Investor Exodus: Unpacking the Reasons Behind Sudden Withdrawals from Startups

May 5, 2025

Kholoud Hussein 

 

In the dynamic world of startups, securing investment is often seen as a significant milestone. However, the journey doesn't end there. Investors may, at times, decide to withdraw their support, leaving entrepreneurs grappling with the aftermath. Understanding the reasons behind such decisions is crucial for founders aiming to build resilient businesses.

 

1. Market Volatility and Economic Uncertainty

Investors are acutely sensitive to market dynamics. Economic downturns, geopolitical tensions, or shifts in industry trends can prompt investors to reassess their portfolios. For instance, recent market instabilities have led to a cautious approach among venture capitalists, with some pulling back from previously committed investments to mitigate potential losses.

 

2. Liquidity Constraints

An investor's financial situation can change, affecting their ability to fulfill funding commitments. Unexpected personal financial needs or broader economic pressures can lead to liquidity issues, compelling investors to withdraw from investments, even if the startup's performance remains strong.

 

3. Misalignment of Vision and Expectations

A harmonious relationship between founders and investors is built on shared goals and mutual understanding. If discrepancies arise regarding the company's direction, growth strategies, or operational decisions, investors may choose to exit. Such misalignments can stem from differing risk appetites, timelines for returns, or strategic priorities.

 

4. Concerns Over Management and Team Dynamics

Investors invest in people as much as in ideas. A strong, cohesive, and competent team inspires confidence. Conversely, signs of internal conflict, high turnover, or leadership challenges can raise red flags. Investors may perceive such issues as threats to the startup's stability and long-term success, prompting them to reconsider their involvement.

 

5. Lack of Traction and Performance Metrics

Startups are expected to demonstrate progress through key performance indicators (KPIs) such as user growth, revenue milestones, or market penetration. Failure to meet agreed-upon benchmarks or a consistent decline in performance can erode investor confidence. Without tangible evidence of growth and potential for scalability, investors might opt to withdraw their support.

 

6. Overvaluation and Financial Discrepancies

An inflated valuation can be a double-edged sword. While it might attract initial attention, it sets high expectations for performance and returns. If a startup fails to justify its valuation through corresponding growth and profitability, investors may question the financial viability and choose to exit.

 

7. Absence of a Clear Exit Strategy

Investors seek investment returns, typically through exits like acquisitions or public offerings. A startup lacking a well-defined exit plan can appear directionless, making it challenging for investors to envision a profitable conclusion to their involvement. This uncertainty can lead to withdrawal.

 

8. Regulatory and Legal Challenges

Navigating the regulatory landscape is critical for startups, especially those in highly regulated industries. Legal disputes, compliance issues, or potential regulatory changes can introduce risks that deter investors. The prospect of legal entanglements or fines can cause investors to pull out.

 

9. Negative Publicity and Reputation Risks

In the age of information, public perception matters. Scandals, negative press, or social media backlash can tarnish a startup's image, affecting customer trust and, by extension, investor confidence. To protect their own reputations, investors may distance themselves from startups embroiled in controversy.

 

10. Personal Circumstances and Strategic Reprioritization

Sometimes, the reasons are personal. Investors might face changes in their personal lives, health issues, or shifts in their investment strategies that lead them to withdraw from certain ventures. While not reflective of the startup's performance, these factors can still impact funding continuity.

 

Finally, investor withdrawal can be a daunting experience for any startup. However, by understanding the multifaceted reasons behind such decisions, entrepreneurs can proactively address potential concerns, foster transparent communication, and build more resilient relationships with their investors. Anticipating challenges and aligning expectations are key steps toward securing sustained investment and achieving long-term success.

 

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Launching stablecoins in Saudi Arabia: the path to a faster, more open financial future

Noha Gad

 

The global financial ecosystem is undergoing a quiet yet profound transformation, driven by the rise of digital assets. At the forefront of this shift are stablecoins, digital currencies designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to a reserve asset such as the US dollar, gold, or another fiat currency. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, whose prices fluctuate sharply, stablecoins aim to combine the speed and efficiency of digital assets with the reliability of traditional money. 

