Bahrain-born live shopping marketplace Siin has secured new funding, bringing its total capital raised to $3 million. The round was led by VentureSouq and Shift Group, with participation from Plus VC, Oqal, and a group of prominent regional investors.
Quick Facts
- Total Capital Raised: $3 million
- Lead Investors: VentureSouq and Shift Group
- Operations: Across six GCC countries
Digitizing the GCC’s Social Souq
Founded in 2024 by Hesham AlSaati, Ahmed Allawi, and Khaled Albalooshi, Siin is building a platform for live, interactive e-commerce in a region where online shopping is growing rapidly but often lacks a social component. The company aims to replicate the trust-based, interactive nature of traditional Middle Eastern commerce for a digital audience.
“Commerce in MENA was never transactional; it’s social, interactive, and trust-driven,” said Ahmed Allawi, Co-founder of Siin. “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.”
Scaling a Regional Live Shopping Model
In less than a year, the platform has expanded its operations across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. Siin enables users to buy and sell goods, particularly high-value items, through livestreamed and gamified shopping events.
“We’ve facilitated the sale of hundreds of thousands of items, with tens of thousands of hours of live streaming, showing clear signs of strong engagement and marketplace liquidity,” noted Hesham AlSaati, Co-founder of Siin. “As we’ve grown, it’s become clear that we are building the trust and safety layer for social commerce in the region.”
The new capital will be used to accelerate this regional expansion, grow its seller ecosystem, and solidify its market position. The company also highlighted that its platform is built entirely in-house and tailored for the MENA market.
Investor Confidence in Localized Tech
Investors pointed to the team’s ability to adapt a global trend to fit local culture as a key factor in their decision. The platform’s model taps into established regional trading behaviors by digitizing them for a modern format.
“What stood out to us is the team’s ability to localize a global trend in a way that feels native to the region,” said Suneel Gokhale, General Partner & Co-Founder at VentureSouq. “By reimagining traditional trading behaviors through live, interactive formats, Siin is unlocking a new category of commerce in the GCC with significant scale potential.”
Hasan Haider, Founder and Managing Partner of Plus VC, added, “Siin is building more than a product, it is shaping a new behavioral layer for commerce in the region. By digitizing culturally ingrained trading dynamics… the team is creating a highly differentiated platform with strong network effects.”
About Siin
Founded in 2024, Siin is a live shopping marketplace operating across the GCC. The platform enables users to buy and sell goods through real-time, interactive, and gamified livestreaming experiences. It is backed by regional programs including Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 and stc’s InspireU accelerator.
Source: Zawya
