Venture

Middle East Startup Investments and Acquisitions Rise to $21.19 Billion, with Strong Growth in Fintech and Blockchain

During the Second Week of December 2025

The Middle East witnessed notable momentum in venture capital investments and acquisition deals between December 7 and 14, reflecting strong diversification across targeted sectors.

These included proptech, AI-powered regulatory compliance, gaming, digital fashion, digital assets, industrial automation, AI infrastructure, and fintech.

According to the weekly investment and M&A report issued by “entArabi”, the announced transactions during the week injected more than $1.21 billion into the market, driven by major deals in Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE, alongside rising activity in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Egypt.

This momentum underscores sustained investor confidence in scalable technology-driven business models across the region.

Weekly data highlights the clear dominance of artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and financial services, which captured the largest share of investments, supported by mega-deals in Qatar and Turkey.

This came alongside early—but steadily growing—activity in sectors such as gaming and proptech in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The data also indicates a continued investor shift toward sovereign-grade models and technologies aligned with local regulatory frameworks, particularly in compliance and financial regulation.

At the same time, interest is increasing in solutions that address structural gaps in financing and supply chains.

Investments and M&A by Country

CountryCompany / DealTransaction TypeDeal Value
QatarBrookfield × QaiJoint venture (AI infrastructure)$20 billion
TurkeyBaribo × CoinMENAMajority acquisitionUp to $240 million
UAEZelo (IHC subsidiary)Funding round$715 million
UAEByit CapitalInvestment round$1.1 million
UAEQadiPre-seed roundUndisclosed
UAEBloom NetworkADGM license
EgypttpayGovernment payments license
Saudi ArabiaQwacksPre-seed round$476,000
KuwaitTrendl (“Masaha” app)Second Seed round$1.5 million
International*MujinSeries D round$233 million
Total disclosed~$21.19 billion

Investments and M&A by Sector

SectorCompanies / DealsInvestment Value
AI infrastructureBrookfield × Qai$20 billion
Digital assets & cryptocurrenciesBaribo × CoinMENAUp to $240 million
Fintech & supply chain financeZelo$715 million
Industrial automation & roboticsMujin$233 million
PropTechByit Capital$1.1 million
GamingQwacks$476,000
Digital fashion & retailTrendl (Masaha)$1.5 million
AI-powered regulatory complianceQadiUndisclosed
Government digital paymentstpayLicense (no funding)
Tokenization of real-world assetsBloom NetworkLicense (no funding)
Total disclosed~$21.19 billion

Mohamed Yahya

Ressan Holding Buys 20% Stake in Qirat Advisory to Support Saudi Companies

صحافي اقتصادي، يغطي أخبار الأسواق والاستثمار وريادة الأعمال، ويقدّم تحليلات معمّقة تعكس تطورات الاقتصاد في المنطقة العربية
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