MENA Startups
Saudi PropTech Rize Secures $50M Murabaha Facility From Jadwa Investment to Scale Monthly Rent Payments Across the Kingdom
Saudi residential rental platform Rize has secured a SAR 187.5 million ($50 million) asset-backed Murabaha facility from Jadwa Investment to finance its growing rental portfolio as demand for monthly rent payment solutions rises across the Kingdom.
Saudi residential rental solutions platform Rize has secured a SAR 187.5 million ($50 million) asset-backed Murabaha facility from Jadwa Investment, providing new financing capacity for its expanding portfolio of residential rental contracts.
The facility will finance Rize’s model of allowing eligible tenants to divide annual rent into 12 monthly payments, while landlords receive their full annual rent upfront.
By financing the rental portfolio through the Shariah-compliant facility, Rize plans to preserve its equity capital for areas including technology, product development, talent, strategic partnerships and expansion across Saudi Arabia.
Rize Rental Volumes Grow More Than 24-Fold
The financing comes amid rapid growth in activity on Rize’s platform.
Over the past two years, the volume of rental contracts facilitated through Rize has increased by more than 24 times, while the company’s revenue grew 6.4-fold during 2025.
Rize also reported a customer renewal rate of more than 60%.
Since its launch, the platform has received rental applications representing an aggregate value of more than SAR 5.75 billion, highlighting growing demand for alternatives to large annual or semiannual rental payments.
Rize estimates Saudi Arabia’s residential rental market at approximately SAR 150 billion annually.
More Than 400,000 Users and 2,900 Real Estate Partners
Rize currently serves more than 400,000 registered users and works with a network of over 2,900 real estate partners across Saudi Arabia.
The platform enables eligible customers to pay rent monthly, while landlords receive the annual rental amount in advance.
Transactions are completed through leases documented on Saudi Arabia’s Ejar platform, while Rize also provides tools designed to simplify transactions for real estate brokers.
Ibrahim Balilah, Co-founder and CEO of Rize, said the structure of the new financing allows the company to separate the capital required to finance rental contracts from the equity used to build and expand the business.
“This facility represents an important milestone in Rize’s journey and reflects confidence in our business model and vision for the future of residential renting in Saudi Arabia,” Balilah said.
“What makes it particularly significant is that it directly finances our rental portfolio, allowing the capital invested by our shareholders to remain focused on product development, talent, and expansion.”
Jadwa Investment Backs Rize With Asset-Backed Financing
The SAR 187.5 million Murabaha facility was provided by Riyadh-headquartered investment management and advisory firm Jadwa Investment.
Tariq Al-Sudairy, Managing Director and CEO of Jadwa Investment, said the transaction reflects the firm’s strategy of providing structured private credit solutions to support growing Saudi businesses.
“We are pleased to support Rize with this asset-backed Murabaha facility,” Al-Sudairy said.
“The transaction reflects Jadwa’s strategy of delivering structured private credit solutions that support growth and scalability of businesses across Saudi Arabia.”
Jadwa Investment manages more than SAR 110 billion in client assets across areas including public and private equity, real estate, private credit, fixed income and money markets.
Rize Plans New Products Across the Rental Lifecycle
Rize said the facility will support the next phase of its expansion as it develops additional products covering more of the residential rental lifecycle.
The company plans to continue investing in its technology and products while expanding partnerships and its reach throughout Saudi Arabia.
Balilah said Rize is seeking to build a model where the expansion of its rental portfolio is supported through Shariah-compliant financing while equity capital remains available to fund innovation and company growth.
Founded in 2021 by Ibrahim Balilah and Mohammed Alfraihi, Rize is backed by investors including SEEDRA Ventures, Raed Ventures, HALA Ventures, JOA Capital, Aqar Platform, Banat Ventures, NAMA Ventures, Wathiq Financial and Razam Investment.
The company is positioning its monthly rental payment infrastructure as part of the ongoing digitization of Saudi Arabia’s real estate sector and broader efforts to improve financial flexibility for tenants, landlords and real estate brokers.
MENA Startups
Saudi-based AutoTech Startup Autobia Raises $12M Series A to Expand B2B Auto Parts Platform and Logistics Infrastructure
The Artal Capital-led round will support Autobia’s logistics expansion, dynamic pricing technology and embedded financing services across Saudi Arabia.
The funding will support the company’s expansion across Saudi Arabia, strengthen its supply chain and logistics infrastructure, and accelerate the development of its proprietary pricing and inventory financing solutions.
Founded in 2021 by Emad Daghriri and Ahmed Aloufi, Autobia is building a digital platform that connects automotive spare parts wholesalers and retailers with suppliers while integrating procurement, delivery and flexible payment options.
