This Salla company profile covers the company's valuation, revenue, funding rounds, investors and history. Salla works in e-commerce software, with a focus on online store platform for merchants in Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Every figure links to a public source, and anything the company hasn't disclosed is marked as such.
Revenue
| Metric | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merchants and sales | More than 80,000 active merchants and about US$7 billion of e-commerce sales enabled since founding (company-stated) | March 2024 | Enterprise (Saudi) |
Funding history
| Date | Round | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2024 | Pre-IPO round | US$130M | Not disclosed | Investcorp (lead); Sanabil Investments, STV | Crowdfund Insider |
| 2020 | Series A | US$8.5M | Not disclosed | STV (lead) | Crowdfund Insider |
Salla timeline
Key dates from the sources on this page, oldest first. Metric snapshots are listed after the funding events.
- 2016 — Salla is founded in Mecca by Nawaf Hariri (CEO) and co-founders.
- 2020 — Series A: US$8.5M. Investors: STV (lead).
- Mar 2024 — Pre-IPO round: US$130M. Investors: Investcorp (lead); Sanabil Investments, STV.
- March 2024 — Merchants and sales: More than 80,000 active merchants and about US$7 billion of e-commerce sales enabled since founding (company-stated).
Investors
Overview
Salla is a Saudi e-commerce platform that lets merchants build online stores, manage products, accept payments, arrange shipping and market to customers, all in Arabic and tailored to Saudi Arabia's regulations, payment methods and logistics. It serves everyone from home-based businesses and small shops to established retailers and brands. Salla has become one of the largest e-commerce enablers in the Gulf and a symbol of Saudi Arabia's growing technology sector, and it has been preparing to list on the Saudi stock exchange.
Nawaf Hariri, the CEO, founded Salla in 2016 with co-founders. The company is headquartered in Mecca, an unusual choice for a technology company in a country where most startups cluster in Riyadh, which the founders have presented as part of its identity. It grew rapidly as Saudi consumers moved online, particularly during the pandemic.
Products
- Store builder: Arabic-first online stores with themes, product management and mobile apps.
- Payments: integration with local methods such as mada cards, Apple Pay, STC Pay and buy-now-pay-later providers like Tabby and Tamara.
- Shipping: connections to local carriers with negotiated rates and tracking.
- Marketing tools: discounts, abandoned cart recovery, social media integrations and analytics.
- App store: third-party apps for accounting, customer service and more.
- Enterprise services: features and dedicated support for established retailers and brands.
Business model
Salla earns subscription fees from merchants, with tiers based on features and size, plus revenue from payment processing, shipping services and its app marketplace. As merchants grow their sales, Salla earns more from payments and services. It doesn't publish revenue, so we show it as not disclosed.
Funding
Salla raised early funding from Vision Ventures and Raed Ventures in 2018, then an US$8.5 million Series A led by STV in 2020. In March 2024 it raised a US$130 million pre-IPO round led by Investcorp, with Sanabil Investments, a unit of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, and STV participating. The company didn't disclose a valuation, and Investcorp declined to comment on it, so we show valuation as not disclosed. Some data providers have estimated figures, but none is confirmed. Salla said the money would support growth ahead of its planned listing.
Competition
Salla's closest competitor is Zid, another Saudi e-commerce platform. It also competes with Shopify and other global platforms, with marketplaces such as Amazon.sa and Noon that offer merchants an alternative to running their own stores, and with social commerce through Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp. Its advantages are its Arabic-first product, deep local integrations and large merchant base.
Salla at a glance
Salla is a Mecca-based e-commerce platform founded in 2016 by Nawaf Hariri and co-founders. It helps Saudi merchants build online stores with local payments and shipping. It said it had more than 80,000 active merchants and had enabled about US$7 billion in sales by March 2024, when it raised a US$130 million pre-IPO round led by Investcorp with Sanabil and STV.
Timeline
- 2016: founded in Mecca.
- 2018: raises early funding from Vision Ventures and Raed Ventures.
- 2020: raises an US$8.5 million Series A led by STV as pandemic lockdowns push merchants online.
- March 2024: raises a US$130 million pre-IPO round led by Investcorp.
- 2024 onwards: prepares for a listing on the Saudi exchange.
