Saudi M&A trends 2025 define a year shaped by rapid consolidation, faster approvals, and a clear shift in how startups approach exits. With IPOs losing momentum after a sharp 70% drop in VC funding to $700 million in 2024, many founders now prefer strategic acquisitions. At the same time, family businesses are buying tech startups to digitize operations and expand under Vision 2030. Mid-market consolidation has become the central theme of the year.
Saudi M&A Trends 2025: Sector Watch on Fintech and Food-Tech
Saudi Arabia attracted $3.5 billion in inbound M&A during H1 2025, showing a strong appetite for tech-driven sectors. Fintech remains dominant, powered by a payments market at $181 billion and expected to hit $298 billion by 2030. With cashless transactions already at 79%, demand for payments, API, and processing companies is accelerating acquisitions.
Food-Tech is equally active. Foodics processed $6 billion GMV in H1 2025 with 33,500 restaurant branches, drawing buyers like Kamco Invest. High-growth platforms in delivery, processing, and restaurant tech are now prime targets for mid-market buyers looking for scalable digital assets.
Read Also: The Rise of Startup Acquisitions in Saudi Arabia’s Tech Ecosystem
Why Family Conglomerates Lead the Wave in the M&A Trends
Traditional family conglomerates are now the biggest buyers in the Saudi M&A trends 2025. Their motivation is simple: digitize operations, enter new markets, and diversify long-term holdings.
Rassanah Capital's moves in logistics and food delivery apps show how families pair capital with operational support. Many are also entering early-stage tech across fintech, agritech, and e-commerce.
Confidence is rising, too. 77% of Saudi executives expect economic growth over the next year, encouraging families to pursue strategic deals rather than wait for market volatility to settle. For startups, this creates strong, stable acquirers who can offer both liquidity and integration support.
Saudi M&A Trends 2025: Faster Deals Through Regulatory Ease
Deal speed is one of the most powerful shifts of the year. The General Authority for Competition approved 202 economic concentration requests in January 2025 alone — a record.
By Q3 2025, filings hit 300, and the average review time dropped to 4.1 days, the fastest pace ever recorded. New Economic Concentration Guidelines expanded control definitions and clarified thresholds, reducing uncertainty for joint ventures, funds, and cross-border transactions.
This efficiency lowers execution risk and enables mid-market deals to close quickly, which is exactly what startups and family offices need.
Read Also: MENA Merger Trends: Saudi Clears Deals in 4.1 Days
A New Exit Strategy Built on Confidence
Together, these forces prove that the M&A trends in the Kingdom are not driven by chance. Instead, they follow a clear pattern. Startups escape risky public listings, family conglomerates fast-track digitization, and regulators clear deals with record-breaking speed. This creates a healthy environment where exits are smoother and capital flows more predictably.
In this fast-changing landscape, companies seeking clarity on Saudi M&A trends 2025 can rely on Eurogroup Consulting. With 40 years of distinguished experience, Saudi Arabia M&A by Eurogroup Consulting delivers strategic support and deep market research across the region. Their team provides the insights needed to navigate Saudi Arabia's evolving business environment, making them the essential partner for success in the Kingdom's dynamic market.
