Argaam OnPoint

In this episode, we are joined by Emon Shakoor, an entrepreneur, investor, and one of the leading figures in Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem.
Over the past decade, Emon has worked closely with founders, investors, and institutions, helping build the environment that has enabled hundreds of startups to launch and scale across the Kingdom.
Shakoor talks about the evolution of the Saudi startup ecosystem, what still needs to happen for the next generation of founders to succeed, and where the biggest opportunities lie in the years ahead.

Eze Szafir, CEO of D360, Saudi Arabia’s first digital bank, joins Somi Arian to discuss the future of digital banking in Saudi Arabia, what it takes to build a bank from the ground up, and why the Kingdom is becoming one of the world’s most exciting markets for financial innovation.

Dr. Dorothy Kelso, Managing Director at SuperReturn, joins Somi Arian to discuss the evolution of private markets, the growing role of institutional investors, the future of LP-GP relationships, and why Saudi Arabia has become one of the most exciting destinations for global private capital.

Ali Al Mansour is the CEO of SAB Invest and one of the Kingdom’s leading voices on capital markets and asset management. In this conversation, he shares his perspective on the maturation of Saudi Arabia’s financial ecosystem, the next generation of investment opportunities, and the role of institutional capital in supporting economic diversification.

Abdulaziz Alomran is the Founder and CEO of Impact46, one of the most influential investment firms in Saudi Arabia. As an early backer of companies such as Jahez and Rasan, he has been at the forefront of the Kingdom’s startup, venture capital, and private markets journey.
In this conversation, we explore how Saudi Arabia’s investment ecosystem is maturing, what investors often misunderstand about public and private markets, and where the next generation of opportunities—from private credit to gaming and AI—may emerge.