Stablecoins promise the transparency and borderless nature of blockchain technology while mitigating the wild price swings that have hindered the everyday use of digital currencies. They are becoming a critical infrastructure layer for the new economy, enabling instant settlements, powering decentralized finance applications, and offering a digital haven of stability. Thanks to their potential to streamline payments, reduce transaction costs, and enhance financial inclusion, stablecoins are increasingly used for faster payments, remittances, and cross-border transactions.

 

Regulated rollout in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is taking steady moves toward launching stablecoins under national regulation, signaling a new phase in the Kingdom's digital asset strategy. Recently, Saudi Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing Majed Al-Hogail announced that the government plans to launch stablecoins soon in partnership with the Capital Market (CMA) and the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), affirming that digital currencies could create a faster financial system if they were developed within Saudi values and regulations.

With 79% of retail transactions already cashless, Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to utilize stablecoins as part of its vision to become a global logistics and financial hub. 

Experts believe that the Kingdom’s exploration for regulated, utility-based stablecoins marks a turning point for the region’s digital asset landscape and reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to modernization, consumer protection, and financial stability. They emphasized that stablecoins could advance the Saudi financial ecosystem when embedded in rigorous regulatory frameworks and governed transparently, ultimately enhancing payments, trade, and innovation.

 

Impacts on key sectors

Utilizing regulated stablecoins could have transformative impacts across key sectors in the Kingdom, thanks to their stability, speed, and blockchain efficiency. They could revolutionize the fintech and payments landscape through a foundational shift towards a real-time, programmable, and seamlessly integrated financial infrastructure. The inherent transparency of blockchain transactions, when designed with privacy safeguards, can automate regulatory reporting and anti-money laundering checks, creating a more secure and efficient financial system. Additionally, stablecoins could enable instant, low-cost remittances vital for the Kingdom's large expatriate population, outpacing traditional systems by reducing fees and settlement times.

 

In logistics and e-commerce, stablecoins will play a pivotal role in streamlining cross-border settlements, cutting friction in supply chains, and reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub. By eliminating the settlement delays and interbank fees inherent in current card and transfer systems, consumers will enjoy near-instant checkout, both online and in physical stores, using QR codes or device-to-device transfers. This will eventually create a more dynamic, cash-lite economy where small merchants benefit from immediate settlement, reducing their working capital burdens.

 

Integrating stablecoins into the real estate sector will also facilitate fractional ownership of tokenized assets and attract global capital inflows. In his speech at the World PropTech Summit 2025, Al-Hogail highlighted that stablecoins could expand the SAR 300 billion real estate funds market by enabling transparent, real-time investor access to commercial, residential, and land properties. Additionally, a regulated, Riyal-pegged stablecoin would enable atomic settlements, where payment and asset title transfer occur simultaneously in a single, irreversible transaction. This eliminates the need for lengthy escrow processes, reduces counterparty risk, and significantly cuts the administrative and legal fees associated with property transactions.

 

Furthermore, High-value properties can be divided into digital tokens representing shares, traded on regulated platforms, thereby unlocking immense liquidity in a traditionally illiquid market and opening the sector to a broader base of investors.

 

Launching and integrating regulated stablecoins into major sectors in Saudi Arabia will not merely digitize cash but also deploy a programmable monetary platform that reshapes economic interactions. The transformation across retail, real estate, and finance sectors will be characterized by the near-elimination of settlement risk, a substantial reduction in transaction costs and time, the unlocking of new asset classes and liquidity, and the creation of a more inclusive, transparent, and globally competitive digital economy for the Kingdom.

 

Major challenges 

Regulating stablecoins in Saudi Arabia presents different challenges that entwine technological innovation with core financial and national priorities. These challenges include:

  • Regulatory classification and legal clarity. Determining whether a stablecoin is a payment instrument, a security, a commodity, or a new, unique asset class is pivotal to deciding which regulatory authority, either SAMA, the CMA, or both, has oversight. Creating a seamless, non-overlapping regulatory border for potentially hybrid instruments that blend payment and investment features requires unprecedented inter-agency coordination and potentially new legislative frameworks.
  • Implementing rigorous Shariah-compliance frameworks. Stablecoins must comply with Shariah principles to gain mass acceptance in the Kingdom. Thus, regulators will need to establish clear and standardized guidelines, which may lead to a preference for asset-backed or gold-backed stablecoin models over algorithmic ones.
  •  Operational and technological hurdles. Regulators may face the operational and tech hurdles of cross-border coordination and effective supervision. Domestically, Saudi regulators might need to build new supervisory capacities to monitor 24/7 blockchain-based systems, conduct real-time audits of reserve holdings, and oversee smart contract security to protect consumers from technical failures or hacks.

