In July 2025, the startup ecosystem in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) achieved significant milestones. During the month, 57 startups raised a total of $783 million, marking a 1,411% increase compared to the previous month and more than double the total from July last year. This surge was largely driven by major funding rounds for Ninja and XPANCEO. Ninja, a trading platform based in Saudi Arabia, achieved unicorn status with a $250 million investment round, while XPANCEO, a UAE-based startup working on smart contact lenses, also reached unicorn status with a $250 million investment.
These two rounds accounted for 56% of all investments in July.
Saudi Arabia retained its position as the leading country in terms of funding, with 16 startups raising $396.5 million. The United Arab Emirates followed with 22 startups securing $359 million. Iraq raised $15 million, Morocco $7.5 million, and Egypt managed to attract only $4 million across seven startups.
Among sectors, the largest investment went to deeptech, attracting $250.3 million. E-commerce also showed strong growth, raising $250 million. Startups in the SaaS (Software as a Service) sector secured $89 million, while fintech startups obtained $61 million. Overall, the majority of these investments were equity-based, with debt financing accounting for only 2%.
These figures demonstrate that the MENA startup ecosystem is growing rapidly. Investors are increasingly interested in consumer-focused startups. Large investments and early-stage support clearly highlight the region’s long-term growth potential. This trend also indicates expanding opportunities in deeptech, artificial intelligence, logistics, and energy, a growing pool of young talent, and a favorable environment for startup development in the region.
