// STARTUP AUTOPSIES · COUNTRY

Startup Failures in Saudi Arabia

8 startup autopsies from Saudi Arabia. Each includes the exact cause of failure, verified financial data, and the documented failure pattern.

8 autopsies · newest deaths first

Barq

logisticsSaudi Arabia2022

Saudi last-mile delivery startup crushed between legacy giants going digital and VC-backed disruptors.

Slow Death

Lendio MENA

fintechSaudi Arabia2022

Importing a US lending marketplace model to Saudi Arabia without licensing clarity was a fatal mistake.

Regulatory Kill

Erad

insurtechSaudi Arabia2022

Saudi insurtech Erad was strangled by SAMA's licensing limbo before it could scale.

Regulatory Kill

MENA360

saasSaudi Arabia

HR and payroll SaaS for SMEs across the Gulf region

Silent Shutdown

Hala

fintechSaudi Arabia

Saudi SME payment and POS startup raised $6M then sold to network carrier as super-apps absorbed SME payments

Fire Sale

Jawwy

saasSaudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia first digital-native telecom brand quietly absorbed by its parent STC

Slow Death

SaudiFin

fintechSaudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia fintech in a market where STC Pay (9M users) and Al Rajhi Bank covered 70% of banked Saudis before SAMA sandbox approvals were even processed

Slow Death

Taqniyah AI

aiSaudi Arabia

Saudi Arabic NLP startup displaced when Saudi government funded state AI champions

Slow Death

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Startup Failures in Saudi Arabia

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