Saudi Arabia's e-commerce growth
Saudi Arabia has a young, digitally connected population with high smartphone use and strong purchasing power. Vision 2030, the government's economic diversification plan, encourages entrepreneurship, digital payments and a larger private sector. E-commerce has grown rapidly, supported by improvements in logistics, payments and consumer trust. Platforms like Salla make it easy for small businesses, including many run by women from home, to sell online, which aligns with national goals for small business growth and employment.
Saudi tech IPOs
The Saudi stock exchange, Tadawul, has become one of the most active IPO markets in the region, with technology and fintech companies among recent listings. Local listings let Saudi startups tap domestic investors who understand the market, and the government has encouraged companies to list at home. Salla's IPO would be one of the most prominent for a Saudi software company.
Questions for merchants
- Which payment methods and BNPL providers does the platform support?
- What are total costs, including subscription, payments and shipping?
- How well does it support marketing on social channels popular in Saudi Arabia?
Who uses Salla
Salla's merchants include home-based entrepreneurs selling perfumes, abayas, sweets and handicrafts; small shops moving online; and established brands running their main e-commerce operations on the platform. Many merchants previously sold through Instagram or WhatsApp, taking orders by message and collecting payment by bank transfer. Salla gives them a proper store with checkout, payment and shipping, which saves time and makes their businesses look more professional to customers.
Payments and buy now, pay later
Saudi consumers increasingly pay by card and digital wallet, and buy-now-pay-later services have become very popular, with local leaders Tabby and Tamara growing rapidly. Online stores that offer these options often see higher conversion and larger orders. Salla's integrations with local payment providers are therefore a key selling point, and payment processing is an important revenue opportunity as merchants' sales grow.
Valuation context
Because the pre-IPO round's valuation wasn't disclosed, Salla's value will become clear only when it publishes IPO documents. Investors will likely compare it with listed software and e-commerce companies in the region and globally, weighing growth in merchants and sales against profitability.
Risks
- Competition: Zid and global platforms compete for the same merchants.
- Merchant churn: small online stores often close, so retention matters.
- Marketplace pull: Amazon and Noon can attract merchants away from standalone stores.
Building outside Riyadh
Most Saudi startups are based in Riyadh, close to government, investors and corporate customers. Salla's base in Mecca shows that technology companies can grow in other Saudi cities, drawing on local talent and lower costs, a point often highlighted in discussions of regional development under Vision 2030.
Latest developments (October 2026)
We found no new funding round or IPO filing from Salla in 2026. Its March 2024 pre-IPO round of US$130 million, led by Investcorp with Sanabil and STV, remains its latest financing, according to Investcorp. At that time Salla said it served more than 80,000 active merchants. A listing on the Saudi Exchange remains a stated aim rather than a scheduled event. See our largest Middle East startups guide.
What to watch
Watch for an IPO filing and valuation, growth in payments and logistics services, competition with Zid and expansion beyond Saudi Arabia.
Takeaways
Saudi merchants can launch Arabic-first online stores quickly. Founders can see the opportunity in localising e-commerce infrastructure. Investors should wait for IPO documents for a confirmed valuation.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the public sources below. Where sources disagreed, we used the company's own announcement or a primary news report. Private-company data changes; check the date beside each figure.
Frequently asked questions
What does Salla do?
Salla is a e-commerce software / online store platform for merchants in saudi arabia company headquartered in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 2016.
What is Salla's valuation?
Salla has not publicly disclosed a valuation in the sources we track.
How much revenue does Salla make?
Salla is a private company and has not publicly disclosed its revenue. Figures on third-party sites are usually modelled estimates rather than numbers reported by the company.
What was Salla's latest funding round?
The most recent financing we have verified is a pre-ipo round in Mar 2024: US$130M. Source: Crowdfund Insider.
Who are Salla's investors?
Investors named in public announcements include Investcorp, Sanabil Investments, STV, Vision Ventures and Raed Ventures.
Who founded Salla?
Salla was founded in 2016 by Nawaf Hariri (CEO) and co-founders.
Is Salla a public company?
No. Salla is a private company (private, venture backed), so its shares are not traded on a stock exchange and it isn't required to publish its financial results.
Where is Salla headquartered?
Salla is headquartered in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.