UAE

Saudi Arabia

ANALYSIS: What Uber’s $554M Blacklane deal could pay its Gulf backers

Nov 5, 2026

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2 min read

ANALYSIS: What Uber’s $554M Blacklane deal could pay its Gulf backers

We break down what Uber’s acquisition could mean for the Saudi sovereign investor and Emirati family businesses that backed Blacklane, from potential payouts to estimated returns.

Jamie Lane

Results

Uber singles out Middle East dark stores in Delivery Hero takeover

Nov 5, 2026

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2 min read

Uber singles out Middle East dark stores in Delivery Hero takeover

The agreed acquisition would give Uber control of Talabat and HungerStation and their grocery fulfilment networks in a region that generated 59% of Delivery Hero’s first-half adjusted EBITDA.

Jamie Lane

Results

SCOOP: etisalat’s retained Careem stake valued at less than half the level implied by Uber deal

Oct 30, 2026

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4 min read

SCOOP: etisalat’s retained Careem stake valued at less than half the level implied by Uber deal

New accounts reveal a substantial gap between the price Uber paid to take control and the value assigned to etisalat’s remaining stake, alongside further losses at the Everything App.

Jamie Lane

News

Dubai’s BY Venture Partners closes $60M third fund for global AI-native startups

Oct 29, 2026

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2 min read

Dubai’s BY Venture Partners closes $60M third fund for global AI-native startups

Dubai Future District Fund anchors the vehicle, following earlier funds that backed Huspy, NymCard, Toters and Onfido.

Jamie Lane

News

Mubadala Capital’s venture chief Ibrahim Ajami to leave and launch $500M fund

Oct 28, 2026

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1 min read

Mubadala Capital’s venture chief Ibrahim Ajami to leave and launch $500M fund

The head of ventures is expected to leave next year to launch Noha, with backing from Mubadala Capital and a predominantly US investment mandate.

Jamie Lane

News

EXCLUSIVE: VC-backed proptech Silkhaus to wind down UAE short-term rental business

Oct 27, 2026

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3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: VC-backed proptech Silkhaus to wind down UAE short-term rental business

The Dubai-based startup, which raised more than $10 million before securing further funding last year to fuel an expansion to Saudi, reportedly plans to end its operations on November 11.

Jamie Lane

News

ADGM revises VC fund rules with $200M manager cap and new capital requirement

Oct 26, 2026

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2 min read

ADGM revises VC fund rules with $200M manager cap and new capital requirement

The new framework replaces a $100 million cap per fund with a $200 million ceiling across a manager’s funds. Existing venture firms have until March 2027 to comply.

Jamie Lane

Fintech

Ziina secures UAE approvals for merchant payments and international transfers

Oct 26, 2026

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1 min read

Ziina secures UAE approvals for merchant payments and international transfers

The fintech says it processes more than $1.5 billion in annualised payments as it expands beyond its digital wallet into a broader financial platform.

Jamie Lane

Public Markets

Property Finder, Fresha, eyewa backer General Atlantic eyes $10B IPO valuation

Oct 23, 2026

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3 min read

Property Finder, Fresha, eyewa backer General Atlantic eyes $10B IPO valuation

The growth investor has deployed more than $3 billion in the Middle East and secured a $500 million commitment from QIA as it broadens its business beyond private equity.

Jamie Lane

Interview

EXCLUSIVE: Inside Huspy’s playbook for taking on Europe's property market

Oct 21, 2026

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5 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Inside Huspy’s playbook for taking on Europe's property market

Huspy thinks it's cracked the code for expanding across Europe's fragmented property market. Not everyone is pleased. In Spain, the Dubai-born upstart says incumbents have tried to block its rise.

Jamie Lane

Startups

Oct 20, 2026

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1 min read

CapQuest raises $1M pre-seed to help startups manage ownership and employee equity

Oraseya Capital and AMKM Family Office led the round for the Dubai-based company, whose customers span 11 countries.

Jamie Lane

Startups

UAE’s CNTXT AI expands into Silicon Valley with $300M in committed revenue

Oct 20, 2026

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2 min read

UAE’s CNTXT AI expands into Silicon Valley with $300M in committed revenue

The company, which raised $60 million from AI71 and BlueFive Capital in June, is building a US commercial team to sell Arabic voice technology and robotics training data.

Jamie Lane

Startups

Nabta Health adds PVP backing to $3M pre-Series A as it expands into employer healthcare

Oct 19, 2026

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2 min read

Nabta Health adds PVP backing to $3M pre-Series A as it expands into employer healthcare

Phoenix Venture Partners led the second close of the UAE healthcare company’s ongoing $3 million pre-Series A, combining fresh funding with purchases of existing shares.

