The equity component was led by Idrisi Ventures, with participation from Suhail Ventures and other strategic investors
Sanabil Studio, the venture-building arm of Sanabil Investments, a company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), recently announced that Nayla Finance, a Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)-licensed fintech providing microfinancing solutions for micro businesses and entrepreneurs, has raised nearly 67mn SAR (US$ 18mn) in equity and debt financing to support its next phase of growth. This has been more than two and a half times the capital secured in its previous round.
The equity component was led by Idrisi Ventures, with participation from Suhail Ventures and other strategic investors, while Blominvest provided a debt facility to support the expansion of Nayla’s lending portfolio.
Founded in 2024 by Shaqran Alyahya and Khalid Naili in partnership with Sanabil Studio, Nayla is the first venture launched from the Studio to secure external institutional funding.
Opportunity
After identifying and validating this opportunity, Sanabil Studio partnered with Shaqran Alyahya and Khalid Naili to build and launch Nayla, investing in the company at its formation in 2024.
Since its formation, Nayla has progressed from an early-stage venture to a SAMA-licensed finance company. It received its microfinance license in April 2025, one of a fast-growing cohort that has since expanded to 77 licensed finance companies, and has since expanded its operations, culminating in this latest round of institutional financing.
Milestone
“In a short period of time, Shaqran and Khalid have transformed an idea into a licensed financial institution serving an underserved segment of the Saudi economy. Nayla is the first venture from Sanabil Studio to reach this milestone, and we believe it marks the beginning of many more ventures creating meaningful impact across the Kingdom,’’ according to a spokesperson, Sanabil Studio.
“The successful closing of the Pre-Series A round is an important milestone for Nayla and reflects the progress our team has made since launch,” commented Shaqran Alyahya, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Nayla.
