How to find an investor in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have many investors: business owners, family offices, angel investors and funds. Most of them do not look for you. You have to be easy to find, easy to understand and easy to trust. Here is a simple plan.

1. Know which investor you need

Not every investor fits every project:

• A business owner who knows your sector can bring money and customers.
• An angel investor puts in smaller amounts at an early stage.
• A family office usually looks for stable businesses that already earn money.
• A fund looks for fast growth and larger amounts.

Write down which one you need before you start. It saves months.

2. Prepare one clear page

Before you contact anyone, be able to say in a few lines: what you do, who pays you, what you have achieved so far, how much you need and what the money is for. If it does not fit on one page, it is not clear yet.

3. Be where investors look

Investors in the region meet projects in a few places:

• people they already know and trust,
• business events and chambers of commerce,
• programmes for startups and small companies,
• online platforms where projects are listed.

On Sharksme you can add a post in the Investors category with "Looking for" and your country. Investors who are "Offering" can find you there, and you can see who is offering in Saudi Arabia or the UAE.

4. Write your post to be answered

• A title that says what the project is and where: "Restaurant chain in Riyadh looking for an investor".
• The amount and the currency.
• What is real today: customers, sales, licences.
• What the investor gets: a share, a share of profit, or repayment.

5. Check before you trust

Ask who the investor is, what they have invested in before, and how they decide. Never pay a fee to be "introduced" to an investor you have not checked. Sign agreements only after you understand them, with advice from a lawyer if needed.

6. Follow up

Most answers come after the second or third message, not the first. Keep your messages short, polite and with something new each time: a new customer, a new number, a step forward.

Ready to start? Add your post on Sharksme and tell investors what you are building.

This article is general information. It is not financial or legal advice.