Wadi Makkah

What Wadi Makkah does

Wadi Makkah is the innovation and investment arm of Umm Al-Qura University, headquartered within the university campus in AlAbdiyah, Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It operates a multi-subsidiary technology and investment ecosystem comprising Wadi Makkah Investment (venture capital and startup incubation), Wadi Makkah Real Estate (property development, co-working spaces, BOT/LOT contracts), and Wadi Makkah Knowledge (educational and training products). Under the "Made in Mecca" brand, the company has launched more than 10 startups and 23 technology products spanning smart city technologies (Averos), indoor navigation (Navibees), digital analytics (Lucidya), medical technology (Softcare, BioKubes), smart controls (Breez), and Hajj/Umrah service technologies. Its intellectual property base includes 39+ US-registered patents and 150+ patent applications developed through the university's IP office, and the company operates an electronic sensors factory on campus.

The company's business model rests on four revenue streams: (1) investment returns and equity stakes in incubated startups across fintech, Hajj/Umrah tech, edtech, and smart cities, including international positions in Pavegen (UK) and Derq (US); (2) real estate investment and management of commercial, retail, hotel, and entertainment spaces on 15 million+ sqm of university land under BOT/LOT contracts, with 38 opportunities worth over 1 billion SAR presented in a single exhibition; (3) knowledge products and training services including the Maqam pilgrim training package, Abjad Arabic-language program for non-Arabic speaking healthcare practitioners, and Iqra reading program, distributed via international partners such as the Kuala Lumpur Chamber of Commerce and UniMAP Malaysia; and (4) incubator/accelerator program revenue via the Nama accelerator and Growth Incubator (25 entrepreneurs in the 2024 cohort). Go-to-market is institutional and ecosystem-driven, with no consumer-facing pricing and channel partnerships with entities such as Tally Solutions, Riyadh Bank, and Falak Investment.

Wadi Makkah serves a diversified customer base spanning startups and entrepreneurs (primary), real estate investors, healthcare providers (Makkah Health Cluster), educational institutions, SMEs, and government entities (Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources via the Rafid program). Its competitive position is anchored in direct access to Umm Al-Qura University's 120,000+ students and 7,000+ faculty, alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, and unique geographic positioning within Mecca to serve the Hajj and Umrah ecosystem. The company is privately held and wholly owned by Umm Al-Qura University, with no external private equity or public shareholders identified.

Name

Wadi Makkah

Legal name

Wadi Makkah Company (شركة وادي مكة)

Website

https://wadimakkah.sa

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wadi Makkah is the innovation and investment arm of Umm Al-Qura University in Mecca, operating Investment, Real Estate, and Knowledge subsidiaries to incubate startups, manage university real estate, and deliver Hajj/Umrah training products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation and Venture Capital

NAICS

Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111), Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices (551114), Management of Companies and Enterprises (5511)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552), Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Hajj & Umrah Travel Agencies (THAKAHAA)

Keywords

• Startup incubation programs
• Venture capital investment
• University innovation ecosystem
• Entrepreneurship training services
• Knowledge economy development

Headquarters

HQ city

Makkah

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns & Startup Incubation: Wadi Makkah Investment generates returns through equity stakes in incubated and accelerated startups, venture capital investment, and management of investment portfolios. The company invests in companies across sectors including fintech, Hajj/Umrah tech, education tech, and smart city solutions.
2. Real Estate Investment & Management: Wadi Makkah Real Estate manages investment opportunities in university assets and land, offering commercial, retail, hotel, and entertainment spaces under Lease-Operate-Transfer (LOT) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contracts. The company invests in establishing global schools and commercial complexes.
3. Knowledge Products & Training Services: Wadi Makkah Knowledge generates revenue through knowledge products including training packages (حقيبة مقام for Hajj/Umrah pilgrims, حقيبة أبجد for non-Arabic speaking healthcare practitioners, حقيبة اقرأ), consulting projects, and training hours for entrepreneurs and businesses.
4. Incubator & Accelerator Programs: Revenue is generated through startup support services, mentorship, co-working spaces (زمكان), and connecting startups with investors. Programs like 'Nama' (حاضنة نمو) and 'Masar' (مسار) provide training and development services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wadi Makkah operates as the innovation and investment arm of Umm Al-Qura University in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, providing startup incubation and acceleration programs, venture capital funding, real estate investment management on university land, and specialized knowledge products (such as Hajj/Umrah training and Arabic-language healthcare training). It coordinates an ecosystem spanning three operating subsidiaries — Wadi Makkah Investment, Wadi Makkah Real Estate, and Wadi Makkah Knowledge — to support entrepreneurs from ideation through commercialization.