 

Finally, the emergence of stablecoins represents a pivotal evolution in the architecture of global finance, offering a fusion of blockchain innovation and monetary stability. In Saudi Arabia, the deliberate and regulated integration of this technology is a modern means to advance the strategic ambitions of Vision 2030, ultimately enhancing payments efficiency, revolutionizing capital markets through tokenization, and fortifying the Kingdom’s position as a cross-border trade connection.

The successful navigation of regulatory and technological challenges will eventually determine whether the Kingdom can transform these digital instruments into robust pillars of its future economy.

Founder-Led Sales: A Critical Phase Every Startup Must Master

Ghada Ismail

 

In the early stages of a startup, sales are rarely handled by a dedicated team. Instead, founders are often the first—and sometimes only—salespeople. This approach, known as founder-led sales, plays a critical role in shaping how a startup understands its market, refines its product, and builds early traction.

Founder-led sales refers to a model where the founder is directly responsible for selling the product or service. This typically includes pitching to customers, running demos, negotiating commercial terms, and closing the company’s first deals. While it may appear informal, founder-led sales is a deliberate and necessary phase for most early-stage startups.

 

Why founder-led sales is common in early-stage startups

Startups operate under conditions of uncertainty. Products are still evolving, customer segments are not fully defined, and pricing models are often being tested. In this environment, hiring a sales team too early can lead to misalignment and wasted resources.

Founder-led sales allow startups to:

  • Leverage the founder’s deep understanding of the problem and solution
  • Build trust with early customers who want to engage with decision-makers
  • Adjust messaging and positioning quickly based on live feedback
  • Validate assumptions before scaling commercial efforts

Early customers are not only buying a product. They are buying into a vision, and founders are best positioned to communicate that vision clearly.

 

How founder-led sales support product-market fit

One of the most important outcomes of founder-led sales is learning. Direct conversations with customers help founders understand what truly matters to buyers and where the product delivers the most value.

Through founder-led sales, startups can:

  • Identify recurring pain points and unmet needs
  • Understand why deals are won or lost
  • Test pricing, packaging, and positioning
  • Use customer feedback to shape the product roadmap

This process accelerates the journey toward product-market fit and reduces the risk of building solutions that lack real demand.

 

Where founder-led sales works best

Founder-led sales is especially effective in B2B startups, particularly those serving mid-market or enterprise customers. In these segments, purchasing decisions often involve multiple stakeholders and longer sales cycles, making credibility and trust essential.

It is most effective in:

  • B2B and enterprise-focused startups
  • Products that are new, technical, or complex
  • Markets where relationships and long-term commitment matter

In such cases, founder involvement signals accountability and long-term intent.

 

When founders should transition away from sales

Founder-led sales is not a permanent model. As the startup matures, founders should begin translating their experience into repeatable processes that can be passed on to a dedicated sales team.

A transition becomes viable when:

  • The ideal customer profile is clearly defined
  • Sales messaging is consistent and repeatable
  • Demand follows predictable patterns
  • The founder can train others based on proven insights

 

Wrapping Things Up…

Founder-led sales is not a distraction from building a startup; it is a foundational phase that informs strategy, product development, and future growth. For early-stage startups, particularly in emerging ecosystems, founder-led sales provide the clarity and confidence needed to scale effectively. By staying close to customers early on, founders can build stronger businesses and better sales engines for the long term.

How angel syndicates bridge founders' dreams with investors' gains

Noha Gad

 

In the dynamic world of startups, founders chase breakthroughs amid fierce competition, while investors hunt for the next big opportunity in a sea of pitches. In recent years, we have seen a major shift as investing in startups is no longer limited to venture capital (VC) firms. It increasingly includes individual investors who use technological tools and data to steer capital directly into the startups they care about and believe in. Angel syndicates emerged as a game-changer, pooling resources to fuel innovation and deliver shared rewards.

