Between August 23 and 30, 2025, the startup ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa witnessed a hot streak of deals.
The latest weekly report from “entArabi” tracked startup investments and acquisitions across the region, with total announced deals reaching $108.7 million.
The figures reaffirm the region’s growing appeal to investors, with Saudi Arabia emerging as the key investment hub in gaming, the UAE pushing into frontier technologies, and Egypt boldly stepping into fintech.
Saudi Arabia: The Gaming Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia solidified its position as a central player in the regional market through a series of significant deals:
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Zeta closed a $12 million round to expand its Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) solutions.
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Sheba Joy raised $293K from Merak Capital.
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Spoilz Games attracted a strategic investment (undisclosed value).
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The biggest highlight came with Impact46’s acquisition of Kammelna for $53 million, reinforcing the Kingdom’s dominance in gaming.
UAE: Betting on AI and Digital Assets
The UAE did not just maintain momentum—it strengthened its footprint in emerging technologies:
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Cointel raised $7.4 million in a round led by Avalanche to expand into North America.
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On the global stage, Mubadala invested $35 million in the UK’s Paragraf, acquiring a 12.8% stake in the graphene semiconductor and AI innovator.
Egypt: Bold Entry into FinTech
While the deal value was not disclosed, the launch of Palm’s new investment platform signals Egypt’s ambitions to scale its presence in fintech, one of the region’s fastest-growing sectors.
Investments by Country
| Country | Key Deals | Value (USD M) |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Zeta: 12 – Sheba Joy: 0.293 – Spoilz (Undisclosed) – Kammelna acquisition: 53 | 65.3 |
| UAE | Cointel: 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Egypt | Palm (FinTech) | Undisclosed |
| UK | Mubadala’s investment in Paragraf: 35 | 35 |
| Total Announced | 107.7 + (Undisclosed) |
Investments by Sector
| Sector | Key Deals | Value (USD M) |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | Sheba Joy: 0.293 – Spoilz (Undisclosed) – Kammelna acquisition: 53 | 53.3 + (Undisclosed) |
| FinTech | Palm (Egypt) | Undisclosed |
| AI / Digital Assets | Cointel: 7.4 – Omni Ops & Groq partnership (non-financial) | 7.4 |
| Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) | Zeta (Saudi Arabia) | 12 |
| Semiconductors / Deep Tech | Mubadala’s investment in Paragraf | 35 |
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