JEDDAH: Personal finance app Wafeer is the only service in Saudi Arabia that automatically tracks user’s spending patterns in a bid to help them stick to budgets.
The fintech company was founded by Salah Al-Bassam, Ahmad Ramadan and Abdulaziz Al-Jasser in 2019.
Each founder brings their own skills to the firm — Al-Bassam is an investment professional, Ramadan specialized in tech, while Al-Jasser is an engineer.
“We believe this was the formula that made Wafeer what it is right now, the broad and diverse experience that each founder brings to the table and of course our value add investors,” Al-Bassam told Arab News.
In March, Wafeer raised an undisclosed amount in a pre-seed funding round led by Nama Ventures, with participation from RAI group, WomenSpark, and several angel investors.
At the time, Nama Venture’s general partner Mohammed Alzubi said: “We first met the Wafeer team in August of 2020. The first thing that stood out for us was how complementary was the skillsets of the team, with real role clarity from the get go.”
Al-Bassam explains that its software automatically updates expenses that are paid through the app, rather than needing manual entry.
“Beyond tracking user’s expenses, Wafeer offers personalized advice using artificial intelligence helping users get notified before overspending and gives them recommendations that help cut spending or create wiggle room,” Al-Bassam said.
He added the Saudi Vision 2030 growth initiative highlights the importance of creating more awareness of spending, savings and investment through its Financial Sector Development Program.
Al-Bassam said: “It is one of the Vision's realization programs. This program has several goals, the most important of which are achieving financial diversity, stability, and promoting the culture of saving.
“Our goal at Wafeer is to play a role in achieving these objectives with the aim of answering this ongoing question that arises at the end of each month: What did I spend my salary on?”
Wafeer has 82,000 active users in its platform, who have notched up almost 1 million transactions.
The startup has partnered up with big companies in the region, such as online marketplace Noon and Saudi fast food app Hungerstation to provide special offers to customers.
Al-Bassam said: “We are proud of our partnerships, we have signed a number of strategic partnerships, most recently with Noon and Hungerstation to provide Wafeer users with exclusive discounts and offers that match their spending behavior.”
Wafeer currently only operates in the Kingdom, but has plans to extend its services to other Middle Eastern and North African countries.
Startup of the Week: Wafeer — helping Saudis spend wisely and save money
https://arab.news/bef67
Startup of the Week: Wafeer — helping Saudis spend wisely and save money
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,709
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Thursday, losing 138.89 points, or 1.28 percent, to close at 10,709.04.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR6.59 billion ($1.75 billion), as 102 of the listed stocks advanced, while 154 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased, down 22.40 points or 1.52 percent, to close at 1,450.58.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 123.85 points, or 0.54 percent, to close at 22,792.98. This came as 30 of the listed stocks advanced, while 40 retreated.
The best-performing stock was Al-Rajhi Co. for Cooperative Insurance with its share price surging by 9.96 percent to SR74.50.
Other top performers included Jazan Development and Investment Co., which saw its share price rise by 9.89 percent to SR8.33, and Gulf Insurance Group, which saw a 7.48 percent increase to SR23.
On the downside, City Cement Co. and Al Gassim Investment Holding Co. saw declines, with their shares dropping by 5.51 percent and 4.22 percent to SR11.50 and SR13.15, respectively.
On the announcement front, Almoosa Health Co. has signed a construction contract with Almajal Alarabi Group valued at SR608.85 million to complete the electrical, mechanical, and architectural finishing works for the new Almoosa Specialized Hospital in AlHofuf City.
The agreement, finalized on Feb. 26, covers all complementary internal and external works based on approved engineering designs to ensure the facility is fully operationally ready upon completion.
According to a Tadawul statement, work on the project will commence immediately, with an expected completion timeline of 16 months.
Almoosa Health intends to finance the development through a combination of its own resources and long-term Shariah-compliant facilities secured from local banks, with the financial impact anticipated to begin following the hospital’s completion and commissioning.
Almoosa’s share price surged by 4.24 percent to reach SR147.50.