Jamie Lane

News

Phoenix Venture Partners completes debut fundraise, reports $23M across fund and co-investments

Oct 12, 2026

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1 min read

Phoenix Venture Partners completes debut fundraise, reports $23M across fund and co-investments

The Abu Dhabi manager has seven companies in its first fund and plans to build a portfolio of 15 to 20, with 45% of committed capital still available for investment.

Jamie Lane

News

Dubai's Oraseya Capital doubles venture fund to $272M and broadens global mandate

Oct 11, 2026

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1 min read

Dubai's Oraseya Capital doubles venture fund to $272M and broadens global mandate

The government-backed investor can now commit up to $6 million per company and will target overseas businesses of strategic relevance to the UAE, alongside its early-stage investments.

Jamie Lane

Startups

Abu Dhabi’s Phoenix Venture Partners backs COFE Tech through secondary deal as it prepares for Saudi IPO

Oct 9, 2026

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1 min read

Abu Dhabi’s Phoenix Venture Partners backs COFE Tech through secondary deal as it prepares for Saudi IPO

The purchase preceded COFE’s $43 million pre-IPO round, with PVP founder Steve Khayat joining the board.

Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

Endeavor Catalyst closes oversubscribed $320M fifth fund, its largest yet

Oct 8, 2026

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2 min read

Endeavor Catalyst closes oversubscribed $320M fifth fund, its largest yet

The oversubscribed fund counts Jordan’s ISSF and Careem founders among its backers, with Replit already in the portfolio and total assets under management now above $850 million.

Jamie Lane

Fintech

UAE’s NEOPAY agrees to buy 65% of noon payments to expand into Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Oct 5, 2026

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2 min read

UAE’s NEOPAY agrees to buy 65% of noon payments to expand into Saudi Arabia and Egypt

The deal would transfer control of noon’s payments arm to the Arcapita- and DgPays-backed buyer as the wider e-commerce group pursues its public-market ambitions.

Jamie Lane

Fintech

Open finance, AI agents and the price of being chosen

Sep 30, 2026

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12 min read

Open finance, AI agents and the price of being chosen

The UAE’s open finance payment volumes have nearly quadrupled in three months, with Lean doing almost all the running. Now add AI agents to the mix, and there’s the small matter of who wins the customer, who moves the money, and who gets to take a cut.

Jamie Lane

E-Commerce

Sep 28, 2026

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2 min read

AÏZA parent Amaani raises $5M Series A led by BECO to expand beauty brand across the GCC

The Dubai-based company says its skincare and haircare brand grew net revenue more than ninefold in the first half of 2026, with Saudi retail launches this month and Kuwait and Qatar to follow.

Jamie Lane

Startups

Huspy enters Italy with Integra Finance acquisition, plans $86M investment

Sep 23, 2026

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2 min read

Huspy enters Italy with Integra Finance acquisition, plans $86M investment

The Dubai-founded proptech has acquired Italian credit intermediary Integra Finance as it commits $86 million to building out its mortgage and real estate business in the country.

Jamie Lane

Fintech

OCTA raises $3.5M seed led by MEVP as it expands into AI agents for accounting firms

Sep 17, 2026

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2 min read

OCTA raises $3.5M seed led by MEVP as it expands into AI agents for accounting firms

The round brings OCTA’s total funding to $5.6M, as the startup expands from receivables and payables into AI agents that handle bookkeeping, reconciliations and month-end close.

Jamie Lane

Fintech

Tabby raises $233M Series F at $6.5B valuation as it pushes beyond BNPL

Sep 14, 2026

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2 min read

Tabby raises $233M Series F at $6.5B valuation as it pushes beyond BNPL

The round comes as new Saudi lending licences and a UAE wallet licence expand it into longer-term credit, SME finance and everyday money management.

Jamie Lane

News

UAE leads $3B Boring Company round at $23B valuation as Musk expands tunnel plans beyond Dubai

Sep 11, 2026

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2 min read

UAE leads $3B Boring Company round at $23B valuation as Musk expands tunnel plans beyond Dubai

The funding roughly quadruples the tunnelling company’s valuation since 2022 and comes with plans for more than 150km of additional underground infrastructure across the UAE.

Jamie Lane

SaaS

Keep Converting raises $2M pre-seed led by Nuwa Capital and COTU Ventures

Sep 10, 2026

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2 min read

Keep Converting raises $2M pre-seed led by Nuwa Capital and COTU Ventures

The UAE startup has emerged from stealth with an AI platform that generates and tests personalised product pages for individual ecommerce shoppers, claiming an average 64% conversion-rate lift across early deployments.

Jamie Lane