech

Saudi BNPL Tamara turns profitable in 9M 2025 as revenue doubles and credit costs fall

Nov 14, 2025

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3 min read

Saudi BNPL Tamara turns profitable in 9M 2025 as revenue doubles and credit costs fall

Tamara doubled revenue and delivered its first sustained profit in Q3 2025, supported by the arrival of one of the Middle East’s largest BNPL financing facilities.

Kuwait’s Kamco Invest and TechInvest plan $150 million JEDI Opportunity Fund to back high-performing startups

Nov 14, 2025

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2 min read

Kuwait’s Kamco Invest and TechInvest plan $150 million JEDI Opportunity Fund to back high-performing startups

The new vehicle will double down on winners from the firms’ first JEDI Fund as the partners expand their startup investing footprint beyond Silicon Valley.

News

DataCamp acquires UAE’s Optima in $15 million deal to embed AI-native learning into its global platform

Nov 12, 2025

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3 min read

DataCamp acquires UAE’s Optima in $15 million deal to embed AI-native learning into its global platform

The US edtech company will integrate Optima’s adaptive AI technology and launch free data and AI courses for UAE educators, students, and government employees as part of its first regional initiative.

Saudi Arabia

How the Gulf is Fighting for AI Supremacy on the Ocean Floor

Nov 12, 2025

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12 min read

How the Gulf is Fighting for AI Supremacy on the Ocean Floor

As hyperscalers like Google and Meta rewire the internet with private subsea cables, Gulf states are building their own routes to control the arteries of AI. The new battle for digital sovereignty is being waged on the ocean floor.