محمد يحي
During March, startup investment activity across the Arab region, the Middle East, and Africa declined amid escalating regional developments, falling by $209.92 million compared to the previous month.
According to the monthly investment report issued by entArabi, total new investments in startups across 19 companies during March still surpassed $64.31 million, spanning 12 sectors, most notably artificial intelligence, fintech, smart mobility and logistics, e-commerce, digital infrastructure, and PropTech.
The fintech and blockchain sector captured the largest share of new investments, accounting for 25.03% of the total, or $16.1 million, representing more than a quarter of all investments.
It was followed by the e-commerce and retail sector with 24.74% valued at $15.87 million, then digital health at 23.4%, with investments exceeding $15 million, followed by artificial intelligence at 17.55%, with investments surpassing $11.25 million.
The UAE ranked first in total new investments, recording 7 deals worth $31.35 million, representing nearly half of all new investments at 48.91%.
It was followed by Saudi Arabia, which accounted for 41.9% through 5 new deals worth $26.86 million, while Morocco came next with investments exceeding $3.1 million across 3 new deals, representing 4.84% of the total.
Saudi Arabia stood out last month through exclusive investments in the e-commerce and retail sector, led by Thnna with $15.86 million, as well as the EdTech sector through GAGA, which raised $2.5 million, in addition to the semiconductor sector through Rimal Semiconductors.
Meanwhile, the UAE dominated March’s investments in the AI sector through zypl.ai and Skipr Ledgers, alongside fintech and blockchain deals involving Utexo and Qudwa.
Morocco, for its part, led investments in the smart mobility sector, attracting $3.1 million, particularly through emerging startups GoSwap and Weego, in addition to the digital infrastructure sector via Netcom Technologies.
Investments by Sector
| Sector | Investments ($M) | Companies | Number of Companies |
| Fintech / Blockchain | 16.1 | Mahala, Utexo, Qudwa | 3 |
| Digital Health | More than 15 | TruDoc Healthcare, iQtech | 3 |
| E-commerce & Retail | 15.86 | Thnna | 1 |
| Artificial Intelligence | More than 11.25 | zypl.ai, Infobrim, Skipr Ledgers | 3 |
| EdTech | 2.5 | GAGA | 1 |
| Smart Mobility | 3.1 | GoSwap, Weego | 2 |
| Logistics Services | 0.5 | ShipBee | 1 |
| PropTech | Undisclosed | Rewa, Miftah | 2 |
| Digital Infrastructure | Undisclosed | Netcom Technologies | 1 |
| Semiconductors | Undisclosed | Rimal Semiconductors | 1 |
Investments by Country
| Country | Investments ($M) | Number of Deals | Companies |
| UAE | More than 31.35 | 6 | zypl.ai, TruDoc, Skipr Ledgers, Utexo, Qudwa, Rewa |
| Saudi Arabia | More than 26.86 | 5 | GAGA, Mahala, Thnna, Infobrim, Rimal |
| Morocco | More than 3.1 | 3 | GoSwap, Netcom Technologies, Weego |
| Qatar | More than 0.5 | 2 | ShipBee, iQtech |
| Syria | Undisclosed | 1 | Miftah |
