PULSE ·

GCC VC cools 38.6%, InfoWorld flags AI security boundary collapse, $2.2T Gulf tech deals reshape the region

5 items

Funding

GCC startup funding drops 38.6% as mega-rounds dry up

GCC venture capital funding fell sharply in Q2 2025, with YTD deal value dropping to $1.45 billion — a 38.6% decline from $2.36 billion the prior year. Deal count nearly halved from 178 to 97. The absence of any mega-rounds in April 2025 contrasts with G42's $1.5 billion outlier in April 2024, though excluding that deal, 2025 actually shows growth. UAE startups led four of the top five deals. Average deal size climbed to $15 million, signaling more selective but larger bets.

Lucidity Insights Read more →

Security

AI collapses security boundaries between code, pipeline, and runtime

InfoWorld reports that AI is compressing the software development life cycle and blurring the lines between writing, deploying, and operating code — often simultaneously via AI agents. Nine application security startups showcased at RSAC 2026 are racing to fill the resulting gaps, as traditional security control points collapse. Security is shifting further left into requirements, code generation tools, and the AI pipelines themselves.

InfoWorld Read more →

MENA

Trump's Gulf trip unlocks $2.2 trillion in tech and AI chip deals

A four-day presidential trip through Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE delivered $2.2 trillion in tech commitments. Saudi Arabia pledged $600 billion and the UAE committed $1.4 trillion to U.S. partnerships. The U.S. reversed Biden-era AI chip restrictions, clearing the way for 500,000 cutting-edge processors annually to Gulf states. The deals transform oil-rich economies into aspiring AI superpowers with massive data center buildouts planned.

Rest of World Read more →

Security

Middle East cyberattacks to increase in scale and complexity

Positive Technologies analyzed data from 14 MENA countries and warns that rapid digitization of critical infrastructure, combined with geopolitical tensions, will drive cybercrime to increase in scale and complexity. Social engineering, malware, DDoS attacks, and vulnerability exploitation remain top tactics. The report notes most attacks go unreported due to reputational risks, making the true threat level difficult to quantify.

The National Read more →

Funding

Saudi and UAE startups captured 91% of all MENA VC funding

MAGNiTT data confirms Saudi Arabia and the UAE attracted $3.13 billion in venture capital in 2025, accounting for 91% of all MENA funding. The two markets continue to pull away from the rest of the region, with sovereign wealth funds like PIF, Sanabil, and Mubadala increasingly acting as anchor investors. The UAE ranked #1 globally in entrepreneurship for the fifth consecutive year in the GEM 2025/2026 report.

Global Business & Finance Magazine Read more →

← Back to archive