COLABS, a Saudi-headquartered community-led workspace platform, has launched a 4,000-square-meter campus in northern Riyadh, marking its entry into Saudi Arabia amid growing competition to serve the Kingdom’s expanding startup and SME sector. The company has raised more than $8 million to date from investors, including Shorooq, Waseel Partners, Zayn VC, Indus Valley Capital, Fatima Gobi Ventures, and other regional backers. The Riyadh opening marks the beginning of COLABS’ international expansion, with the company aiming to become the largest workspace provider for startups and scaleups across the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan.
Located in Al-Narjis, the COLABS Narjis campus is designed to accommodate more than 500 members, including early-stage startups, scaling companies, and enterprise teams. The campus includes event space for more than 200 people, a rooftop terrace, a podcast studio, more than 10 meeting rooms, a daycare facility, and an on-site café. COLABS plans to run a year-round calendar of programming designed to foster interaction among founders, investors, and operators. The launch event drew more than 300 attendees, including founders, investors, policymakers, and members of the creative industries, with speakers from BECO Capital, Shorooq, 500 Global, Sotheby’s, and Aqar.
COLABS currently operates more than 500,000 square feet of workspace across more than 10 locations, supporting over 5,000 members and 300 companies. The platform positions itself as a bridge between the Saudi and Pakistani ecosystems, helping companies launch, scale, and operate through its business support platform. Through its COLABS Creative Collective initiative, the company embeds art, design, and culture into the workspace experience, reflecting shared Saudi-Pakistani Islamic cultural heritage through partnerships with the Abdul Monem Arts Foundation, Noura Arts, and cross-border creative programming. COLABS works alongside more than 250 partners including EY, Digital Ocean, Canva, Coca-Cola, Spotify, and Endeavor.
KEY QUOTES:
“Saudi Arabia represents a significant long-term market for us. Our focus is on building environments where ambitious companies can work more effectively and where networks strengthen over time.”
Omar Shah, CEO, COLABS
“The partnership reflects deepening economic ties between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and highlights the potential for greater cross-border collaboration across the region.”
Faisal AlRashed, Managing Partner, Waseel