 

What are angel syndicates?

An angel syndicate is an informal group of individuals and/or angel investors who pool their resources together to invest in startups, normally via a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), a separate company with its own balance sheet that can be established as a trust, a corporation, a limited partnership, or a Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Each member of the group may not qualify as a BA themselves, but together they have access to more opportunities. One or two investors may "lead" the syndicate.

These high-net-worth individuals invest some of their own money into startups, typically in exchange for equity. The total amount invested will probably be lower than funding from a VC firm or a bank; however, founders can receive cash much earlier compared to traditional funding routes or from bigger investors.

In addition to investing in early-stage deals, an angel syndicate allows a startup founder to deal with just one representative of the syndicate, rather than with 10 or 20 individuals.

 

How do angel syndicates work?

At the beginning, the syndicate lead must secure an allocation or a piece of the round. They do this from their source of deal flow, either from inbound interest from a founder or via cold outreach. Once leaders find a deal they deem worthy, they will bring it to the syndicate members to choose to collectively invest in the startup.

A syndicate lead can request more info, such as milestones reached, business model, market size, team, financial data, as well as the term sheet, to determine and regulate the relationship between investors once the investment vehicle has been materialized.

To close the deal, the SPV will be created, which will be the party that will execute the investment in the startup. The important decisions will be made by the leader. The expenses related to the creation of the investment vehicle are usually equally paid by the investors, regardless of the amount invested.

 

Benefits of syndicate investing

  • Better deal access. By forming a syndicate, investors can pool their resources and invest a larger amount in each deal. Syndicating an investment this way is frequently required to gain access to the most competitive opportunities alongside VC firms, since founders may have high minimum investment requirements.
  • Portfolio diversity. Syndicate investing allows angels to build larger portfolios. By investing with an angel syndicate and increasing portfolio size, investors can significantly increase the probability of tripling or quintupling their invested capital across the entire portfolio
  • Shared deal flow and due diligence. Syndicate investing allows angel investors to pool their knowledge, experience, and resources. By leveraging the collective intelligence of the entire angel syndicate, they are able to source more opportunities and carry out more informed due diligence on the startups they review. 
  • Simplicity. The rise of online syndication platforms made it easier for investors to participate in syndicate investing. These platforms provide a central location where investors can connect, identify and evaluate potential investment opportunities, and manage their investments. 

 

How do angel syndicates support startups' businesses?

  • Financial backing: Startups can secure substantial capital infusions by pooling resources from multiple investors, often enabling larger funding rounds than a single angel could offer alone. This supports critical business functions such as product development, team expansion, and market entry strategies.
  • Guidance and mentorship: syndicates deliver invaluable mentorship and strategic guidance from experienced lead investors and syndicate members. Their collective networks open doors to potential customers, partners, and subsequent VC opportunities, accelerating growth and credibility in competitive ecosystems.
  • Reducing administrative burdens: When a lead handles due diligence and negotiations, this will reduce administrative burdens on founders, leading to quicker deal closures and freeing up time for core business activities. 

In summary, angel syndicates revolutionize early-stage investing by offering startups not just essential capital but also mentorship, networks, and streamlined processes that propel business growth amid fierce competition. Investors, in turn, gain access to premium deals, diversified portfolios, and shared due diligence, amplifying their chances for substantial returns without the isolation of solo ventures.

From Concept to Reality: How the API Economy Is Taking Shape Inside Saudi Arabia

Ghada Ismail

 

In the first article, we explored the API Economy as a global shift, but understanding the concept is only the beginning. The real story emerges when we look at how the API Economy takes shape on the ground, inside actual markets.

When a user taps “pay,” links a bank account, or signs into a digital wallet, the experience looks simple. But behind every smooth tap lies a hidden world: API gateways, microservices, integration layers, open-banking rails, and banking-as-a-service components working in perfect coordination. While global conversations highlight Stripe, PayPal, and social media APIs, Saudi Arabia’s reality is driven by a growing network of local firms quietly building the financial infrastructure of the future.

