PIF's Helicopter Co. ordered 8 more H145S under a 120-aircraft framework, expanding EMS alongside a 60+ fleet
The takeaway: air-medical response is scaling, and response-time assumptions just changed for healthcare logistics and insurers
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Barq crosses the billion
Digital payments company barq closed a Series A worth more than $329.5 million, the largest Series A round in Saudi Arabia and one of the largest fintech rounds in the region, lifting its valuation to $1.85 billion and taking it into the unicorn club. Its wallet has passed 10 million users after reaching 7 million in its first year of operation, a year in which it recorded more than 500 million transactions worth SAR 73 billion and issued more than 6.5 million digital payment cards, while SAMA Governor Ayman Al-Sayari, speaking at Money20/20, said the number of fintech companies reached 371 by the end of August 2026, digital payments made up 85% of total payments in the Kingdom at the end of 2025, and cumulative fintech investment passed SAR 30 billion by the end of H1 2026.
A wallet that processed SAR 73 billion in its first year and is now valued at $1.85 billion demonstrates what happens when a payment app stops being the one people try and becomes a trusted platform for storing funds.
AI use in Saudi Arabia doubled
The share of Saudi internet users using AI tools reached 45.2% in 2025, more than double the year before, per the CSTC's Saudi Internet Report, highest among 20–29 year-olds at 55.7%, and higher among women (52.8%) than men (39.4%). Business adoption reached 33.1% (up 20% year on year), led by information and communications at 61.1% and financial services at 52.9%.
Individuals are 12 points ahead of their employers in AI adoption, and 61.1% of information and communications firms are already using it. Sell capabilities now, because the buying committee is already using these tools personally, even where procurement hasn't caught up.
A stadium sponsorship's real price tag
Aramco's World Cup sponsorship is expected to add $26.1 billion to the company's corporate value, about 43% of the $61 billion in total corporate value generated across all tournament sponsors, with brand value up roughly $1.08 billion and 2.3% growth, fourth among official sponsors
A leading oil company has proven its ability to drive brand growth through a football tournament, outpacing gains from its traditional extraction activities. This decisive shift highlights the evolving conversation around value and product, demonstrating that companies must adapt to stay relevant.
