- Saudi Arabia topped the scene with the largest acquisition in Wall Street history, reinforcing its position as a global investment hub in the gaming and technology sectors.
- The UAE showed strong momentum in artificial intelligence, fintech, and agritech investments.
- Egypt, the UK, and India participated with smaller yet strategic deals, particularly in climate and sustainability sectors.
- The total value of announced investments and acquisitions during the week reached about $55.1 billion across 8 major deals.
The first week of October 2025 witnessed significant activity in startup investments and acquisitions across the Middle East and Africa, marked by major deals reflecting sectoral diversity and growing investor confidence in regional markets.
According to the EntArabi Startup Investments and Acquisitions Report for the period September 28 – October 5, 2025, the gaming sector captured the largest share of total investments, followed by recycling technologies.
Saudi Arabia Leads the Investments
Saudi Arabia led with a historic acquisition by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of global gaming company Electronic Arts (EA) for $55 billion, recording the largest leveraged buyout in Wall Street history.
This move further strengthens the Kingdom’s role as a key player in gaming and technology under Vision 2030.
UAE Drives AI Solutions
In the UAE, several funding rounds stood out:
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YAL.ai raised $12 million (Series A) to develop AI-powered digital security solutions.
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UPFRONT closed a $10 million pre-seed round to support SMEs with financial automation and liquidity solutions.
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Aydi secured $7.5 million (Seed) to expand its AI-powered agricultural assistant Orth.
Additionally, the region saw a notable deal as U.S.-based DoorDash acquired UAE’s Deliveroo to strengthen food delivery services across the Gulf.
Egypt Expands in Climate Tech
Egypt maintained its activity in climate technology as Plestka closed a new six-figure investment round to enhance its AI-powered solid waste recycling solutions.
Notable Deals in the UK and India
In the UK, OXCCU raised $28 million (Series B) to expand its production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from waste carbon.
Meanwhile, Climaty AI announced raising $2 million (Early round) to develop the innovative “CliMarTech” concept, combining marketing with sustainability.
Investments and Acquisitions by Country
| Country | Company / Deal | Type | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | PIF acquisition of EA | Acquisition | 55,000 |
| UAE | YAL.ai | Investment (Series A) | 12 |
| UPFRONT | Investment (Pre-Seed) | 10 | |
| Aydi | Investment (Seed) | 7.5 | |
| DoorDash acquisition of Deliveroo | Acquisition | Undisclosed | |
| Egypt | Plestka | Investment (Seed) | ~0.1 |
| UK | OXCCU | Investment (Series B) | 28 |
| Global / India | Climaty AI | Investment (Early) | 2 |
| Total | — | — | ≈ 55,059.6 |
Investments and Acquisitions by Sector
| Sector | Companies / Key Deals | Value (Million USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | EA acquisition (Saudi Arabia) | 55,000 |
| Artificial Intelligence | YAL.ai – Aydi – Climaty AI | 21.5 |
| Fintech | UPFRONT (UAE) | 10 |
| Climate Tech / Recycling | Plestka (Egypt) – OXCCU (UK) | 28.1 |
| Digital Delivery | DoorDash – Deliveroo (UAE, undisclosed) | — |
| Total | — | ≈ 55,059.6 |
| Number of Deals | 8 Deals | — |
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