This article maps the local ecosystem, the players powering it, how the architecture works, and why Saudi Arabia’s API economy is becoming a strategic backbone for the region.

 

Why the API Economy Is Accelerating in Saudi Arabia

The foundations of Saudi Arabia’s API ecosystem are being shaped by three intersecting forces:

1. Regulatory clarity and open banking readiness.
Saudi regulators and banks have laid down frameworks that encourage standardized APIs, account-data access, and safe third-party integrations. This clarity reduces friction for both fintechs and API providers.

2. Rapid consumer adoption of digital payments.
With mobile wallets, tap-to-pay, and online banking becoming mainstream, demand for stable, scalable backend infrastructure has never been higher.

3. The need for speed, cost efficiency, and modular development.
Instead of reinventing infrastructure, fintechs can now assemble it — using APIs for payments, identity, compliance, or card issuance. This modularity is what allows Saudi fintechs to launch fast and scale without massive upfront investment.

Together, these factors have created the conditions for a strong local market of API builders, integrators, and specialized fintech-infrastructure companies.

 

Who Is Building Saudi Arabia’s API Infrastructure?

Saudi’s API ecosystem isn’t driven by one type of company — it’s a layered network of infrastructure specialists. Below are the key categories and the local firms shaping each layer.

 

1. Microservices, Cloud & Integration Firms: SkyTech Digital, AusafTech, Tech Polaris

These companies form the technical backbone that many fintechs rely on:

SkyTech Digital

  • Designs microservices architectures and cloud-native applications.
  • Helps businesses migrate from legacy or monolithic systems to modular, API-driven backends.
  • For fintechs, this means faster performance, better scalability, and easier maintenance.

AusafTech

  • Specializes in full-stack API integration — from advisory to testing to long-term maintenance.
  • Connects systems to payment gateways, CRMs, cloud platforms, and messaging services.
  • Plays a crucial role when fintechs need multiple integrations handled reliably.

Tech Polaris

  • Offers API development and integration support for businesses building modular services.
  • Represents the growing demand for API-first engineering firms in the Kingdom.

These firms make fintech architecture possible: without microservices, cloud-native environments, or integration scaffolding, fintech products simply wouldn’t scale.

 

2. Fintech-Facing API Platforms: Open Banking, Payments, Cards & Payouts

Beyond general integration, Saudi fintechs rely on API-first firms that offer ready-made financial infrastructure.

Open banking aggregators (e.g., Lean Technologies, SingleView)

  • Provide account-data APIs, payment initiation, and bank connectivity.
  • Let fintechs fetch transaction data, verify accounts, or build budgeting tools without separate bank integrations.

Banking-as-a-Service & card-issuing platforms (e.g., NymCard)

  • Enable virtual cards, user payouts, financing modules, and program management — all via APIs.
  • Allow fintechs to launch financial services without building rails from scratch.

Payment service providers and merchant platforms (e.g., Geidea)

  • Offer robust payment APIs, checkout solutions, and payment links.
  • Let marketplaces, apps, and online merchants embed payments instantly.

When assembled together, these API components create a “plug-and-play fintech stack” — one that allows startups to focus on the product rather than the plumbing.

 

How These Layers Work Together: A Realistic Saudi Fintech Stack

To understand how this ecosystem behaves in practice, imagine a Saudi fintech launching a digital wallet, BNPL service, or SME-payments tool:

  • Backend architecture: A firm like SkyTech builds the cloud-native, microservices-based foundation.
  • Payment processing: The fintech integrates Geidea’s payment APIs.
  • Cards and payouts: They plug into NymCard’s card-issuing or payout APIs.
  • Bank-account connectivity: Lean Technologies or SingleView enables account linking and open-banking flows.
  • Additional integrations: AusafTech manages CRM, SMS, cloud services, and other connections.

The result?
A fully operational fintech product built in months — not years — thanks to a layered ecosystem of specialized API providers.

This is the API Economy made real.

 

Why Local Firms Matter More Than Ever

While global API giants dominate headlines, Saudi fintechs increasingly depend on regional infrastructure firms — for reasons that are both practical and strategic:

  • Regulatory alignment: Local providers are built for SAMA compliance and Saudi banking rules.
  • Localization: They understand cultural norms, payment behaviors, and Arabic-language user journeys.
  • Speed of integration: Proximity enables faster iteration and customization.
  • Resilience: Relying only on global providers increases risk; a diverse regional stack is more stable.

