7 Inspiring Tech Founders From Saudi Arabia

Last Updated on November 9, 2023 by Ameer Hamza

Saudi Arabia is quickly becoming one of the most important emerging economies in the world, both in terms of technology and business. Saudi Arabia has an emerging tech sector, with demand for everything tech rapidly increasing in its economy. In general, there have been a lot of tech startups in the past few years, and many of them have done very well. Even among women, research shows that the number of women who are tech entrepreneurs has gone up.

Below are seven exceptional tech founders from Saudi Arabia in no particular order:

7 Inspiring Tech Founders From Saudi Arabia

1. Ahmed AlBader

Ahmed founded Sihatech and now serves as its chief executive officer. As a former advisor for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, he has many years of practical experience in various fields. Sihatech’s goal is to be the go-to company for healthcare IT solutions in the MENA region.

2. Abdulaziz Aljouf

Abdulaziz is a successful Saudi entrepreneur based in Bahrain. He founded and currently leads PayTabs, a payment processing company that has raised over $20 million. PayTabs has evolved into a recognized leader in the payment processing sector.

3. Hatem Kameli

In the past 12 years, Hatem has founded multiple successful tech companies, including the digital consulting firm iCLICK, the artificial intelligence-powered social media analytics and intelligence platform Lucidya, and the rapidly expanding MENA gifting platform Resal. His background includes time spent as a digital business and marketing consultant for airlines, media, banks, and startups, among other markets and industries.

4. Abdulla Elyas

This tech founder started the $1.2 billion transportation network company Careem. Through his career, he has gained over ten years of experience as a manager and consultant for software projects at prestigious international institutions like SAP AG, Mercedes-Benz, and the World Exhibition Expo 2000. The company Abdulla founded, Enwani, was purchased by Careem, and he is now a co-founder there.

5. Ahmad Alzaini

In addition to launching two other IT-focused startups, Ahmad is the co-founder and current CEO of Foodics, a cloud-based point-of-sale technology. Muhammad Ahmad is an electrical engineer with a bachelor’s degree from the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. In 2018, Ahmad was chosen by Endeavor Global as one of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs.

6. Mudassar Sheikha

Together with Magnus Olsson, who also serves as Careem’s Chief Product Architect, Mudassir Sheikha heads the company as the CEO. Mudassir and Magnus first crossed paths while both were employed as consultants at McKinsey; after talking about it, they both agreed that they wanted to create something “big and meaningful.” Careem, which began as a simple ride-sharing app in 2012, has since expanded into a full-fledged platform and super-app that is causing a stir in the entire Middle East.

7. Zain-Alabdin Tawfiq

Sarahah was created by Zain, who also serves as the company’s CEO. His job at Saudi Aramco was to analyze the company’s finances and workforce in preparation for an initial public offering. Zain was a technical consultant at WIPRO before he started at Saudi Aramco. He graduated from the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Mineral with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.