Gate Capital News Letter | Issue 725

Saudi Arabia-based Bonat, an AI-powered customer engagement platform, has raised $6 million in a Series A round led by stc group’s corporate venture capital arm, Tali Ventures. The round also saw participation from anb seed Fund, Rua Growth Fund, RZM Investments, and a network of angel investors.

Founded in 2019 by Saud Binsaeed, Bonat enables merchants to convert walk-ins into loyal customers through AI-driven analytics, behaviour-based marketing automation, and digital wallet integrations.

Microsoft said it would invest $15.2bn in the UAE by 2029 to advance artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, develop local digital talent, and deepen technology cooperation between the UAE and the US.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, was briefed by Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith on the company’s plans to expand AI infrastructure and training programmes in the UAE, Abu Dhabi Media Office reported on November 3.

THREE60 Energy has announced a major step in its Middle East growth strategy with the acquisition of Total Vision (TV), a multidisciplinary engineering and project management services provider in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The UAE took the top spot in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) activity in the MENA region during the first nine months of 2025, achieving the highest volume and value for inbound transactions with 171 deals valued at $29 billion.

Stream, the Saudi-born platform streamlining modern billing and payments for businesses in the MENA region, starting with Saudi Arabia, has announced $4 million in seed funding to scale its mission to remove friction from getting paid. The round was led by early-stage investment firm Outliers VC and amassed a strong investor base, adding to a cap table that includes BYLD Ventures and prominent angel investors such as Abdullah Elyas, Co-founder of Careem.

Doos, the leading Saudi platform in the quick-commerce sector, is pleased to announce a strategic investment from Jahez International Company for Information Systems Technology (Jahez) — a leading on-demand services ecosystem listed on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul: 6017).

Artificial intelligence data mining company Palantir’s joint venture with Dubai Holding is “part of an AI arms race” and investment boom, according to its executive vice president Noam Perski. Aither will combine Palantir’s technology with Dubai Holding’s local knowledge of the market to enhance operational efficiency, strengthen competitiveness and unlock new sources of value creation, the companies said in a statement on Tuesday.

SPICE, a premium dining and restaurant-tech platform founded by Zeid Husban, Wadi Hawi, and Yousef Sawalha, has officially launched in Saudi Arabia, introducing a new model for restaurant funding and growth across the Kingdom and the GCC.

Saudi-based SAB Invest has announced a partnership with Stride Ventures, an India-based growth debt and private credit platform, to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s venture capital ecosystem by introducing international expertise and firms into the local market.

The collaboration marks SAB Invest’s expansion into startup-focused investments and private credit for SMEs.

Bahrain has launched a new SME fund following the signing of strategic partnership agreements between Bahrain Development Bank (BDB), the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), and Al Salam Bank.

Bahrain has launched a new SME fund following the signing of strategic partnership agreements between Bahrain Development Bank (BDB), the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), and Al Salam Bank.

THREE60 Energy has announced a major step in its Middle East growth strategy with the acquisition of Total Vision (TV), a multidisciplinary engineering and project management services provider in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The acquisition marks a st milestone in THREE60’s long-term growth strategy, positioning the company to better serve clients across the Middle East’s rapidly evolving energy landscape

Soliman Abdel Kader Fakeeh Hospital Co. (Fakeeh Care) and its subsidiaries, Fakeeh Care Group, are set to begin negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Diagnostics Elite Co., which would make it a subsidiary fully owned by Fakeeh Care.

State-owned Qatar Airways has decided to sell its entire stake in Cathay Pacific Airways for about $897 million (HK$6.97 billion), marking its complete exit from Hong Kong’s flagship airline after eight years.

Gulf International Bank – Saudi Arabia (GIB KSA), rated A2 (stable) by Moody’s and A- (stable) by Fitch, has priced its debut $500 million Reg S only perpetual non-call 5.5-year AT1 bond at par with a 6.625% coupon.

Saudi Arabia and China are deepening their industrial cooperation as the Kingdom accelerates efforts to attract high-value investments and strengthen global partnerships in advanced manufacturing and technology.

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Board Chairman of the National Industrial Development Center Bandar Alkhorayef chaired a meeting of the center with a delegation comprising leaders of more than 30 Chinese companies, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

SICO, a leading regional asset manager, broker, market maker, and investment bank  with physical presence in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, has announced an expanded product suite of $500 million in new transactions and investment initiatives during the Gateway Gulf 2025 Forum in Manama.

The United Arab Emirates’ state-owned energy company Masdar will invest in Austria’s largest hydrogen project, run by oil and gas firm OMV, Austria’s APA news agency reported on Wednesday. The investment amounts to a high three-digit million sum, it added.

Egypt-based VC firm DisrupTech Ventures has invested in Chari, a Y Combinator–backed Moroccan fintech startup, marking its first investment in Morocco and second in Africa outside Egypt. The fund will also join Chari’s board of directors to support its fintech-driven growth strategy.