Qawafel
Qawafel is a Riyadh-based B2B digital commerce platform that connects Saudi food suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale traders, and retailers through a unified marketplace with embedded ZATCA-compliant e-invoicing and Al Rajhi Bank buy-now-pay-later financing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Qawafel does
Qawafel (legal entity: Qawafel for E-Marketing / قوافل للتسويق الإلكتروني) is a Saudi Arabia-based B2B digital commerce platform founded in late 2020 and headquartered in Riyadh. It operates a unified marketplace and operating system that connects suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale traders, and retail merchants within a single account that supports both buying and selling. Originally focused on perishable food products (notably confectionery, where the company claims approximately 1% local market share as of March 2022), Qawafel has since broadened into frozen foods and additional food categories. The platform claims to serve over 5,000 points of sale in Saudi Arabia and articulates a vision of connecting over 700,000 commercial entities in the Kingdom.
Qawafel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Qawafel
- Legal name
- Qawafel for E-Marketing (قوافل للتسويق الإلكتروني)
- Website
- https://qawafel.sa
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Qawafel is a Riyadh-based B2B digital commerce platform that connects Saudi food suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale traders, and retailers through a unified marketplace with embedded ZATCA-compliant e-invoicing and Al Rajhi Bank buy-now-pay-later financing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Qawafel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- B2B Wholesale E-Commerce Marketplace
- NAICS
- Credit Card Issuing (52221)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wholesale-to-Business Online Ordering (B2B Food E-Commerce) (AFAIAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- B2B / Invoice-Based BNPL (Trade Credit at Checkout) (FSAGAIAC), Online B2B Grocery Supply for Small Businesses (Wholesale-to-Consumer/Prosumer) (CRAHAIAL)
Keywords
Where Qawafel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Riyadh
- HQ country
- Saudi Arabia
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
Qawafel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Platform Subscription Fees: Subscription-based access to platform features and services with different package tiers. Some basic services are free while premium features require paid subscriptions.
- Transaction Commission: Fees collected on commercial transactions conducted through the platform between sellers and buyers.
- Service Fees: Fees for various platform services including government fees, bank fees, and administrative charges that may be imposed on merchants for their operations within the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free basic access with optional premium upgrades |
| Subscription | Annual | Paid subscription packages for advanced features |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Qawafel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Qawafel is a Saudi-built B2B digital marketplace and operating system that connects suppliers, manufacturers, and wholesale/retail traders for unified buying, selling, electronic invoicing, shipping, financing, and cash collection. It combines ZATCA-compliant e-invoicing, Al Rajhi Bank buy-now-pay-later financing, smart analytics, and multi-channel order management in a single web and mobile platform originally focused on confectionery and expanding into frozen and broader food categories.
Product overview
Qawafel is a unified B2B digital commerce and financing platform for the Saudi wholesale and retail trade sector. The core platform is Qawafel Platform, which serves as an integrated operating system bringing together suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. It is built from multiple functional modules including Order Management, Product Management, E-Invoicing (ZATCA Compliant), Al Rajhi Bank Financing (BNPL), Analytics Dashboard, Shipping and Delivery, Team Management, Store and Customer Management, Financial Collection, and Bills and Cash Withdrawals — all accessible through a web dashboard and the Qawafel Mobile App on iOS and Android. The platform's distinguishing value is the unification of digital commerce, electronic invoicing, financial management (via Al Rajhi Bank), and logistics into a single ecosystem. Qawafel also supports trade foundation documents (Quotation, Purchase Order, Invoice, Receiving Notice, Credit Note) and a manual three-way match process.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Qawafel Platform (B2B Marketplace and Operating System) A Saudi-built B2B digital ecosystem connecting suppliers, manufacturers, and wholesale/retail traders for unified buying, selling, electronic invoicing, shipping, financing, and cash collection, serving as the central operating system for wholesale and retail trade in Saudi Arabia.
- Qawafel Mobile App Native iOS and Android mobile application that enables merchants (buyers and suppliers) to access the Qawafel B2B marketplace and operating tools on the go, including store management, ordering, invoicing, and financing features.
- E-Invoicing Module (ZATCA Compliant) Fully integrated electronic invoicing system compliant with Saudi ZATCA requirements that generates invoices automatically in QR/UUID/XML format, downloadable and shareable, and supports access to bank financing through verified financial data.
- Al Rajhi Bank BNPL Trade Financing Embedded buy-now-pay-later financing solution delivered in partnership with Al Rajhi Bank, allowing merchants to purchase products and supplies from trusted suppliers on deferred payment terms, ensuring smoother cash flow and continuous business growth.
- Smart Analytics Dashboard Business intelligence dashboard providing real-time monitoring of orders, sales, customers, top-selling products, and high-demand cities, enabling data-driven decision-making for merchants.