Product overview

Wadi Makkah is a technology and investment ecosystem under Umm Al-Qura University comprising three main subsidiaries: Wadi Makkah Investment (venture capital, incubators, accelerators), Wadi Makkah Real Estate (property development, co-working spaces), and Wadi Makkah Knowledge (educational products). The ecosystem supports startups in Hajj/Umrah services, smart cities, AI, and knowledge industries through programs like Growth Incubator (حاضنة نمو), Masar training, and Innovation Lab. Key knowledge products include Meqam (pilgrim training), Abjad (healthcare language training), and Talam Arabic learning programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Growth Incubator (حاضنة نمو): Business incubator program supporting startups
• Saudi Entrepreneurship Sessions (جلسات الريادة السعودية)
• Masar (مسار)
• Zamkan (زمكان)
• Maqam (مقام)
• Abjad (أبجد)
• Igra (اقرأ)

Quantifiable outcome

• 146% increase in net profits in 2022 vs prior year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tally SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Tally Solutions established an office within Wadi Makkah's premises and partnered to support SMEs with financial management and operational readiness. The collaboration aims to enhance founders' understanding of financial management and business readiness under Saudi Vision 2030.
• Wadi JeddahminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Partnership with Wadi Jeddah as part of a three-partner ecosystem initiative to support SMEs across Saudi Arabia with financial and operational services.
• PLEXUSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2026Partnership with PLEXUS as part of the three-partner ecosystem initiative to deliver financial management support to SMEs across Saudi Arabia.
• Abdullah Muhammad Fatahi Abu Al-Judayil Food Services CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2024Under the Ministry of Industry's 'Rafid' program, Wadi Makkah Technology and Abu Al-Judayil Food Services signed an agreement to establish an advanced innovative food manufacturing factory within Umm Al-Qura University land, utilizing smart manufacturing, automation, and AI technologies.
• University of Business and Technology (UBT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2024Wadi Makkah Real Estate and Umm Al-Qura University partnered with UBT to establish Koral Global Schools on a 25,924 sqm site in Mecca. Phase 1 targets kindergarten (5,000 sqm) in 1446AH, Phase 2 targets primary school (5,000 sqm) in 1447AH, with capacity for 1,200 students.
• Umm Al-Qura University (Investment Management)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2022Wadi Makkah Real Estate partnered with Umm Al-Qura University's Investment Management department to organize an investment opportunities exhibition featuring 38 opportunities worth over 1 billion SAR, covering commercial, retail, hotel, and entertainment spaces under Vision 2030 privatization.
• International Chamber of Commerce Kuala LumpurcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 March 2022Wadi Makkah Knowledge signed a contract with the International Chamber of Commerce in Kuala Lumpur for exclusive distribution of the 'Maqam' Hajj and Umrah training package in Asian countries serving Muslim communities.
• Al-Mustashreen for Business and DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2022Strategic partner in the MoU alongside Derq and Wadi Makkah Investment, providing business consulting services for smart city and road safety projects in Mecca.
• Mabarred Medical LaboratoriesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2021Sponsorship partnership for the 'Impact of Digital Transformation on Quality of Life and Healthcare Sustainability' dialogue session organized by Wadi Makkah Investment as part of Saudi Entrepreneurship Sessions.
• Falak InvestmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2021Wadi Makkah Investment and Falak Investment co-hosted a regional VC investor meeting bringing together over 30 venture capital funds. The cooperation aims to enhance exchange of expertise in developing the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, focusing on attracting local and international startups.
• Mabarred Medical LaboratoriesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 September 2021Sponsorship of the 'Promising Opportunities in Health Technology for Entrepreneurs and Innovators' dialogue session held at Wadi Makkah Technology headquarters.