Autobia Secures $12M to Scale Its B2B Marketplace
The Series A follows Autobia’s $2.5 million seed round in 2023, led by Sadu Financial with participation from Wa’ed Ventures.
The latest investment will help the company expand its geographic coverage and improve the infrastructure supporting automotive parts distribution across the Kingdom.
Unlike conventional e-commerce marketplaces focused primarily on product listings and transactions, Autobia combines sourcing, inventory procurement, logistics and embedded financial services within a single platform.
The company aims to address operational challenges faced by spare parts retailers and wholesalers, including fragmented supplier networks, inventory availability, delivery coordination and working capital constraints.
Expanding Logistics and Embedded Financing
Autobia plans to allocate part of the new funding to strengthening its supply chain and logistics capabilities as it expands into additional Saudi markets.
The platform allows merchants to source spare parts from suppliers, manage orders and arrange deliveries through an integrated procurement process.
Embedded financing is another component of Autobia’s business model. The company provides flexible, scheduled installment options for inventory purchases, helping merchants spread procurement costs over time.
It also enables retailers to manage end-customer payments through licensed payment providers and buy-now-pay-later services.
Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Ahmed Aloufi said expanding access to embedded financial services remains central to Autobia’s strategy, particularly in helping merchants manage working capital limitations and pursue growth with greater flexibility.
Investing in Dynamic Pricing Technology
Beyond geographic expansion, Autobia will invest in proprietary dynamic pricing technology and broaden its installment-based inventory purchasing solutions.
The pricing tools are intended to help the platform respond to changing market conditions and improve how merchants manage procurement decisions across a diverse range of automotive parts.
These investments form part of Autobia’s broader strategy to build an integrated technology infrastructure for the automotive aftermarket rather than operate solely as a transactional marketplace.
Co-founder and CEO Emad Daghriri said the company’s ambition extends beyond digitizing spare parts purchases to providing traditional businesses with the market intelligence, operational efficiency and tools needed to compete and grow.
Investors Target Saudi Automotive Aftermarket Opportunity
Artal Capital led the investment alongside AlJazira Capital and Wa’ed Ventures, backing Autobia’s approach to combining technology, logistics and financial services.
Wassim Makhoul, Head of Alternative Investments at Artal Capital, described the automotive aftermarket as a substantial market with unmet needs. He highlighted Autobia’s combination of technology, operational capabilities and embedded financing as central to its growth potential.
Artal Capital aims to support the founders’ ambition to establish Autobia as a core infrastructure provider for automotive aftermarket services in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.
The financing comes as Saudi Arabia continues developing its digital commerce, logistics and financial technology sectors under Vision 2030.
Autobia will now focus on expanding its domestic operations, strengthening distribution capabilities and developing financial and pricing tools to support automotive parts merchants.
MENA Startups
TiE Women MENA Names Five Regional Winners to Compete for MENA Title at GITEX Global 2026
Five women founders from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the wider MENA region will advance to the TiE Women MENA finals at GITEX Global 2026 in December.
TiE Dubai has named five regional winners of the seventh edition of its TiE Women MENA program, selecting women-led startups across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the wider Middle East and an Emirati-focused track.
Following virtual regional finals held from September 8 to 17, Naglaa Mohamed, Co-Founder of Egypt-based P-Vita; Lea Mehaweg, Co-Founder and CEO of Saudi Arabia-based Maison Safqa; and Anuscha Iqbal, Co-Founder and CEO of UAE-based Qanooni AI, won their respective country tracks. Rowan Alawi, CEO of Trase, took the Rest of MENA category, while Aisha Alyassi, Founder and Brand Director of SCULP, won the Emirati track.
The five founders will compete for the MENA title at the program’s finals during GITEX Global 2026 in December.
More Than 250 Women-Founded Businesses Apply
TiE Women MENA attracted more than 250 licensed, women-founded businesses this year, up from almost 200 applications in 2025. The cohort spanned sectors including AI and SaaS, AgriTech and FoodTech, HealthTech, sustainability and fashion.
Of the applicants, 228 founders were shortlisted and 46 advanced to the regional finals. Each track selected one winner and two runners-up based on criteria including product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, team strength, competitive advantage, financial objectives and operational and technical viability.
Finalists also worked with dedicated mentors to refine their pitches and prepare their businesses for the regional competition.
The 2026 cohort reflected a strong focus on AI, with founders applying the technology to legal services, construction, livestock health, prenatal care and community platforms. Sustainability-focused companies included ventures addressing agricultural waste, textile reuse and water conservation, while several startups developed products around women’s mobility, mental wellbeing and maternal health.
Winners Head to GITEX Global 2026
At Expand North Star during GITEX Global 2026, each regional winner will receive a dedicated pod to showcase their business and connect with investors and other ecosystem stakeholders.
