Saudi Arabia is a Global Launchpad for Technology, French Investor Says

Saudi Arabia offers a unique environment for technology companies to test, develop, and scale innovations globally, according to French entrepreneur and investor Julie Barbier. As the founder and CEO of Merit, she believes the Kingdom's combination of digital infrastructure, available capital, rapid execution, and a broad customer base makes it an attractive place to build technology products for international markets.

Barbier told Asharq Al-Awsat that Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 has spurred a highly ambitious business climate that readily adopts new ideas. She pointed to significant restructuring across key sectors like finance, tourism, transportation, and government services. Merit, a company specializing in engagement and incentive technologies, has found its Saudi team achieves 59 percent higher innovation efficiency than the company's internal benchmark, generating about eight new initiatives weekly.

She described Saudi Arabia as one of the world's most appealing locations for launching and scaling new technologies. High digital adoption rates, institutional willingness to partner with innovators, abundant capital, and widespread economic transformation create an environment where entrepreneurs can access real-world use cases and substantial clients. This allows for large-scale product testing before refinement and international expansion.

Barbier emphasized that the Kingdom's rapid transformation encourages challenging traditional methods, a crucial element for developing novel solutions. Merit, which established its regional headquarters in Riyadh, benefits from direct access to customers and partners, enabling product development and testing before global rollout. "That is why I see Saudi Arabia not simply as a technology market, but as a launchpad for companies with regional and global ambitions," she stated.

“

That is why I see Saudi Arabia not simply as a technology market, but as a launchpad for companies with regional and global ambitions.