Riding The Saudi Boom: Why First Movers In The Kingdom Will Capture Outsized Advantage

Every generation has its breakout markets. Singapore in the 1980s. The UAE in the early 2000s. Saudi Arabia today.

Those who placed their bets early on Singapore built businesses that grew with the state as it reinvented itself. Those who entered Dubai when it was laying the foundations of its economy became the companies that defined the city as a global hub.

Saudi Arabia is now at a similar moment, moving with greater pace, deeper investment, and higher stakes.

The Scale Of The Shift  

Saudi Arabia is expanding at a speed no other ecosystem is matching. In 2025, it was named “Country of the Year” in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index released by global startup research platform StartupBlink after climbing 37 places in 12 months, the steepest jump ever recorded. Also, more than half of venture capital in the MENA in the first half of this year went to Saudi founders.

These are signs of delivery. I have watched companies move from incorporation to revenue inside 90 days. I have seen open banking evolve from regulation to live application program interfaces inside sandboxes that are already in use. What others are imagining, Saudi Arabia is building.

Saudi Arabia is thus not a market to enter. It is a market to shape. That distinction matters.

For founders, the significance is this: you are not competing in an already crowded landscape. You are arriving at a moment when categories are being formed, regulation is still responsive, and consumers are open to establishing new loyalties. That combination does not last forever. It is a window of time when the first operators in the market have the chance to write the rules that everyone else will follow.

Founders who understand this have the chance to do more than sell. They can become part of the cultural and economic fabric of a country that is building with urgency. For those who are bold enough, this is bigger than just market entry. It is legacy building.

How To Act 

Momentum in Saudi Arabia rewards clarity and punishes hesitation. The test for readiness is not a strategy deck. It is operational proof. Investors, regulators, and consumers all ask the same question in different ways: can this founder deliver outcomes at the speed the market is moving?

There are four markers that matter most:

• Can you incorporate and open banking channels inside two weeks? The process is digital and designed for speed. If you are stuck here, you are not ready for what follows.

• Can you reach first revenue in 120 days? The market rewards those who show traction quickly. Waiting a year to monetize is a luxury the Saudi ecosystem will not grant.

• Can you hire Saudi talent and integrate into local platforms early? This is not optional. Consumers, regulators and investors all expect it.

• Can you show evidence of adoption, not just visibility? Vanity metrics do not survive here. Real usage, retained customers, and proven value are the only signals that count.

These are the minimum standards. If you cannot meet them, Saudi Arabia will move past you. The pace is unforgiving, but it is also fair. Those who bring clarity of execution are rewarded visibly. Capital flows to them. Regulators engage with them. Consumers adopt them. The ecosystem has momentum, and it is channeled to the operators who prove they can keep up.

First movers in Saudi Arabia will also scale faster, and they will shape the rules that latecomers must follow. The first fintechs to earn consumer trust are becoming default platforms. The first entertainment companies investing in Saudi content are defining the cultural landscape. The first healthtechs connecting with national systems are establishing standards for an entire sector. These are formative moves in a market that will not wait for the second wave.

The bigger risk here is waiting too long, and allowing others to lock in the advantage.

On The Frontline

Saudi Arabia is the defining market for this generation of entrepreneurs. Infrastructure, capital, government intent, and consumer demand are aligned with unusual force.

I have seen it firsthand: founders setting up, transacting and scaling faster here than in many established ecosystems. The energy in Riyadh today is not abstract. It is in crowded accelerators, in government offices issuing licenses at speed, and in boardrooms where capital commitments are made in weeks, vs quarters.

This is the moment to decide. Saudi Arabia is a market to shape. The entrepreneurs who commit now will write the playbook. The ones who hesitate will read it later.

About The Author

Waseem Afzal is the founder and CEO of FAST Ventures, a technology-driven ecosystem designed to simplify the complex world of marketing. The company brings together artificial intelligence, data, and human creativity to help brands connect with consumers in meaningful, measurable ways.

This article first appeared in a special edition of Inc. Arabia created for Money20/20 Middle East in September 2025. To read the full issue online, click here.