Mal
About
AI-native Islamic digital financial platform focused on Shariah-compliant retail banking and financial products.
Recent News
UAE Series A rounds halved in 1H as startups struggle to find investors willing to lead - UAE
UAE startups raised USD 895M in 1H 2026 but Series A activity halved as fewer investors were willing to lead rounds, with AI firms taking ~60% of Series A capital and regional funds stepping in to fill gaps.
AI start-up Mal carries Middle East FinTech in H1 with mega-funding round
Abu Dhabi-based AI start-up Mal raised a $230 million mega-round — about 37% of MENA fintech funding in H1 2026 — helping keep regional headline fintech funding robust despite a sharp drop in deal volumes. Other notable rounds included UAE-based Fasset ($51m) and Saudi rounds led by Madfu ($26m) and Stitch ($25m).
Regional conflict drags MENA startup funding down 22%
MENA startup funding fell 22% in H1 2026 to $1.35 billion with deal count down 41%; funding was highly concentrated in a few large rounds (notably CargoX, Mal and CNTXT AI) and early-stage activity slowed markedly.
BlueFive backs Kling AI's $3B round, Amazon Now enters Egypt
Abu Dhabi-based BlueFive co-led a roughly $3B financing for Kling AI as it prepares for a Hong Kong listing; in MENA activity, Noon Academy (Riyadh) acquired Almakhfi and Keyper (UAE) raised $11M Series A while Amazon launched 20-minute delivery in Egypt.