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RIYADH: ����ֱ�� led this week’s startup activity, with a surge of venture deals, strategic partnerships, and funding announcements across key sectors including artificial intelligence, logistics, fintech, and HR technology. 

The wave of investment underscores the Kingdom’s growing prominence as a hub for innovation and its continued push to diversify its economy through technology-driven enterprises. 

Saudi food delivery platform Jahez has partnered with noon to integrate their services and enhance delivery speed, convenience, and product choice across the Kingdom. 

The collaboration enables users to access noon Minutes through the Jahez app, offering a broad selection of products delivered via noon’s dark store infrastructure, while Jahez’s food delivery services will also be embedded within the noon platform. 

According to both companies, the integration aims to boost customer engagement, drive repeat orders, and strengthen loyalty, positioning the partnership as one of the most extensive digital commerce ecosystems in the region. 

AI startup rmz.ai secures $100k pre-seed

Saudi generative AI startup rmz.ai has closed a $100,000 pre-seed funding round led by Beyond.xyz, a local virtual production studio. 

Founded in 2025, rmz.ai develops intelligent tools for managing image, audio, and video workflows through a unified interface aimed at content creators. 

The capital will support the development of the company’s “Creative Agents,” AI-powered assistants designed to simplify content production processes and enhance creative output quality. 

Logexa raises $2m 

Logistics platform Logexa has completed a $2 million pre-series A funding round led by SEEDRA Ventures, with participation from Nour Nouf Ventures and angel investors. 

Established in 2021 by Hussam Sindi and Hussam Spano, the company optimizes underutilized warehousing and transport infrastructure across ����ֱ��. 

The funds will be used to expand operations, upgrade the digital platform, and launch a marketplace focused on shared logistics and storage services. 

PIF and Aramco move to combine AI assets under Humain

The Public Investment Fund and Aramco have signed a non-binding term sheet to combine their AI assets under Humain, a PIF-owned entity launched in May. 

Under the agreement, Aramco will acquire a significant minority stake in Humain, while PIF retains majority ownership. 

The strategic collaboration includes transferring AI assets, talent, and capabilities to accelerate Humain’s growth and international reach. 

Humain is focused on building full-stack AI capabilities across data centers, cloud infrastructure, advanced models — including the Arabic large language model ALLAM — and AI solutions. The deal remains subject to regulatory approvals and final agreements. 

Tabby reaches $4.5bn valuation

Fintech company Tabby has completed a secondary share sale involving existing shareholders, attracting investors such as HSG and Boyu Capital. 

The transaction, which did not involve the issuance of new shares or proceeds to the company, values Tabby at $4.5 billion. 

The deal reflects continued investor confidence in Tabby’s growth trajectory and market positioning in the region’s buy now, pay later sector. 

BRKZ secures $30m in growth debt

Saudi construction technology firm BRKZ has secured up to $30 million in growth debt from Stride Ventures to support its expansion. 

Founded in 2023 by Ibrahim Manna, BRKZ provides a B2B platform for contractors and factories to access building materials and flexible financing options. 

The funding will accelerate the development of AI-powered procurement tools, cloud manufacturing models, and global supplier networks. BRKZ, which completed a $17 million series A extension earlier this year, is part of the Saudi Unicorns Program. 

Najeeb.ai raises pre-seed round to scale AI insurance tools 

Insurtech startup Najeeb.ai has raised an undisclosed pre-seed round from regional angel investors. 

Established in 2023 by Ahmed Yasmina and Hammam Homsi, the company integrates artificial intelligence with insurance services to drive transparency and operational efficiency. 

Proceeds from the round will support the development of AI-powered products, deepen insurer and healthcare integrations, and prepare the company for regional market entry. 

Squadio raises $3m 

Human resources tech company Squadio has secured $3 million in a pre-Series A round backed by Wa’ed Ventures, 500 Sanabil MENA, and Nour Nouf Ventures, as well as SEEDRA Ventures, and NTDP. 

Founded in 2019 by Khaled Senawy, the platform connects companies with global, remote-first tech talent. 

The investment will be used to improve Squadio’s AI-matching engine, grow its presence in MENA, Africa, and Silicon Valley, and expand its partner network. The company previously closed its seed round with SEEDRA Ventures in 2022. 

MidLyr raises $2.5m

US-based fintech MidLyr has raised $2.5 million in pre-seed funding led by Silicon Badia, with participation from Wedbush Ventures, Hustle Fund, DCG, and Story Ventures. 

Founded in 2025 by Wael El-Sahhar and Ruochen Ren, MidLyr helps banks transform regulatory text into AI-driven workflows for risk, compliance, and marketing functions. 

The new funds will drive product development, expand bank partnerships, and scale hiring in the US and Middle East, leveraging the region’s engineering and data science talent. 

HALA Capital debuts as CMA-licensed private capital firm 

HALA Capital, formerly HALA Ventures, has launched as a licensed private capital firm under the Capital Market Authority, marking its transition from venture capital to a broader asset management strategy. The firm now covers venture capital, private equity, and private credit. 

Founded in 2018 by Ali Abussaud and Hussain Al-Marhoon, HALA Capital aims to support innovation, scale enterprises, and deliver long-term impact across the Saudi and regional investment landscape. 

The firm emphasizes agility and ecosystem development as central to its investment approach. 

Velents.ai raises $1.5m and launches Arabic AI employee 

HRtech startup Velents.ai has raised $1.5 million in a round backed by angel investors, including former executives from Google and BCG. 

The company also launched Agent.sa, described as the first fully Arabic-speaking AI employee for businesses in the Middle East. 