These companies are not outsourced vendors; they are ecosystem enablers building national infrastructure.

 

Implications for Founders, Investors, and Policymakers

For startups and founders:

  • APIs significantly reduce time-to-market.
  • Modular infrastructure lets teams focus on UX and differentiation.
  • Choosing the right integration partners becomes a strategic decision.

For investors:

  • API providers are long-term infrastructure bets.
  • Their value compounds as the fintech market expands.

For regulators:

  • Clear API standards and sandboxes accelerate innovation.
  • Supporting local API firms strengthens national digital sovereignty.

 

Conclusion: Saudi Arabia’s API Economy Has Entered Its Infrastructure Phase

If the first article explained what the API Economy is, this article explains how it is being built in Saudi Arabia — and by whom.

The Kingdom’s fintech growth is not powered solely by consumer-facing apps, but by the invisible architecture behind them: APIs, microservices, integration frameworks, open-banking rails, card-issuing platforms, and PSP gateways. Companies like SkyTech Digital, AusafTech, Tech Polaris, Geidea, NymCard, Lean Technologies, and SingleView are quietly building the rails that make everything possible.

The real story of Saudi fintech is not just about innovation on the surface.
It’s about the infrastructure underneath — reliable, compliant, modular, and fast-evolving.

And as Saudi Arabia accelerates toward a fully digital economy, those who understand and invest in this infrastructure will be shaping not just apps, but the future of finance across the region.

Vision 2030 in motion: How Saudi tourism is blending technology with environmental care

Noha Gad

 

The tourism sector in Saudi Arabia is witnessing a historic and transformative change, reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a global tourism powerhouse. This strategic shift is a cornerstone of Vision 2030, which targets increasing tourism’s contribution to the national gross domestic product (GDP) from 3% to 10% by 2030, and aims to attract 150 million visitors annually by the end of the decade.

During the first half (H1) of 2025, the total number of inbound tourists in Saudi Arabia reached 14.3 million tourists, with inbound tourism spending estimated at SAR 90.5billion, according to recent figures released by the Ministry of Tourism. Additionally, the tourism hospitality facilities in the Kingdom recorded an overall occupancy rate of over 51% during the third quarter (Q3) of 2025, with Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) standing at SAR  154 in the same quarter. 

Driving this ambition is a dual commitment to sustainability and technological innovation. The Kingdom is not merely expanding its tourism offerings, which span from the pristine Red Sea coast and the ancient Nabatean tombs of AlUla to futuristic megaprojects like NEOM, but is doing so with a foundational pledge to environmental stewardship. 

Also, the Kingdom is at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR), to revolutionize the visitor experience and operational efficiency. From AI-powered personalized itineraries and smart city management to immersive VR previews of heritage sites and AR-enhanced cultural exhibitions, technology is becoming the invisible backbone of Saudi tourism.

 

Green tourism in Saudi Arabia 

Saudi Arabia is putting sustainability at the core of its tourism strategies, particularly through eco-tourism integrated into its latest destination concepts that protect and preserve natural habitats and local wildlife. A range of nature reserves have already been established, including the Harrat al-Harrah Reserve, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve. The National Center for Wildlife works to protect, develop, and resettle ecosystems and biodiversity, in addition to treating risks related to wildlife.

The Kingdom’s national initiatives, like the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) and the National Tourism Strategy (NTS), mandate that growth must be sustainable, regenerative, and aligned with ambitious conservation targets. For instance, the SGI aims to reduce carbon emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030 and increase the percentage of protected land and marine areas to 30% of the Kingdom's total area. Therefore, all tourism giga-projects are required to align with these goals. The 30% protection target is particularly crucial, as many projects, like the Red Sea Project, are located within or adjacent to protected zones, mandating a regenerative approach that enhances the environment.

The NTS targets implementing guidelines for energy, water, and waste management across new and existing destinations, acting as the operational link between the SGI's high-level goals and on-the-ground tourism development.