- Shipping and Logistics Coordination Logistics coordination service that connects suppliers and retailers with multiple third-party shipping partners to complete transactions efficiently, including delivery management and electronic integration with 3PL providers.
Companies that use Qawafel
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Qawafel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Qawafel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Al Rajhi Bank (مصرف الراجحي)flagshipStrategic financial partnership providing buy now pay later (BNPL) financing solutions. Al Rajhi Bank enables flexible liquidity for merchants to purchase products on deferred payment terms from trusted suppliers through the Qawafel platform. Users can receive their dues instantly through Al Rajhi Bank accounts.
- Financial Partners (Logos)coreFour financial partners shown in the Financial Partners section of the website, though specific names are not individually identified in the available content. These partners support the platform's financial services ecosystem.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Qawafel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Amazon Business: Global B2B e-commerce marketplace with operations across MENA. Comparable as a broad B2B commerce incumbent that could enter Saudi wholesale trade with embedded financing — a structural threat to niche vertical players like Qawafel.
- Noon: Middle East-focused e-commerce platform with B2B ambitions. Comparable as a regional e-commerce incumbent that could expand into B2B wholesale, leveraging logistics and merchant relationships that Qawafel is still building.
- Carrefour Saudi Arabia (Majid Al Futtaim): Established grocery retail giant in Saudi Arabia with significant B2B supply operations. Comparable as a large incumbent operating across the same Saudi food retail value chain, with substantially greater scale and supplier relationships than Qawafel.
Direct peers
- Nana: Saudi grocery e-commerce platform with B2B and B2C operations. Comparable as a Saudi grocery-focused digital commerce player addressing similar merchant and consumer pain points in food distribution, though Nana skews more B2C.
- Sary: Saudi-based B2B wholesale marketplace connecting suppliers and retailers for grocery and FMCG goods. Directly comparable to Qawafel in vertical (B2B food/FMCG wholesale), geography (KSA), and target customer (SMB retailers and suppliers), though Sary operates at a much larger scale post-acquisition by Jahez.
- Foodics: Saudi-born restaurant and F&B management platform serving merchants across MENA with POS, payments, and online ordering. Comparable as a Saudi-built vertical SaaS + fintech play for F&B merchants, though its anchor customer is restaurants rather than wholesale traders.
Emerging players
- Dastgyr: Pakistan-based B2B e-commerce platform serving retailers with procurement, logistics, and embedded financing. Comparable as a B2B commerce + fintech play targeting SMB retailers with a similar 'unified platform' value proposition.
- Ula: Indonesia-based B2B wholesale marketplace focused on SMB retailers with embedded financing. Comparable as a B2B wholesale platform that combines marketplace and credit offerings for underserved retailers, though operating in a different geography.
- Twiga Foods: Kenya-based B2B food distribution marketplace connecting farmers and manufacturers to retailers. Comparable as an emerging-market B2B food marketplace targeting SMB retailers, though operating in a very different geography and category (fresh produce).
- MetroMart: Pakistan-based B2B grocery and FMCG marketplace serving retailers with digital ordering and delivery. Comparable as an emerging-market B2B food/grocery platform serving SMB retailers with similar unit economics and fragmented supplier base challenges.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Qawafel social profiles
Digital presenceQawafel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Qawafel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Qawafel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Qawafel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Qawafel
What does Qawafel do?
Qawafel is a Saudi-built B2B digital marketplace and operating system that connects suppliers, manufacturers, and wholesale/retail traders for unified buying, selling, electronic invoicing, shipping, financing, and cash collection. It combines ZATCA-compliant e-invoicing, Al Rajhi Bank buy-now-pay-later financing, smart analytics, and multi-channel order management in a single web and mobile platform originally focused on confectionery and expanding into frozen and broader food categories.
Is Qawafel a public or private company?
Qawafel is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Qawafel founded?
Qawafel was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Qawafel based?
Qawafel is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East region.
How does Qawafel make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Platform Subscription Fees are the primary driver. The others are transaction Commission and service Fees.
Who are Qawafel's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Amazon Business, Noon and Carrefour Saudi Arabia (Majid Al Futtaim). Direct peers are Nana, Sary and Foodics. Emerging players are Dastgyr, Ula, Twiga Foods and MetroMart.
Does Qawafel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Qawafel.
What industry is Qawafel in?
Qawafel's product category is B2B Wholesale E-Commerce Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIAMAD, Wholesale-to-Business Online Ordering (B2B Food E-Commerce), with a secondary code of FSAGAIAC, B2B / Invoice-Based BNPL (Trade Credit at Checkout). Its NAICS code is 52221 and its SIC code is 6159.