• UniMAP (Universiti Malaysia Perlis)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2021Wadi Makkah Knowledge signed an MoU with UniMAP to serve the global knowledge landscape, promote Arabic language products and Hajj/Umrah training materials, and cooperate in training, conferences, research, community responsibility, Arabic language promotion, and Halal standards.
• Alam Foundation for Documents and ManuscriptsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2021Wadi Makkah Knowledge organized a workshop on 'Investing Data in Documents and Manuscripts' in partnership with Alam Foundation to develop a digital platform for manuscript digitization and researcher access.
• Makkah Health ClustercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2021Wadi Makkah Technology and Makkah Health Cluster signed an MoU for cooperation in investment, consulting, and training. Wadi Makkah provides knowledge products for training non-Arabic speaking healthcare practitioners in the Mecca region.
• Riyadh BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 March 2021Riyadh Bank delegation visited Wadi Makkah to explore banking services for startups and businesses, including financing, payroll, point-of-sale, and payment solutions.
• Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2021Wadi Makkah Knowledge signed an MoU with the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation to promote Arabic language usage in non-Arabic speaking communities.
• Nama Al-Madinah CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2021Wadi Makkah Technology and Nama Al-Madinah signed an MoU to develop and support the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in both Mecca and Madinah regions.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wadi Jeddah: Innovation and investment arm of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah — the most directly comparable peer, operating the same combination of VC, real estate, and knowledge products as a sister university ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
• Badir Program for Technology Incubators: Saudi Arabia's flagship tech incubation and acceleration program run by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST); directly competes for the same startup pipeline that Wadi Makkah targets through its Growth Incubator.
• Wa'ed Ventures: Aramco's venture capital arm investing in Saudi tech startups; competes for the same early-to-growth stage Saudi deals that Wadi Makkah Investment targets but with substantially larger capital firepower.
• Riyadh Valley Company (KAUST): Technology investment and commercialization arm of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology; a close peer in the university-affiliated venture creation model and a competitor for Saudi IP commercialization opportunities.

Broad incumbents

• Monsha'at (General Authority for SMEs): National Saudi government body providing SME funding, training, and incubation; overlaps with Wadi Makkah on SME enablement and ecosystem-building, but operates nationwide rather than at a single university.
• Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC): Government-backed fund-of-funds and direct VC investor in Saudi Arabia; overlaps with Wadi Makkah as a venture ecosystem builder and co-investor but with national-scale mandate and capital.
• King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST): Saudi Arabia's national research and development body, operating the Badir incubator network and supporting commercialization of Saudi research IP; broader in scope than Wadi Makkah but directly competes for university tech-transfer mandates.
• NEOM: Mega-project giga-city backed by Saudi sovereign wealth; tangential peer given overlapping interests in smart cities, Hajj/Umrah innovation, and Saudi venture creation, though vastly larger in scale and capital.

Emerging players

• TAQADAM Accelerator: SABIC-sponsored tech accelerator in Saudi Arabia targeting early-stage startups; competes for the same Saudi entrepreneur cohort as Wadi Makkah's Nama program but with a corporate-anchor rather than university-anchor model.

Regional players

• Knowledge Economic City (KEC): Saudi knowledge-economy economic city in Madinah with university-aligned innovation and real estate assets; an analogous public-private innovation hub, though focused on a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wadimakkahsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments14 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wadi Makkah