logo
Riyad Capital leads SAR 1bln investment round in Ninja, the Kingdom's leading Q-commerce platform

Riyad Capital leads SAR 1bln investment round in Ninja, the Kingdom's leading Q-commerce platform

Zawya07-07-2025
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Riyad Capital, a leading investment manager, today announced it has led an SAR 1 billion investment round through the Riyad Pre-IPO Opportunities Fund for Ninja, the fastest-growing Q-Commerce platform in Saudi Arabia.
Founded in 2022, Ninja has achieved record-breaking growth rates and gained significant market leadership in Saudi Arabia's retail sector in a short span. This has been driven by a differentiated business model, exceptional operational efficiency, and growing profitability that surpasses comparable players in the market.
Through its digital platform, Ninja offers an integrated shopping experience across multiple consumer segments, including groceries, household goods, personal care, digital pharmacy, and restaurants. The company achieved operational profitability within a short timeframe and has seen accelerated growth in its customer base and order volumes, positioning it as a game-changer in the consumer retail market.
Mohammed Alarifi, Managing Director of Private Equity and Venture Capital at Riyad Capital, said: 'Ninja embodies the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that define Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem. In a short span since its establishment, the company reimagined the digital consumer experience and secured a leading position in the Kingdom's retail market, while also delivering exceptional profitability.'
The funding will support Ninja's expansion into key cities across Saudi Arabia, enhance its technology infrastructure, strengthen its logistics capabilities, and enable entry into new consumer segments such as digital pharmacies.
This investment reaffirms Riyad Capital's long-standing leadership in the Kingdom's technology sector since 2016 through its private equity and venture capital platform, which manages over SAR 2 billion in assets. Its portfolio includes companies such as Foodics, Unifonic, and Sure Global Tech, with exits exceeding SAR 150 million to date.
About Riyad Capital
Riyad Capital is a leading fully-fledged investment manager and the largest custodian in Saudi Arabia. Through its four business lines – asset and wealth management, brokerage, corporate investment banking, and securities services – the company offers end-to-end investment management solutions. Within the PE/VC sector, Riyad Capital is recognized as a pioneer having launched Saudi Arabia's first venture capital vehicle – Riyad Taqnia Fund – in 2016. The firm has since invested and exited several technology startups, including Foodics, Sure Global Tech, Truckker and Unifonic, generating more than $150 million in exit proceeds to date. As of March 2025, Riyad Capital managed over $26 billion in assets under management and more than US$ 218 billion in assets under custody. The company was recognized among the Middle East's top 5 asset managers for 2024 and 2025 by Forbes Middle East and received the Saudi Capital Market Award for Custodian of the Year 2024.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

ADX admits Hub71 start-up Thndr as first remote retail trading member
ADX admits Hub71 start-up Thndr as first remote retail trading member

The National

time20 minutes ago

  • The National

ADX admits Hub71 start-up Thndr as first remote retail trading member

Egyptian start-up Thndr, a member of Abu Dhabi's Hub71, has joined the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange as the bourse's first remote retail trading member, allowing its users to invest directly into the UAE stock market. The addition of Cairo-based Thndr, a digital investment platform with more than four million users, will boost the ADX's standing as a preferred destination for investments, the exchange said in a statement on Thursday. Thndr, which set up base in the UAE capital through the Hub71 start-up platform, is regulated by Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority. The company, which serves markets in the UAE, Egypt and the US, will provide its users with investment access to asset classes including stocks, gold, mutual funds and savings products, the ADX said. The move is aimed at "creating tangible trading bridges across the region's capital market", Abdulla Alnuaimi, group chief executive of ADX, said in the statement. "We are setting a benchmark for digital innovation and cross-border collaboration in financial services as we continue to be a key driver in Abu Dhabi's transition to a knowledge and investment-led economy." The ADX, with a market capitalisation of more than Dh3.15 trillion ($857.6 billion) as of Thursday, is the second largest exchange in the Arab world after Saudi Arabia's Tadawul. It was ranked as the seventh largest in the world for emerging market bourses in 2024. The exchange has recorded a surge in initial public offerings in recent years, driven by robust investor demand for new issues, as well as economic growth in the UAE. The arrival of Thndr on the ADX would also open the "doors to exposure within Mena [the Middle East and North Africa region] through Tabadul as well as beyond Mena", said Ahmad Hammouda, co-founder and chief executive of Thndr, referring to the ADX's digital exchange centre, which is the first of its kind in the region. Thndr, founded in 2020, is also growing its workforce, with job postings on its Hub71 page. The company has raised $37 million in funding, data from start-up tracker Crunchbase shows.

Investing in gold can take various formats as safe haven appeal continues
Investing in gold can take various formats as safe haven appeal continues

