Gate Capital Newsletter | Issue 717

VentureSouq, a GCC-based venture capital firm, has closed its second Fintech Fund. The fund is supported by a group of limited partners, including Jada Fund of Funds, Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB), Mubadala Investment Company, Takamol Holding, Krafton, and the Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund (ISSF) of Jordan.

Fintech Fund II will focus on early-stage investments in fintech and adjacent SaaS companies across the MENA region.

Japanese companies have invested around SR23.6 billion ($6.28 billion) in Saudi Arabia, with 18 firms establishing regional headquarters in the Kingdom, said a senior Japanese official. This comes as bilateral trade has grown 37.2 percent since 2020, reaching more than $36 billion, with Saudi exports accounting for the bulk at $29.9 billion, mostly petroleum and petrochemical products.

Japanese exports to Saudi Arabia totaled roughly $6 billion, including cars, appliances, equipment, and machinery, according to the Japanese consul.

Arada’s hospitality and entertainment division has signed a Dhs100m joint venture with Tashas Group to launch a series of new restaurant locations across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Five locations are already confirmed, including tashas Aljada in Sharjah in December 2025, tashas Al Ain in January 2026, tashas Ras Al Khaimah in March 2026, tashas Nad Al Sheba in February 2026, and Cafe Sofi later in 2026.

The partnership will focus on two brands, tashas and the soon-to-launch Cafe Sofi, with a minimum of 10 outlets to open over the next two years.

Startups across the Middle East and North Africa are raising fresh funding to scale operations, enter new markets, and develop innovative products, signaling strong investor interest in sectors including fintech, AI, gaming, e-commerce, and proptech.

Abu Dhabi Department of Energy and Goldman Sachs International have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities in the energy, water and technology sectors. The landmark agreement, the first-of-its-kind between a government entity in Abu Dhabi and Goldman Sachs International, was signed during an Abu Dhabi Department of Energy delegation’s visit to the US.

Adnoc Gas believes this milestone will enhance its visibility among global institutional investors, broaden its shareholder base, and support liquidity on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). Market analysts estimate that inclusion may result in up to $250 million in incremental investment

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance investments and collaboration in key sectors and industries, support foreign institutional investment in Saudi Arabia’s economy, and further enhance the Saudi asset management industry.

Under the MoU, PIF and MAM will explore potential joint investments in the infrastructure and energy transition sectors, including priority areas such as digital infrastructure, electric vehicle infrastructure, and energy storage, said a Saudi Press Agency report.

PIF is one of the world’s most impactful investors, with approximately $925 billion of assets under management. It has a unique mandate to generate sustainable financial returns while driving the economic diversification and development of Saudi Arabia. MAM, with over 30 years of experience, manages more than $600 billion in client assets, making it one of the world’s largest infrastructure asset managers, overseeing over 175 portfolio companies across various sectors.

Permira and Blackstone Inc are acquiring a $525 million minority stake in Dubai-based classifieds firm Property Finder, according to a joint statement on Tuesday, in a sign of continued investor appetite in the emirate’s real estate market. As part of the transaction, General Atlantic, an early backer of Property Finder since 2018, has partially exited but will remain a significant minority shareholder, the statement said.

Orbii, the Saudi-based embedded credit infrastructure platform, has raised $3.6 million in a seed funding round led by Prosus Ventures, with participation from VentureSouq, DASH Ventures, Taz Investments, and Sanabil 500. Founded in 2024, Orbii is redefining how credit is built and delivered across the MENA region. Its AI-powered platform enables banks, fintechs, and B2B marketplaces to launch SME lending products faster and smarter, integrating directly with banks’ systems, fintech platforms, POS networks, and ERP solutions.

A-typical Ventures announces its investment in Metric, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered AI fintech startup empowering small and medium‑sized businesses with real‑time financial intelligence. The funding round also includes participation from investors such as 500 Global, Hub71, i2i Ventures, Plus VC, Epic Angels, Oqal Angels and Accelerate Prosperity, as well as other strategic angel investors from the region.

UAE-based embedded finance provider CredibleX has agreed a US$100mn secured credit facility with US private credit firm Pollen Street Capital. CredibleX, which provides receivables and payables financing as well as short-term loans through its digital platform, says the funds will enable it to grow its loan book and significantly expand its footprint in the UAE.

Arcapita Group Holdings Limited (Arcapita), the global alternative investment firm, has announced that it has acquired a majority equity stake in C&K Paving (C&K), one of the leading providers of parking lot maintenance services in the United States. Over the past 12 months, Arcapita has completed three private equity acquisitions in the business services vertical, with a combined value of $715 million, expanding its essential business services portfolio and reinforcing its focus on resilient business models with predictable, recurring revenues.

In financial markets, resilience is not declared — it is proven.  In 2025, the UAE’s financial system has proven it once more. Markets have remained strong, liquidity buffers intact, and investor confidence unshaken. This is not a coincidence. It is design.

TERN Group, an AI-powered global talent mobility platform for healthcare professionals, founded by Dubai-based Avinav Nigam, today announced it has raised USD 24 million in Series A funding, positioning itself at the centre of the Gulf’s efforts to expand clinical capacity. This brings TERN Group’s total funding to USD 33 million, after an oversubscribed Seed round last year.

The round was led by UK-based Notion Capital, with UAE-based EQ2 Ventures underscoring the platform’s strategic focus on the Middle East, alongside RTP Global, LocalGlobe, Leo Capital, Presight Capital, and Tom Stafford, Co-Founder of DST Global.

Raoom Trading Co. signed a preliminary and non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire a 51% stake in Mohrkey Trading Co., a Saudi-based firm specializing in modern car care and fuel services. The MoU outlines provisions for the exchange of confidential information between the two parties for evaluation purposes. Completion of the potential acquisition remains subject to a final binding agreement on the definitive terms and conditions, not to mention securing the required approvals.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision Invest has invested $700 million in pan-African industrial zone developer ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, ARISE IIP said on Wednesday. The capital raise is one of the largest private infrastructure transactions in Africa to date, Dubai-headquartered ARISE IIP said. The deal includes both primary and secondary components.

It is the Saudi holding company’s first foray into Africa. The investment is earmarked for the continued development of what the company calls “green, inclusive, and sustainable industrial ecosystems”.

DawaDose, the Saudi-headquartered healthtech startup, announced the successful close of its Pre-Seed funding round with participation from a group of angel investors. With this milestone, the company has officially begun setting up its headquarters in Saudi Arabia, positioning the Kingdom as the hub for development, operations, and its expansion across the Saudi and Gulf markets. The platform aims to connect pharmacies, wholesalers, and consumers through secure, efficient, and accessible digital tools, aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

The Arab Energy Fund, a multilateral banking institution, sold $600 million of bonds after drawing robust demand that allowed it to tighten pricing despite one of the busiest weeks for new debt globally. The five-year notes, priced at the Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus 75 basis points, will mature in February 2031, the Riyadh-headquartered lender said in a statement. Investor orders were twice the planned size, prompting the fund to upsize the deal to $600 million.

MoneyHash, the Middle East and Africa’s leading payment orchestration platform, has partnered with noon payments, a trusted comprehensive digital payment gateway by noon, to streamline access to localised payment methods across the GCC. This strategic collaboration allows businesses integrated with MoneyHash to instantly activate key regional payment options—such as Mada, KNET, Benefit, Meeza, and Omannet—through a single API connection.