Giga projects, such as the Red Sea project, NEOM, and Al Ula, are large-scale experiments and benchmarks for building tourism from the ground up on green principles. The Red Sea project, spanning an archipelago of 90 islands scattered along the western coast of Saudi Arabia, targets developing luxury resorts using 100% clean energy, aiming for 100% carbon neutrality. Al Ula region, Saudi Arabia’s historical open-air museum, is expected to be on the global tourist radar, combining heritage with modern sustainable worldviews. This project is expected to contribute to carbon neutrality in the long term. 

All mega- and gig-projects underscore the Saudi government’s efforts to forge a future where tradition, innovation, and sustainability go hand-in-hand. According to the World Tourism Barometer, published by UN Tourism in January 2025, Saudi Arabia was one of the best-performing destinations in the world for 2024, seeing a tourism uplift of over 69% for the full 12-month period compared to 2019.

 

Digital tools driving Saudi Arabia's sustainable tourism

Smart tourism in Saudi Arabia refers to the integration of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and smart city infrastructure, into the travel and tourism experience. It aims to enhance convenience, personalization, and sustainability for both domestic and international visitors.

Building upon its sustainable foundation, Saudi Arabia is strategically deploying advanced technologies to create seamless, personalized, and immersive visitor experiences. These technologies are integral to managing tourism growth efficiently while elevating engagement to world-class standards.

AI serves as the central nervous system of this new tourism ecosystem. Beyond powering personalized recommendations on platforms like the official Visit Saudi portal, AI is crucial for operational sustainability and management. It is used for predictive analytics to optimize energy and water use in large resorts, manage visitor flows to prevent overcrowding at sensitive heritage sites, and provide real-time, multilingual assistance through AI-powered chatbots and virtual concierges. 

For immersion and accessibility, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are transforming how visitors explore Saudi heritage and future destinations. Before travel, VR enables potential tourists to take digital journeys through destinations like the ancient tombs of Hegra in AlUla or the futuristic models of NEOM. Platforms like the Metaverse let visitors explore Saudi landmarks from anywhere, offering a glimpse into the Kingdom’s rich heritage, no matter where they are in the world.

On-site, AR applications enrich the physical experience; for instance, at historical locations, visitors can use their smartphones or AR glasses to see historical recreations superimposed on ruins, receive interactive guided narrations, or access instant translation of inscriptions, bringing millennia of history to life in an engaging, educational format. Interactive museums, such as the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization, turn history into an experience through screens, sound, and smart displays. Historic and cultural sites like AlUla, Diriyah, and Jeddah’s Al-Balad offer AR experiences that let visitors interact with stories from the past.

 

Key smart tourism platforms in Saudi Arabia

The smart tourism ecosystem in Saudi Arabia is supported by several key digital platforms, ranging from official government portals to giga-project-specific applications. These platforms leverage AI, data analytics, and integrated services to enhance the visitor journey from planning to post-trip.

  • ‘Visit Saudi’ portal and application is the official national tourism platform that serves as the primary digital gateway for all international and domestic tourists. It offers AI-driven personalized itinerary planning, destination discovery, event bookings, and integrated visa application links. 
  • Nusuk is the official unified digital platform for pilgrims performing Hajj and Umrah, managed by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. It offers end-to-end journey management, including eVisa, electronic permit issuance, accommodation booking, flight packages, and health services. The platform uses data analytics for crowd management and a seamless spiritual experience.
  • Tawakkalna app. Thanks to its robust identity verification infrastructure, this application is integrated into the tourism and events sector. It provides a secure digital identity, via Absher integration, for fast-track entry at major events, festivals, and tourist attractions, reducing queues and enhancing security.

 

As Vision 2030 continues to unfold, Saudi Arabia’s model offers a forward-looking blueprint for how destinations can grow responsibly. It demonstrates that with clear vision, supportive policy, and strategic investment, tourism can be a force for economic vitality, cultural celebration, and environmental preservation. This transformation in the Saudi tourism sector represents a purposeful integration of environmental stewardship and technological innovation. By establishing a firm green foundation through national initiatives and advancing a sophisticated smart toolbox with artificial intelligence, immersive tech, and data-driven platforms, the Kingdom is not merely expanding its tourism sector; it is redefining its future.