Saudi big data marketing platform raises $2.6m funding

Saudi Tech Invest Com and Vision Ventures led the round with 500 Startups MENA and other angel investors. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 06 April 2021
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Saudi big data marketing platform raises $2.6m funding

JEDDAH: Quantum, a Jeddah-based marketing platform, announced this week it has raised $2.6 million in a seed funding round.

Saudi Tech Invest Com and Vision Ventures led the round with 500 Startups MENA and other angel investors.

Quantum helps brands acquire new customers using digital sampling and data-driven marketing tools to target the right audience for their products, resulting in up to 40 percent increases in return on investment.

The newly raised capital will help to improve Quantum’s platform technology, grow its workforce and expand into the UAE and Egypt.

“We are privileged to have leading investors who understand our business model and back our vision,” said Quantum CEO Omar Malaikah.

“Our strategy is to continuously deepen our capabilities and provide a seamless digital process to create proven product trials that utilize consumer-behavior-analysis. Marketers can take real-time decisions to optimize their campaigns, reduce costs and scale their business to the next level,” Malaikah said.

Currently, the company operates in 12 cities across Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Established in 2018, the company has delivered six million targeted samples for leading local and multinational brands, including Nestle, Pepsi, Mondelez, Kimberly-Clark, Goody, Savola, SADAFCO and Mars.

“Quantum bridges a critical gap in the region by digitizing the offline marketing activities with real-time metrics and numbers. It has never been done before,” said Kais Al-Essa, founding partner and CEO of Vision Ventures.

Al-Essa added: “The value Quantum brings to brands is second to none and we anticipate its abilities will only increase with the use of big data and analytics down the road.”


Saudi POS spending jumps 28% in final week of Jan: SAMA

Updated 06 February 2026
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Saudi POS spending jumps 28% in final week of Jan: SAMA

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale spending climbed sharply in the final week of January, rising nearly 28 percent from the previous week as consumer outlays increased across almost all sectors. 

POS transactions reached SR16 billion ($4.27 billion) in the week ending Jan. 31, up 27.8 percent week on week, according to the Saudi Central Bank. Transaction volumes rose 16.5 percent to 248.8 million, reflecting stronger retail and service activity. 

Spending on jewelry saw the biggest uptick at 55.5 percent to SR613.69 million, followed by laundry services which saw a 44.4 percent increase to SR62.83 million. 

Expenditure on personal care rose 29.1 percent, while outlays on books and stationery increased 5.1 percent. Hotel spending climbed 7.4 percent to SR377.1 million. 

Further gains were recorded across other categories. Spending in pharmacies and medical supplies rose 33.4 percent to SR259.19 million, while medical services increased 13.7 percent to SR515.44 million. 

Food and beverage spending surged 38.6 percent to SR2.6 billion, accounting for the largest share of total POS value. Restaurants and cafes followed with a 20.4 percent increase to SR1.81 billion. Apparel and clothing spending rose 35.4 percent to SR1.33 billion, representing the third-largest share during the week. 

The Kingdom’s key urban centers mirrored the national surge. Riyadh, which accounted for the largest share of total POS spending, saw a 22 percent rise to SR5.44 billion from SR4.46 billion the previous week. The number of transactions in the capital reached 78.6 million, up 13.8 percent week on week. 

In Jeddah, transaction values increased 23.7 percent to SR2.16 billion, while Dammam reported a 22.2 percent rise to SR783.06 million. 

POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provides an indicator of consumer spending trends and the ongoing growth of digital payments in Saudi Arabia.  

The data also highlights the expanding reach of POS infrastructure, extending beyond major retail hubs to smaller cities and service sectors, supporting broader digital inclusion initiatives.  

The growth of digital payment technologies aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, promoting electronic transactions and contributing to the Kingdom’s broader digital economy.