Author: Mahdeehassan

Riyadh, June 2025: In a move set to deepen economic insight and advisory services across Saudi Arabia, Oxford Business Group (OBG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Strategic Gears, a Saudi-based management consulting firm, to jointly produce high-impact research and advisory content supporting the Kingdom’s economic transformation under Vision 2030. The two-year agreement formalises a strategic collaboration aimed at fostering knowledge exchange, policy analysis and investment insight through joint publications, advisory projects and thought leadership initiatives. It underscores a shared commitment to delivering relevant, data-driven economic intelligence that reflects Saudi Arabia’s evolving priorities. Strategic Gears will contribute its…

Stride Ventures, a global venture debt firm, has announced the expansion of its operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council, with Saudi Arabia at the heart of its growth strategy. The move includes opening a second regional office and doubling its local team, alongside the release of the inaugural Global Venture Debt Report 2025, produced in collaboration with Kearney. The report highlights a 54% CAGR for the GCC venture debt market—four times the global average—reaching $500 million in 2024, up from just $60 million in 2020. Stride aims to triple its GCC assets under management (AUM) by 2026, targeting $500 million…

Kumulus Water, a startup launched in 2021 between France and Tunisia, has raised $3.5 million in a seed round to scale its off-grid water production technology. The round was backed by Bpifrance (via France 2030 SGPI and the Île-de-France Region), regional VCs like PlusVC, Khalys Venture, Flat6Labs, and Spadel, alongside several family offices and startup founders from Europe and North Africa. Founded by Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid, Kumulus designs atmospheric water generators that extract drinking water from air humidity without the need for infrastructure—ideal for underserved areas. The company will use the new funding to roll out the…

Malta’s gaming scene is about to come alive as 6,000 professionals gather for the first-ever SBC Summit Malta—a next-level evolution of the beloved CasinoBeats Summit. Taking place at the InterContinental in St Julian’s from 10–12 June, the event will serve as Europe’s strategic iGaming hub—uniting 2,000 betting and iGaming operators, 750 affiliates, and thousands more from game studios, sportsbooks, payment providers, regulatory bodies, and marketing professionals for three intense days of dealmaking, complimented by numerous learning opportunities. On the educational front, delegates will gain access to expert insights from 250 industry leaders across a three-stage agenda. Alongside dedicated tracks for casino, affiliation and marketing, the expanded programme will now cover key verticals including sports betting, European…

Abu Dhabi, UAE, May – Yango Group, the global tech company, has launched the Yango Points program in Abu Dhabi, a loyalty program designed to reward users for cashless ride payments made through the Yango app. Introduced as part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to deliver greater everyday value, the program allows users to earn loyalty points that can be redeemed for future rides, creating a rewards experience that complements the evolving expectations of digital-first consumers in the UAE. Exclusively available to subscribers of Yango Play, the program offers users the opportunity to earn cashback in the form of Yango Points every time they complete…

SBC Summit Malta 2025 will place the future of sports betting at the heart of its agenda with the launch of the Next-Gen Sports Betting track, a forward-looking series of sessions exploring the technologies, player behaviours, and product strategies fuelling the next phase of industry growth. Taking place on Thursday, 12 June at the InterContinental Hotel in St Julian’s, the track will feature five expert-led sessions covering AI integration, the emerging esports betting market, and the future of in-play betting across multiple sports. Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “Sports betting is being redefined in real time—by new technologies, new user habits,…

Saudi Arabia-based fintech infrastructure platform Stitch has raised a $10 million seed round from investors including Arbor Ventures, COTU Ventures, Raed Ventures, and Saudi Venture Capital (SVC), with participation from regional family offices and other angel investors. Founded in 2022 by Mohamed Oueida, Stitch offers a unified, API-driven platform for banks, fintechs, and enterprises to deploy modern financial solutions up to 80% faster than legacy systems. The funding will support Stitch’s expansion across MENA and East Africa, as it aims to simplify and accelerate how financial products are built and launched. Press release: Stitch, the unified platform for launching and…

Qatar-based fintech PayLater has secured a “strategic” investment from LuLu Alternative Investments (LuLu AI), the investment arm of LuLu Financial Holdings. PayLater, founded in 2023 by Mohammed Al-Delaimi and Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon, is the first company to be licensed by the Qatar Central Bank to offer Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services, providing secure and flexible installment-based and interest-free payment options to customers. The partnership brings LuLu AI’s regional scale, capital, and fintech expertise to PayLater, enabling the startup to deepen its product offering and scale operations. Press release: LuLu AI, the investment arm of LuLu Financial Holdings, has announced a strategic investment in…

Luxury residential and hospitality developer Seven Tides has signed a strategic hotel management agreement with Minor Hotels as the new operator of its five-star DUKES The Palm, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, which is located on the west trunk of Palm Jumeirah, effective from 1st August 2025. “This is a strategic appointment as Minor Hotels already successfully manages our existing asset, the neighbouring NH Collection Dubai The Palm, and the agreement will provide enhanced synergy between the hotels,” said Abdulla Bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides. “Furthermore, the proven track record of Minor Hotels in delivering elevated guest experiences, combined with their operational expertise makes…

PUMA Middle East spotlights a lineup of trailblazing regional talents repping the Mostroverse — a bold, stylized universe inspired by the iconic Mostro sneaker. Mostro is making its modern-day comeback with the region’s most forward-thinking creators. From musicians and DJs to photographers and stylists, PUMA’s latest campaign was inspired by those who dare to be bold – the defining characteristic of the Mostro shoe. The Mostroverse was curated with a clear creative direction in mind – spotlighting groundbreakers. Shot and directed by Palestinian-Jordanian photographer Omar Sha3 and produced by local creative collective ECHO Agency, the campaign was inspired by the underground, the avant-garde,…