{"id":7235,"date":"2025-12-16T09:31:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T05:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/ithca-omani-saudi-tech-boost\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T13:59:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T09:59:46","slug":"ithca-omani-saudi-tech-boost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/ithca-omani-saudi-tech-boost\/","title":{"rendered":"ITHCA Launches Accelerator and Venture Fund: What This Means for Omani-Saudi Tech Investors and Entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitv3sog-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OMAN OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogh\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Websites For <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Omani Businesses.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogs\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Empower your brand with custom digital solutions designed for high conversion and market dominance.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbl\"><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Responsive designs built for growth<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Fast loading with smart automation<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitv3sogbtn\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Build Your Free Website <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>ITHCA Group, the technology investment division of the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), announced on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the launch of a new accelerator programme and a venture investment initiative to enhance technological collaboration between Oman and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n<p>The first major announcement was the introduction of <strong>\u2018Bawabat\u2019<\/strong>, an accelerator designed to help Omani tech startups enter and expand within the Saudi market. This programme is a joint effort between ITHCA Group, the Omani tech firm al Jabr, and Saudi Arabia\u2019s National Technology Development Programme (NTDP).<\/p>\n<p>Spanning six months, Bawabat aims to connect Omani startups with investors and facilitate their market entry in Saudi Arabia. Startups participating in the programme may receive investment funding of up to USD 100,000 from the OTF SCALE Fund. Beyond financial support, the accelerator provides business development assistance, cross-border networking, and practical guidance on localisation, product testing, and market validation.<\/p>\n<p>Mohammed bin Salem al Wahibi, CEO of al Jabr, described Bawabat as \u201cnot merely a support programme but a practical bridge and integrated pathway that shortens the journey for Omani startups entering the Saudi market in a structured and well-researched manner.\u201d He emphasized that genuine expansion depends on trusted cross-border partnerships, hands-on validation, and investment strategies grounded in market realities.<\/p>\n<p>Ibrahim Nimas, CEO of NTDP, underscored the regional cooperation underpinning this initiative. He stated, \u201cSaudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman, along with other GCC countries, share a clear vision to support technology entrepreneurship and strengthen startup growth across the region.\u201d He added that this collaboration will enable companies from both countries to access new regional markets, connect with investors and partners, and seize growth opportunities within the Gulf&#8217;s technology ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>In a related development, ITHCA Group signed an investment agreement with Vision Ventures, a Saudi-based venture capital fund known for financing early-stage technology startups in the region. The agreement was signed by Eng. Said bin Abdullah al Mandhari, CEO of ITHCA Group, and Qais al Issa, Co-founder and CEO of Vision Ventures.<\/p>\n<p>Al Issa commented, \u201cWe are proud of this partnership with ITHCA Group, which marks a strategic step in supporting Omani technology companies and linking them to the regional investment ecosystem.\u201d He expressed optimism about accelerating growth and securing quality funding and partnership opportunities to create sustainable economic impact.<\/p>\n<p>During the event, ITHCA Group also announced the rebranding of the \u2018Idea Stage\u2019 fund to <strong>\u2018OTF SCALE\u2019<\/strong>. Managed jointly by ITHCA Group and al Jabr, the fund has completed 36 investments since inception, with 11% of portfolio companies obtaining follow-on funding within 15 months.<\/p>\n<p>Maha bint Mohammed al Balushi, Director General of Venture Capital Funds Management at ITHCA Group, explained that the OTF SCALE brand builds on the Oman Technology Fund\u2019s legacy while embracing a forward-looking vision centered on scale and impact. She added that the fund\u2019s mission is to elevate ideas, empower entrepreneurs, and accelerate growth for tangible economic and regional benefits.<\/p>\n<p>OTF SCALE prioritises early-stage investments in high-growth sectors such as artificial intelligence, financial technology, software, and digital services, aligning with the evolving digital economy.<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on the day&#8217;s announcements, Eng. Said bin Abdullah al Mandhari said, \u201cThese initiatives represent a significant advancement in supporting innovation and technology within Oman, opening broader opportunities for entrepreneurs to confidently enter regional markets, especially Saudi Arabia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><style>\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-shimmer{0%,100%{opacity:0.3;transform:scaleX(0.4)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scaleX(1)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-glow{0%,100%{opacity:0.6}50%{opacity:1}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-badge{from{opacity:0;transform:scale(0.8)}to{opacity:1;transform:scale(1)}}\r\n<\/style><style>\r\n.hitl8gakw{container-type:inline-size;width:100%;max-width:970px;margin:0 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitl8gak-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakh\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Your Website <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Should Sell.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gaks\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Custom-built websites with smart automation & AI-powered features.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbl\"><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>SEO-optimized & lightning fast<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Smart features built for your business<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitl8gakct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitl8gakbtn\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Get Free Consultation <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman&#8217;s Market<\/p>\n<p>The launch of the Bawabat accelerator and the OTF SCALE fund&#8217;s expansion signals a <strong>strategic deepening of Omani-Saudi tech collaboration<\/strong>, offering businesses in Oman unparalleled access to the lucrative Saudi market. This creates <strong>significant growth opportunities for tech startups<\/strong> by providing funding, localization support, and investor connections, while also introducing competitive pressures to scale rapidly. Smart investors and entrepreneurs should now <strong>prioritize cross-border partnerships and innovation in high-growth sectors like AI and fintech<\/strong> to leverage emerging regional synergies.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ITHCA Group, Oman Investment Authority\u2019s tech arm, launched &#8216;Bawabat,&#8217; an accelerator for Omani startups to scale in Saudi Arabia. Partnered with al Jabr and Saudi\u2019s NTDP, it offers funding up to $100K, business support, and cross-border growth, boosting GCC tech cooperation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[482],"tags":[3120,3121,3122],"class_list":["post-7235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","tag-omani-technology","tag-saudi-market","tag-startup-accelerator"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3225262.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7237,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7235\/revisions\/7237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}