The five founders will continue receiving one-to-one mentorship ahead of the December final, with support focused on their pitches, go-to-market strategies and investor materials.
Carlina Marani and Shameema Parveen, Co-Chairs of TiE Women MENA 2026, said this year’s candidates stood out for both the quality of their pitches and the range of industries represented. They highlighted businesses spanning AI-powered water conservation and fetal health to sustainability and Emirati food products.
Aisha Alyassi described winning the Emirati track as an important milestone for SCULP, saying the program had encouraged her to expand her ambitions, refine the company’s vision and connect with other women founders.
Addressing MENA’s Female Funding Gap
The program comes as women-founded startups continue to receive a small share of venture funding across the region. According to figures provided by TiE Dubai, female-founded startups secured just $2.5 million in the first half of 2026, representing 0.14% of the region’s $1.7 billion in venture funding.
TiE Dubai said its program aims to narrow that gap through mentorship, funding access, visibility and regional networking.
Over the past four years, TiE Women MENA has supported more than 1,000 women-led businesses, curated over 350 pitches and awarded AED 380,000 in equity-free prize money. Globally, TiE Women has received more than 11,000 applications across 62 countries and accelerated over 500 women-led startups.
The MENA program is run by TiE Dubai and powered by Nokia, alongside partners TECOM, Dubai Internet City and in5 Innovation Centers.
MENA Startups
UAE Launches Ai Everything Abu Dhabi 2026, Connecting 150 AI Startups With Global Investors
The two-day AI event will connect more than 150 startups with over 200 investors managing $100 billion in assets, while showcasing emerging enterprise AI technologies.
Ai Everything Abu Dhabi 2026 will bring more than 150 AI startups to the UAE capital on October 6 and 7, showcasing technologies spanning enterprise software, industrial safety, customer experience and sovereign AI.
Held at the ADNEC Centre, the event will bring together more than 400 global technology companies and startups. Its Ai StartX Everything showcase will connect founders with more than 200 investors from 30 countries representing $100 billion in assets under management.
Among the companies exhibiting are startups from Portugal, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US, with products focused on moving AI deeper into enterprise operations.
Enterprise AI Moves Into Critical Workflows
Portuguese AI-native software assurance company VisionHammer will showcase technology designed to diagnose and resolve problems within enterprise software while retaining human oversight.
Its platform can identify the root cause of an incident, generate and test a fix, and submit a pull request for approval. In one production deployment, VisionHammer said it reduced average incident resolution time from around five hours to four minutes.
The company will present CodeScan, which analyses code security with every release, and Assessment, a system for mapping and diagnosing enterprise software environments. Co-founder and COO Tiago Silva said demand is increasingly centred on AI that can operate reliably in critical systems while maintaining human control and auditability.
Singapore-headquartered Ailytics, meanwhile, will demonstrate AilyssaX, a vision-language-model-powered platform that converts existing CCTV networks into real-time industrial safety and operational intelligence.
Ailytics said it has completed more than 400 deployments across over 15 countries, with customers including Changi Airport Group, DHL, Laing O’Rourke and Obayashi. Following its recent Series A round, the company is expanding into the Middle East.
Gulf Startups Showcase Arabic and Sovereign AI
Saudi-based Lucidya will showcase its AI Agent and provide an early look at Agentic Workflows designed to automate customer journeys across enterprise systems.
The company said its Agentic CX Platform supports 17 Arabic dialects with more than 92% accuracy and uses billions of data points to interpret customer and market signals. Lucidya is also ISO/IEC 42001 certified and compliant with PDPL, GDPR and SOC 2.
Dubai-registered MetisJean will launch Jean 1001, its sovereign operating system for enterprise AI. The platform runs within a customer’s own infrastructure, makes its reasoning traceable to source material and records actions on an immutable, audit-ready ledger.
MetisJean said Jean can reduce token consumption by up to 90% in some applications. Founder and CEO Alexander Haywood said the company intends to build sovereign enterprise AI in the Gulf before taking the technology to international markets.
US-based Newrunio will also introduce Personal Super-Intelligence (PAI) 1.2 globally for the first time. The screen-aware floating AI agent operates within a user’s existing digital environment, providing contextual suggestions and executing tasks without requiring users to continually switch between applications.
Connecting AI Founders With Global Capital
Beyond product demonstrations, Ai StartX Everything will connect startups with investors, sovereign funds, enterprise buyers and technology companies through its Investor Programme.
The programme includes the Supernova AI Global Pitch Competition, where five finalists will pitch to investors and industry leaders for equity-free prizes.
Organised by inD, with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement as Host Partner and Mubadala company Solutions+ as Global Partner, Ai Everything Abu Dhabi will also feature ATRC, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Hub71 alongside global technology companies including AWS, Alibaba Cloud, Microsoft, Mistral AI and ASUS.
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