Gulf Business Technologies (GBT), a Saudi Arabia-based geospatial data company, has completed a SAR 5 million ($1.3 million) pre-seed funding round to accelerate its expansion in the Kingdom’s telecommunications and information technology sectors. The investment positions the Riyadh-headquartered firm to capitalize on rapidly growing demand for spatial intelligence solutions supporting national digital transformation initiatives.
Al-Zamil Family Office Leads Investment Round
The funding round was led by Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Zamil & Sons Investment Company, part of the prominent Al-Zamil business family whose portfolio spans industrial manufacturing, petrochemicals, and real estate across Saudi Arabia. Additional capital came from a consortium of angel investors and investment firms.
GBT plans to deploy the capital toward strengthening its technical infrastructure, expanding its workforce, and accelerating development of next-generation GeoAI products through its innovation subsidiary. The company aims to deliver proactive, data-driven solutions aligned with the evolving requirements of the Saudi market.
Two Decades of GIS Expertise Under One Umbrella
Founded in 2014 by Yousef AlNafjan, GBT operates across the geospatial data value chain through two complementary subsidiaries. Penta-KSA serves as the company’s GIS software arm, providing no-code solutions that enable non-specialists to access, analyze, and act on spatial data. The platform is built on technology from Esri, the global leader in geographic information systems, and serves major clients including the Holy Makkah Municipality, Riyadh Region Municipality, Jeddah Municipality, and the NEOM megaproject.
Penta-Labs functions as GBT’s deep-tech innovation division, developing advanced GeoAI and digital twin solutions tailored to smart city and large-scale digital transformation initiatives. The subsidiary focuses on transforming complex spatial data into practical, user-friendly applications for decision-makers involved in national infrastructure projects.
Vision 2030 Drives Geospatial Market Expansion
Saudi Arabia’s geospatial analytics sector is experiencing substantial growth, fueled by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification program and associated smart city initiatives. Industry estimates place the market at approximately $1.5 billion in 2025, with projections suggesting growth to $2.5 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate exceeding 10 percent.
The expansion is driven by massive infrastructure projects requiring sophisticated spatial analytics and digital twin capabilities. NEOM’s ambitious linear city design depends on continuous spatial modeling for infrastructure routing and environmental monitoring. The Red Sea Project and Qiddiya entertainment city similarly require advanced geospatial tools for planning, construction, and long-term asset management.
Digital Transformation Fueling Demand for Spatial Intelligence
Government-led digitization efforts have generated significant demand for location-based analysis across Saudi Arabia. With 97 percent of government services now operating digitally, public sector agencies require geospatial capabilities to manage and interpret the resulting data flows. Utilities are integrating spatial analytics into smart grid management, while environmental initiatives such as the Saudi Green Initiative’s commitment to plant 10 billion trees by 2030 rely on spatial suitability modeling for site selection and monitoring.
The telecommunications sector presents additional opportunities as mobile network operators and infrastructure providers deploy location intelligence for coverage planning and asset management. GBT’s positioning across both no-code enterprise software and advanced AI solutions enables it to serve clients at varying levels of technical sophistication.
Competitive Positioning in a Growing Ecosystem
The Saudi geospatial market features both global technology providers and local specialists competing for contracts tied to national development programs. Major international players including Esri, Microsoft, and Google maintain significant presence through local partnerships and subsidiaries. The kingdom’s emphasis on localization and data sovereignty has created opportunities for domestic firms capable of delivering compliant solutions with Arabic language support.
