محمد يحيDuring the second week of March, specifically from March 8 to March 15, 2026, startup investments across the Middle East and Africa reached a total of $23.86 million.
According to the weekly investment and acquisition report issued by entArabi, these investments were distributed across five Arab startups operating in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Morocco.
This came in addition to international investments worth $1.73 billion, which were completed through several funding rounds involving the UAE-based venture capital firm Shorooq, particularly in AMI Labs, an artificial intelligence company that secured $1.04 billion in funding.
According to the report, Saudi Arabia led investments in the fintech and retail sectors, with funding directed toward Muhlah and Thunna, totaling $23.36 million, accounting for 97.9% of total investments.
This was followed by the logistics sector, represented by Qatar, which recorded $500,000 in funding through an investment in ShipBee, representing 2.09% of the total investments.
The retail sector captured the largest share of startup investments this week, accounting for 66.47% with a total value of $15.86 million.
It was followed by the fintech sector, which accounted for 31.43% with investments totaling $7.5 million, while logistics technology ranked third with 2.09%, equivalent to $500,000 in investments.
Startup Investments by Sector
| Sector | Number of Companies | Companies | Total Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fintech | 1 | Muhlah | $7.5M |
| Artificial Intelligence | 3 | AMI Labs, Eridu, Nexthop AI | $1.73B |
| Logistics Tech | 1 | ShipBee | $500K |
| PropTech | 1 | Rewa | Undisclosed |
| Digital Infrastructure / Tech Solutions | 1 | Netcom Technologies | Undisclosed |
| Retail & Fragrance | 1 | Thunna | $15.86M |
Investments by Country
| Country | Number of Companies | Companies | Total Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | Muhlah, Thunna | $23.36M |
| UAE | 1 | Rewa | Undisclosed |
| Qatar | 1 | ShipBee | $500K |
| Morocco | 1 | Netcom Technologies | Undisclosed |
| International | 3 | AMI Labs, Eridu, Nexthop AI | $1.73B |
Countries’ Share in Sector Investments
| Country | Number of Companies | Key Sector | Companies | Total Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | Fintech & Retail | Muhlah, Thunna | $23.36M |
| UAE | 1 | PropTech | Rewa | Undisclosed |
| Qatar | 1 | Logistics Tech | ShipBee | $500K |
| Morocco | 1 | Digital Infrastructure / Tech Solutions | Netcom Technologies | Undisclosed |
| International | 3 | AI Infrastructure | Nexthop AI, AMI Labs, Eridu | $1.73B |