Khaleej Times

time20 minutes ago

  • Khaleej Times

Investing in gold can take various formats as safe haven appeal continues

In case you missed it, the price of gold hit an all-time high a few months ago when it reached $3,500 an ounce. Prices have climbed almost 30 per cent within the last 12 months amid a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Gold is traditionally seen as a 'safe haven' so in times of uncertainty, people invest in it. While it may have since dropped from its all-time high, it is trading within a range of around $3,300 to $3,400 as investors remain cautious. Physical gold There are multiple ways of investing in the precious metal. Some people like to hold physical gold but of course this comes with security risks, or costs involved in paying a company to store it securely for you. Mirza Zuhaib Baig is the founder of Just Gold, a Shariah-compliant digital gold platform. He said that last year, everyday investors purchased about 1,186 tonnes of gold bars and coins, worth roughly $91 billion. 'That is more metal than China, the world's top producer, mines in a whole year. So plenty of households still keep physical gold, whether at home or in a safe-deposit box.' And what about gold jewellery? Some see that as a good proxy for investing in gold. Jewellery is the largest segment of demand (1,877 tonnes in 2024, 44 per cent of total demand). 'Yes and no,' says Toby Young, a digital assets strategist. 'Yes, because it has more than one use — a store of value and also something you can wear or use, and no because why would you have a piece of jewellery made which would incur extra costs and charges, and may not be to everyone's taste?' Funds For those looking to invest in gold without buying it physically, there are funds that buy gold but let you invest in them via shares. One popular type are exchange traded funds (ETFs) which have lower costs than traditional mutual funds. The biggest gold ETF is called SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) which owns real gold bars that sit in HSBC's high-security vault in London. The fund posts a daily list of every bar's serial number, weight, and refiner so anyone can see the metal backing their shares. There are also Shariah-approved physical-gold ETFs such as Albilad Gold ETF or TradePlus Shariah Gold Tracker. Gold miners Another way to gain exposure is by investing in companies that mine gold, which include Newmont Corporation and Barrick Gold. Rather than invest directly in a mining company, there are funds and ETFs available that invest in a basket of mining stocks. For example, VanEck Gold Miners ETF is a fund that invests in major gold miners. It also has a fund of smaller gold miners but this comes with added risk. Be aware that it's expensive and complex to mine gold and companies face huge energy and labour costs. Digital gold One exciting development is digital gold, which refers to buying small fractions of physical gold online, usually via apps or online exchanges. Legitimate digital gold platforms will back every unit you buy with physical gold held in a vault. Always check if the platform is regulated and audited, and where the gold is stored. Just Gold's app lets anyone start with Dh10 and own fractional gold stored in a local vault. 'Lower entry tickets and no storage worries make fractional digital gold attractive, especially to younger, mobile-first investors,' says Mirza Zuhaib Baig. Other platforms include SafeGold and BullionVault. Tokenised While digital gold exists online, tokenised gold goes one step further and puts your units on the blockchain in the form of tokens. Many 'real world assets' are being tokenized like property, jets and even racehorses. Gold is now part of this growing list. 'It enables fractional ownership, which can come at a lower price than an ounce, or kg of gold. Some platforms offer fractions of a gram. It is definitely a world that is expanding at the moment, and allows for wider ownership too,' adds Young. The value of gold-backed tokens such as Tether Gold is growing rapidly. Each token can be split into milligrams, so investors can start with the cost of a coffee instead of buying a 1-ounce coin. 'Younger savers who are comfortable with crypto wallets prefer tapping 'Buy 0.05 g' on a phone to visiting a bullion dealer,' adds Baig. Future moves With global trade uncertainty, a weakening dollar, and sticky inflation, gold continues to attract investors seeking stability. Many central banks are also hoarding gold to diversify their reserves. Gold remains a protection against inflation and serves as a portfolio diversifier. But what about price predictions? JP Morgan predicts $3,675 by the end of the year, but crossing $4,000 next year. While Goldman Sachs has a $3,700 price target by the end of 2025. Scott E. Campbell, director at Global Investment Opportunities, says: 'There is a strong case that gold will rise to $3,700 a troy ounce by the end of 2025 as central banks buy many tonnes of the precious metal every month. My opinion is that still more growth to be had over the next 12-24 months.'

Emerge, Emirates Development Bank to collaborate on developing, financing solar projects in UAE
Emerge, Emirates Development Bank to collaborate on developing, financing solar projects in UAE

Zawya

timean hour ago

  • Zawya

Emerge, Emirates Development Bank to collaborate on developing, financing solar projects in UAE

Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and the EDF Group, and Emirates Development Bank (EDB), have signed an agreement to explore areas of collaboration in developing and financing distributed solar projects in the UAE. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, Emerge will identify and present potential financing opportunities for renewable energy projects, which EBD will evaluate and explore possible tailored financing solutions. Ahmed Mohamed Al Naqbi, CEO, Emirates Development Bank, said: 'Clean energy is one of the UAE's biggest industrial enablers, and solar offers a clear opportunity for manufacturers, logistics operators, and SMEs to lower costs, improve resilience, and stay globally competitive. Through this partnership with Emerge, we're focusing on practical solutions that combine technical capability with the kind of smart, flexible financing that accelerates execution. It's an exciting model that supports the UAE's energy transition while strengthening the foundations of industrial growth.' Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO, Masdar, said: 'Emerge and EDB share a common commitment to supporting the UAE's energy transformation, and to helping companies in the commercial and industrial sector to achieve their own clean energy objectives. Emerge's flexible and client-centric approach enables companies to focus on their core business while reducing operational costs and this partnership with EDB will help provide access to the financing needed to deliver on their sustainability goals. We look forward to working more closely with EDB on unlocking clean energy opportunities for UAE companies.' Luc Koechlin, CEO Middle East, EDF Group, said: 'The MoU between Emerge and EDB reflects the shared ambition to strengthening collaboration on infrastructure that supports the C&I business of tomorrow. By combining Emerge's expertise in delivering innovative solutions with EDB's financial support, we aim to enable and expand impactful clean energy projects—contributing not only to the nation's sustainability objectives but also to the resilience and efficiency.' Through its tailored financing solutions and strategic support, EDB continues to drive innovation, foster business growth, and support the UAE's journey toward achieving its Net Zero ambitions. As the nation moves towards a sustainable energy future, EDB remains committed to empowering businesses and entrepreneurs, ensuring the long-term success of the UAE's renewable energy sector.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store