Photo: KAFD
The Saudi ICT deals recorded significant activity across venture funding, enterprise partnerships, and public sector governance initiatives this week. Regional entities continued to allocate capital to advanced technologies while regulators established new standards for data and educational integration.
Funding and Investment Highlights
KBW Ventures completed an investment of $20 million in United States-based biotech firm Astromek. The investment aims to accelerate the development of models that predict biological and health changes, as reported by Asharq Al-Awsat.
Key Saudi ICT Deals and Partnerships
Makween, a Saudi travel and tourism platform, entered into a partnership with Claude to build specialized artificial intelligence solutions, according to Okaz.
Meanwhile, Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding with Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. The agreement focuses on workforce training, technical talent development, and institutional knowledge exchange, as announced on X @Huawei__KSA.
Regulatory Updates and Policy Governance
In the fintech sector, BARQ Financial Company secured preliminary approval from the Saudi Central Bank to incorporate financing activities into its operational portfolio, according to Okaz.
Saudi Arabia’s National Center for E-Learning outlined six interconnected phases for integrating AI into education. The structured policy balances technical implementation with core pedagogical goals, as detailed by Al Yaum.
Consumer safety authorities also acted during the week, as the Saudi FDA seized unauthorized websites and social accounts marketing unregistered peptides without licenses, reported Al Yaum.
SDAIA established a unified data classification policy defining tiers to guide digital governance, according to X @SDAIA_SA. In addition, SDAIA and the General Authority for Technical and Vocational Training standardized 10 AI and data programs to align curricula with market needs, via X @SDAIA_SA.
New Platforms and Digital Launches
The Eastern Region Municipality and Makkah Municipality launched the Municipal Innovation Hackathon 2026 with 75,000 SAR in prize funding across five specialized tracks, as covered by Al Yaum.
In digital services, the Direct platform transitioned from a visa service into a broader travel application, reported Okaz. Streaming platform Disney+ rolled out an updated regional interface and released Toy Story 5 in the Saudi dialect, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Furthermore, SDAIA released the Responsible AI Principles Framework, noted on X @SDAIA_SA, while the Aja AI Hackathon began in Hail, as shared by X @McitGovSa.
Samsung introduced a project-based learning initiative across Saudi Arabia, via X @SamsungSaudi. Finally, local cashback application Almotasuq expanded its merchant network to over 1,000 retail and online partners, according to Okaz. Together, these Saudi ICT deals highlight rapid transformation across commerce, learning, and governance.
