LinkedIn Ranks Top 10 Startups in KSA, UAE for 2024

LinkedIn has released its annual Top Startups list, featuring the top 10 companies attracting talent in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, respectively. The lists aim to help professionals seeking career opportunities at startups.

Topping the list of Saudi Top Startups is cybersecurity startup Cipher followed by fintech unicorn Tamara. Other startups on the list include convenience apps like delivery app MR MANDOOB, appointment booking app Mawidy, and car rental app SHIFT inc.

E-commerce platforms like Rewaa and AI-powered retail marketplace Soum were ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, indicating the growth of e-commerce platforms in the Kingdom, according to LinkedIn. Procurement app LAWAZEM and talent solutions platform Squadio, ranked eighth and tenth, respectively, indicate a growing market for business solutions providers to facilitate the increasing number of international companies and startups setting up shop in the Kingdom. 

Also on the list is Mozn, a technology firm specializing in advanced analytics and machine learning. 

“This year’s list demonstrates that startups in the Kingdom are continuing to make their presence felt as they break into new industries and contribute to the country’s economic diversification. There is a clear focus on technological and innovative solutions within emerging companies in the country,” said Nabila Rahal, MENA News Editor at LinkedIn.

In the UAE, startups that made the list include property technology (proptech) companies like PrypCo, Stake, and Huspy, highlighting the rise of innovative proptechs. The list also highlights rising interest in startups streamlining finance with startups like the digital communication and commerce ultra-platform Astra Tech, which topped the list of UAE companies, followed by corporate card and expense management solution provider Qashio. Finally, startups like CAFU, which allows people to fill up their car anytime, anywhere, and contactless payment provider Qlub show that startups that prioritize convenience are growing in the UAE.  

Other startups featured in the UAE Top Startups list include the sustainable fashion brand The Giving Movement and the chronic disease management solution provider GluCare.Health.

“This year’s list highlights the startups that are leveraging the UAE’s steady economic expansion and population increase to provide services and platforms that consumers and businesses appreciate,” said Nabila Rahal, MENA News Editor at LinkedIn.

About LinkedIn Top Startups

LinkedIn Top Startups is an annual global ranking conducted by the social media platform for professionals and is based on analyses of billions of interactions made by the platform's members. 

LinkedIn’s Top Startups list is based on metrics across four pillars: employment growth, engagement with the company, job interest, and the attraction of top talent. Employment growth measures an increase in headcount over the surveyed period, with qualifying companies achieving at least 10 percent increase; engagement measures non-employee views and follows of the company's LinkedIn page; job interest counts the rate at which people are viewing and applying to jobs through paid and unpaid postings; and attraction of top talent measures the number of employees recruited by the company from LinkedIn Top Companies. 

To qualify, companies must be independent, privately held, have at least 30 full-time employees, and be headquartered in Saudi Arabia or the UAE. They must also be operational for less than seven years and have shown consistent growth without laying off 10 percent or more of their workforce since July 1, 2023. The list excludes staffing firms, think tanks, venture capital (VC) firms, law firms, management and IT consulting firms, nonprofits and philanthropy, accelerators, and government-owned entities.