Rami El Malak

Yesterday, an entrepreneur told me something simple but devastating: “We didn't fail because it was a bad product. We had to shut down because we weren't paid on time.” And the numbers back him up. In the UAE, 58% of B2B invoice value is overdue - and SMEs, already operating on the thinnest margins, feel it most. Cash flow dries up. Energy shifts from building to chasing. Growth stalls before it even begins. This isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a systemic drag on innovation, jobs, and national competitiveness. In the UK, where SMEs face a similar challenge, policymakers have just unveiled the toughest crackdown on late payments in 25 years: - Maximum payment terms of 60 days, reducing to 45 - Audit committees legally required to scrutinize payment practices - Fines worth millions for repeat late-payers - Mandatory interest charges on late payments Why? Because late payments cost the UK economy £11 billion a year and shut down 38 businesses every day. Now imagine the scale of impact in the UAE, where SMEs make up 94% of businesses and over half of non-oil GDP. Yes - invoice factoring, AI-powered receivables, and fintech solutions can help. But at its heart, this is about fairness and trust. When an SME delivers on time, they deserve to be paid on time. It’s time for us to follow suit: - Embed transparency into payment practices - Hold large firms and public entities accountable - Build a culture where “on-time payment” is as sacred as “on-time delivery” Because the real test of how much we value small businesses isn’t in speeches or strategies. It’s in whether we pay them what we owe, when we owe it. #UAE #SME #Payments

٨٣٥

١٨٤ تعليق

📢 Big news at Journify We’ve doubled our valuation, 5x’d our revenue in six months, and expanded across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the broader Gulf. Today we’re proud to welcome Shorooq, Bunat Ventures, and Plug and Play Tech Center as strategic investors as we scale the next generation of AI-powered data infrastructure. This funding is not just a milestone. It is fuel to scale what we’re already seeing in-market: 📈 182% ROAS increase for Jarir Bookstore on Meta 📉 44% drop in CPP for Baytonia on TikTok ⚡ Real, measurable impact by activating first-party data across Meta, TikTok, Snap Inc., Google, and more. As cookies disappear, privacy expectations rise, and AI reshapes how we engage customers, brands need smarter, faster, more ethical ways to grow. That is exactly what we’re building. Grateful to our customers, investors, partners, and team for helping bring this vision to life. 🔗 Full story here: https://lnkd.in/dnKAYy9K #AI #FirstPartyData #Marketing #GCC #Data #Growth

٢٤٤

٣١ تعليق

Over the past five years, the Middle East has established itself as a proven and attractive technology hub. Today, there are 14 unicorns in the region, 9 in Saudi Arabia, and 5 in the UAE. However, in our 2022 STV Insight Report “From Startup to IPO,” we projected around 20 unicorns by now, including 11 in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, when measured by VC deployment as a share of GDP, the region still lags behind global benchmarks, signaling untapped potential. We see a healthy pipeline of high-potential tech ventures ready to scale. What remains missing are more regional-native growth-stage VCs and greater capital allocation to them. The gap identified in our 2023 STV Insight Report, “Mind the Gap,” still persists. https://lnkd.in/dzhhxY3u While mature, late-stage companies such as Tabby can attract global investors, identifying and supporting promising Series B ventures requires local VCs with deep market insight and proximity to founders, those best positioned to elevate the next generation of winners.

٢٠٢

١٥ تعليق

The surge was largely fuelled by a wave of mega-deals from Saudi fintechs, led by Tamara’s $2.4 billion debt facility, Hala’s $157 million Series B, Lendo’s $50 million debt, and Erad’s $33 million debt financing. Saudi Arabia once again topped the regional charts, with 25 startups raising a combined $2.7 billion. Much of this momentum stemmed from Money20/20, the fintech sector’s headline event, where 15 deals were announced.

١٢٤

٥ تعليق

PIF accelerates its AI-driven investment strategy for 2025 impact The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has entered a new phase of high performance and strategic innovation, embedding advanced AI applications, smart automation, and digital capabilities into all its operations — redefining its investment methodology, management style, and ability to create broad economic and social impact. 🔅 With this transformation, PIF is now accelerating its investments, aiming to reshape the future of global investment, anchored on technological intelligence, precision, and agility. 🔅 Key performance milestones in 2024: ▪️ Assets under management reached SAR 3.424 trillion, up from SAR 2.871 trillion in 2023. ▪️ Priority sector investments under the Vision Realization Program totaled SAR 213 billion in 2024, pushing the cumulative figure since inception to over SAR 642 billion. 🔅 Vision 2025 targets: ▪️ Contribute SAR 1.2 trillion cumulatively to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP through PIF and portfolio companies. ▪️ Stimulate an equal SAR 1.2 trillion in cumulative non-government investments. ▪️ Increase local content contribution to 60%. #PublicInvestmentFund #SaudiArabia #Vision2030 #InvestmentStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #SustainableGrowth #GlobalEconomy #EconomicImpact #Innovation #PIF

٣٠٥

٤٥ تعليق

RWA tokenization isn’t theory anymore, it’s happening. And Dubai is where it’s all coming together. Had the pleasure of contributing to a new Forbes article by Irina Heaver on how to launch an RWA project in Dubai in 2025 💬 I shared where capital is actually going in this space — and what serious founders should focus on. Anton Golub shared very practical Founder focused insights. 📘 The guide also covers step-by-step execution, legal structuring, and a full ecosystem map via RWALABS.AE 📍 VARA made it official: RWA tokenization is now a policy priority for Dubai. If you're building in this space, read the article and feel free to reach out. We’re actively backing RWA founders https://lnkd.in/d8rQFXiD

١٤٤

١٨ تعليق