Saudi venture capital funding fell 74% year on year to $219 million in H1 2026, from roughly $853 million in H1 2025, across 72 deals, down 41% from 122. Fintech took 67% of dollars ($147 million); the Kingdom held a 34% share of MENA deal count, with early-stage rounds at 83% of all deals.
Deal count fell 41% while dollar volume fell 74%, the average check shrank even faster than the number of deals. Investors aren't just doing less; they're doing smaller, which is the more telling half of this number.
Explore more signals
Kicking the maturities to 2041
NDMC redeemed SR17.1bn ($4.5bn) of 2026–2030 sukuk and issued SR17.2bn maturing to 2041, a liability-management exercise.
The takeaway: A state that manages its maturity curve shows confidence, indicating long-term projects your business might supply.
July's banking profit dips
Saudi banks made SAR 8.52 billion in profit before zakat and tax in July 2026, up 3% from SAR 8.24 billion in July 2025 but down from SAR 10.10 billion in June. Total assets reached SAR 5.187 trillion, up 7.30% year on year, deposits SAR 3.113 trillion, up 8.58%, and private sector credit SAR 3.266 trillion, up 5.64%. The data covers banks listed on the Saudi Exchange and foreign bank branches, from SAMA's monthly bulletin.
Banks are seeing deposits grow faster than loans, so margins are likely to be protected rather than increased. If you are selling to a bank, focus on cost-to-serve and skip the growth angle.
Robotic surgery, performed remotely
Saudi Arabia's Seha Virtual Hospital completed 11 consecutive remote robotic surgeries, including the second remote lobectomy and fifth remote pneumonectomy performed anywhere in the world, with surgeons in Riyadh operating on patients in Hail and other regions.
A surgeon in Riyadh successfully performed surgery on a patient in Hail without either of them needing to travel. This occurred eleven times in a row, proving that distance is no longer an obstacle to effective medical care.