Founded in 2020 by Mohamed Gaber and Abdulaziz Al-Muhaydib, Velents began in recruitment automation and now serves clients in both Egypt and ����ֱ��. 

The capital will support expansion of the company’s AI infrastructure and adoption ahead of a larger funding round planned for early 2026. 

KarmSolar enters Cyprus with $5.78m solar project 

Egypt-based renewable energy provider KarmSolar has launched its first international expansion through the establishment of KarmCyprus, marking its entry into the Cypriot solar energy market. 

The move includes the development of a 7.6-megawatt solar PV plant in Monagroulli, southern Cyprus, backed by €5 million ($5.78 million) in project financing from Eurobank. Operations are slated to commence by September 2026. 

Founded in 2011 by Ahmed Zahran, Xavier Auclair, Yumna Madi, and Randa Fahmy, KarmSolar supplies renewable energy across multiple sectors in Egypt.

The company invested €2 million to establish KarmCyprus and raised an additional €8 million from Egyptian and international investors. 

The expansion follows KarmSolar’s vertically integrated model encompassing power generation, distribution, storage, and e-mobility, positioning the firm as a credible player in the Mediterranean clean energy sector.

RIYADH: The acacia tree is of significant importance to both the environment and culture in ����ֱ��. It provides shelter for migratory birds and protects travelers and Bedouins in the Arabian Peninsula’s hot desert.

Among the many environmental benefits of the acacia tree is its ability to prevent desertification; its roots improve soil fertility; it provides shade and lower temperatures; it stores carbon and reduces carbon dioxide levels; and it stabilizes dunes in desert areas.

An invasive beetle — scientific name Agrilus planipennis fairmaire — has been attacking trees for years, killing many of them in the Kingdom, including perennial trees.

Oubaid Alouni, an environmental consultant and former consultant at the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, explained the role of the acacia tree in the ecosystem and how the pest threatens its existence.

He outlined the different types of acacia trees in ����ֱ��.

“The acacia tree grows naturally in the desert. It is a desert umbrella tree and is divided into two types; the Iraqi acacia and the Najdi acacia, and reaches around 55 types in total,” Alouni said.

There is also another type of acacia tree that grows in Asir, locally known as Al-Kanhbal, scientific name Vachellia origena, that differs from the Najdi acacia, which has long branches and provides ample shade.

While some acacia trees are native to ����ֱ��, others were imported, such as acacia raddiana. They all share a similar trait, providing vital protection from strong sunlight.

“Any hiker, any traveler, who wants to go to the desert must pass by this tree and take shelter under it,” Alouni said, describing how people have always been connected to this species and valued it.

Securing native trees, not only acacia, holds a deeper meaning for the culture and tradition, he said, such as when the Prophet Muhammad used to sit under the Ziziphus spina-christi.

The acacia tree is threatened by the Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire as this species relies on the tree for nutrients.

“This insect reached ����ֱ�� through imported wood, as they found larvae inside wood imported from Russia,” Alouni said.

The pest is a highly destructive wood-boring beetle feeding on the phloem of ash trees. It is also known as the Emerald ash borer, and is native to China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia and Russia.

This bug is typically a small, metallic green beetle, around half an inch (about 1.2 to 1.5 cm in length), and one of its distinguishing features is that when the wing covers are lifted, the upper abdomen is bright red.

Its life cycle involves multiple stages. The first is the egg stage, during which females lay 40-53 eggs.

Then comes the larva, the longest stage of the beetle’s life cycle, lasting almost a year.

“The larva lives inside the tree for one to two years, eating the layer between the bark and the main trunk,” Alouni said.

After that, it goes through a shorter stage, as a pupae, that lasts about 20 days.

Finally, it reaches the adult stage and is known for chewing through the wood and emerging from trees, forming a small, D-shaped exit hole about 3 to 4 mm wide. This stage of its life is usually short, lasting about 20 days.

The pest is now attacking olive trees in the US, Alouni said.

“In Ohio, I believe, it has begun to invade olive trees terrifyingly. This insect is very dangerous.”

Among the factors that enabled this insect population to increase nationwide is the hunting of birds, especially migratory birds, because they usually feed on insects.

However, the biggest threat to the ecosystem is ignorance, Alouni said, as many people believe the insect is part of the Kingdom’s native environment and that protecting it contributes to a balanced ecosystem.

“There are still people who say, ‘Leave it alone; it’s part of the ecological balance,’ which is, of course, incorrect. This insect is an invasive species in our environment,” he said.

He also believes that pruning trees leaves branches exposed and vulnerable to this insect entering the tree, and that transferring wood from one location to another may provide an opportunity for the larva to expand and increase its numbers.

To address this environmental issue, Alouni told Arab News about the efforts being made to safeguard and protect the Kingdom’s natural treasures, including organizing discussions and workshops to explore the issue and exchange potential solutions among experts.

Also, he believes that a particular bird species, the woodpecker, is one of the most effective ways to reduce the numbers of the beetle.

“It’s called the Arabian woodpecker, yet it only exists in Asir and in small populations, too,” he said.

According to Alouni, the Arabian woodpecker hears the insect inside the tree, hits the branch with its beak and removes it.

One of the strongest methods to contain pests is biological control, which uses other species to help the ecosystem naturally protect and restore its balance.

One animal feeds on another to keep the environment balanced, such as using Orussidae — a parasitic wood wasp — or placing large numbers of chickens and other birds in forests and farms.

“It is called Orussidae in the United States … it kills insects very fast.”

Chemical methods can also be used, but Alouni does not endorse these due to their environmental risks.