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MANUFACTURING-
Mena Tyre taps Saudi Amana for Pirelli plant construction: Mena Tyre Company has awarded a SAR 628 mn (USD 167 mn) contract to Saudi Amana, the local arm of UAE-based Group Amana, to build a Pirelli tyre manufacturing plant in the King Salman Automotive Cluster at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), Meed reported yesterday. UK-based firm Jones Lang LaSalle is the project consultant.
The details: Set to begin production in 2026, the facility will have an annual capacity of 3.5 mn tyres. It will produce passenger vehicle tyres under the Pirelli brand while also launching a new local brand for domestic and regional markets.
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STARTUP WATCH-
#1- Homegrown online pharma platform Dawadose raised an undisclosed amount in a pre-seed funding round, with participation from unnamed angel investors, it said in a statement last week. Dawadose will allocate the fresh funds to set up its headquarters in the Kingdom, as the primary development and operations hub.
About Dawadose: Established in 2019 by Rushdi Abdalghani (LinkedIn) and Osama Almabroum (LinkedIn), the platform targets providing pharmacies, drugstores, and consumers with e-commerce solutions in a bid to be the first integrated B2B and B2C e-pharma platform in the Middle East.
#2- Digital healthcare startup 21Doctors has closed an undisclosed sum in a pre-seed round with a group of angel investors, it said in a statement last week. The company will use the funds to set up its headquarters in Saudi Arabia as a development and operations hub for the Kingdom and Gulf markets, with a focus on advancing Arabic-language AI medical tools.
About 21Doctors: Founded by Osama Al-Mabroum (LinkedIn) and Rania Abu Taleb (LinkedIn), the platform connects patients with doctors, pharmacies, and laboratories, while helping healthcare providers expand their reach and visibility.
EVs-
Jeddah to get a new EV charging network: Jeddah Transport Company signed an MoU with Petromin — a Saudi Aramco-ExxonMobil JV — to develop an integrated electric vehicle (EV) charging network across the city, state news agency SPA reported on Monday. The agreement covers site assessment, as well as the design, installation, and operational support for the new charging stations.
M&A WATCH-
India’s Cupid entered a term sheet to acquire an undisclosed “strategic stake” in local fragrance brand Mansam, according to a filing (pdf) to the National Stock Exchange of India. The move, part of a global expansion plan for the Indian birth control products provider, will be executed through a fund structure managed by GII Investment Management.
