Makkah-headquartered ecommerce platform provider Salla has acquired Sweply, a digital advertising platform, for an undisclosed sum. Following the acquisition, Sweply will be rebranded as “Salla Ads” and integrated as the official advertising solution within Salla’s ecosystem.
Founded in 2016 by Nawaf Hariri and Salman Butt, Salla enables merchants to set up their online stores within hours. The company recently raised a $130 million pre-IPO investment round in March 2024, led by Investcorp, with participation from Sanabil Investment and STV.
Sweply, founded in 2021 by Ebrahim Saeed and Wael Hassan, has built a significant presence in the region’s digital marketing landscape, serving over 35,000 registered advertisers. The platform allows merchants to create, manage, and optimize their digital marketing campaigns. Salla had previously invested in Swply’s $2 million seed round in June 2024.
The advertising startup, like Salla, offers monthly subscriptions for businesses, ranging from $8 to $160.
Nawaf Hariri, CEO of Salla, commented on the acquisition, stating, “Acquiring Sweply is a testament to our long-term vision of providing innovative and seamless solutions that empower merchants. Our mission at Salla has always been to shape the ‘Future of Commerce’—and with Salla Ads, we are unlocking new opportunities for our merchants to thrive in the digital economy.”
“This acquisition is a strategic step toward building a sophisticated advertising ecosystem, enabling sellers to fully capitalise on cutting-edge marketing tools,” he added.
The new service is expected to be available on the Salla platform by the second quarter of 2025. Existing Sweply users will continue to operate without disruption during the transition period.
The acquisition comes at a time when Saudi Arabia’s advertising spending has reached SAR 9.5 billion, with digital channels expected to account for 90 percent of total expenditure by 2030. Through this integration, merchants will be able to launch and manage advertising campaigns directly from their store dashboards, with access to AI-powered targeting and advanced analytics.
This strategic move strengthens Salla’s position in the region’s ecommerce sector while expanding its service offerings to include integrated digital advertising solutions.
- Saudi’s Orbii raises $3.6 million in Prosus-led seed to help banks and fintechs launch SME lending - September 8, 2025
- Egypt’s TradeHub shuts down, returns remaining capital to investors after failing to achieve product-market fit - September 7, 2025
- Dubai’s WheelsOn raises $12.5 million in debt and equity for its deposit-free car rental platform - September 7, 2025
