VC, PE investments see strong growth: Sadu Capital CEO

Qusai Alsaif, CEO of Sadu Capital and Chairman of the Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA), said that the venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) sectors in Saudi Arabia and the region witnessed significant growth in recent years, maintaining stable performance even during periods of economic uncertainty.

Speaking to Argaam on the sidelines of the 2025 Private Capital Forum, Alsaif noted that the sector in the Kingdom performed strongly during the first half of this year. He expects total VC investments to range between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion by year-end, driven by the growing number of local and foreign investors as well as the active participation of family offices and strategic investors.
 

He added that Saudi Arabia has recently seen several IPOs and listings of both tech and non-tech companies on the Tadawul and Nomu markets, reflecting the maturity of the VC and PE ecosystem in the Kingdom.
 

Alsaif explained that Sadu Capital focuses on early-stage investments, with greater emphasis on sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, edtech, healthtech, and logistics, given their scale and rapid growth in local and regional markets.
 

He noted that the coming period will see increasing focus on AI and insurtech sectors.
 

Among Sadu Capital’s portfolio companies is Rewaa, a leading point-of-sale solutions provider in Saudi Arabia, along with several other promising firms.
 

Alsaif emphasized that the VC and PE sectors form the foundation for the growth of major private-sector players, expecting the industry’s size to expand fivefold by 2030, supported by strong government initiatives to enhance the regulatory framework and offer financial and tax incentives.
 

He pointed out that Saudi Arabia possesses strong fundamentals to grow its VC and PE investments to levels that reflect the true size of its economy.
 

The CEO predicts significant momentum in IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions in the coming years — a trend that underscores the maturity and global appeal of the Saudi investment landscape.