May 2026 | Startup Funding News | MENA – MENA-based live commerce startup Siin has raised $3 million in total funding to accelerate the growth of its interactive shopping platform across the Gulf region.
The funding round was led by VentureSouq and Shift Group, with participation from Plus VC, Oqal, and regional investors including Suhail Al Gossaibi, Mussab Al Hakami, and Abdulla Al Hashmi.
The startup is also backed by regional innovation platforms such as Hub71 and InspireU.
Driving the Rise of Live Commerce in MENA
Siin is focused on building a live shopping ecosystem in the Middle East, where e-commerce adoption is already high but real-time, interactive shopping is still emerging.
The platform combines:
- Live streaming commerce
- Real-time auctions
- Community-driven marketplace interactions
This model reflects a shift toward social commerce, where buying decisions are influenced by engagement, trust, and shared experiences.
Founder Vision: Recreating Social Commerce Digitally
Ahmed Allawi, Co-founder of Siin, said:
“Commerce in MENA was never transactional; it’s social, interactive, and trust-driven. From souqs to majalis, we’re now rebuilding that experience for a digital-first generation. By combining real-time engagement with a secure, community-driven marketplace, Siin is redefining how people connect, discover, and transact across the region.”
Hesham AlSaati added:
“In under a year, we’ve scaled across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman, driving new behaviors in live shopping and social commerce. We’ve facilitated the sale of hundreds of thousands of items, with tens of thousands of hours of live streaming, showing strong engagement and marketplace liquidity.”
Rapid Expansion Across GCC Markets
Founded in 2024 by Ahmed Allawi, Hesham AlSaati, and Khaled Albalooshi, Siin has quickly expanded across key Gulf markets, including:
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Kuwait
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- Oman
The platform has already enabled:
- Hundreds of thousands of product sales
- Tens of thousands of hours of live streaming
Investor Perspective: Localising a Global Trend
Suneel Gokhale, General Partner at VentureSouq, said:
“Siin is tapping into a powerful intersection of culture and technology. The team’s ability to localise a global trend in a way that feels native to the region is particularly compelling. By reimagining traditional trading behaviours through live, interactive formats, Siin is unlocking a new category of commerce in the GCC with strong scale potential.”
Building the Trust Layer for Social Commerce
Siin aims to go beyond transactions by creating a trusted and engaging marketplace.
Its platform enables:
- Direct interaction between buyers and sellers
- Community-driven discovery
- Real-time engagement and feedback
This positions Siin as a trust and safety layer for social commerce in the region.
Conclusion
With fresh funding and rapid regional expansion, Siin is emerging as a key player in the MENA live commerce space. By blending cultural shopping behaviors with modern technology, the company is redefining how consumers engage with online marketplaces.
As social commerce continues to grow globally, Siin’s localized approach could help it scale across the Gulf and beyond.
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Ruchi Kumar is the associate editor at Entrepreneur News Network and TVW News India, where she leads editorial strategy, brand storytelling, and startup ecosystem coverage. With a strong focus on innovation, business, and marketing insights, he curates impactful narratives that spotlight India’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape. She has written extensively on fintech, AI and emerging startups.