Blockchain Specialists are Driving Saudi Arabia’s Web3 Ambitions

Saudi Arabia’s blockchain sector is beginning to develop an identity that extends beyond cryptocurrency trading and speculative digital assets.

The most promising companies are using distributed-ledger technology to support entertainment, digital ownership, institutional custody, tokenisation and new tools for businesses and creators.

This approach reflects the wider goals of Vision 2030, which has placed digital transformation, entrepreneurship and economic diversification at the heart of the nation’s development strategy.

The market is carefully supervised, because Saudi Arabia does not yet have a comprehensive licensing framework covering cryptocurrency exchanges, custody providers and other virtual-asset businesses.

The Saudi Central Bank and Capital Market Authority have historically taken a cautious approach to unregulated cryptocurrencies, while permitting supervised experimentation and institution-facing blockchain projects through existing regulatory structures and sandbox programmes.

That distinction is important because blockchain companies can build useful technology without necessarily offering unrestricted cryptocurrency trading to the public.

Interest in digital payments, tokenised entertainment and emerging online sectors is growing across Saudi Arabia.

Resources such as this guide to Saudi Arabia online casinos illustrate how international digital platforms are increasingly tailoring their products and payment options to Saudi audiences.

Read on as we look some of the companies which are driving Web3 innovation.

Astra Nova Brings Blockchain into Entertainment

Astra Nova combines artificial intelligence (AI), gaming, digital collectibles and creator tools within a wider Web3 entertainment ecosystem.

It raised $48.3 million to expand its AI-assisted entertainment products and blockchain infrastructure in 2025, making it one of the best-funded Saudi Web3 companies to emerge in recent years.

Its projects include blockchain-enabled games, interactive storytelling products and tools that allow creators to build digital experiences without needing extensive knowledge of smart-contract programming.

This no-code approach could be particularly valuable in Saudi Arabia, where the government is investing heavily in gaming, eSports, film and digital content but still needs accessible tools that allow local creators to participate.

Astra Nova’s importance goes beyond whether one particular game becomes commercially successful.

The company is testing whether blockchain can operate quietly beneath an entertainment product, managing digital ownership, rewards and transactions without forcing every user to understand wallets, tokens or decentralised networks.

That is likely to be the most realistic route towards wider blockchain adoption because consumers generally care more about useful experiences than the technology powering them.

Its combination of AI and Web3 also fits the Kingdom’s ambition to become a major regional centre for gaming and advanced technology rather than merely a consumer of foreign products.

Oumla is Building Institutional Blockchain Infrastructure

Founded in 2022, Oumla describes itself as the Kingdom’s first digital-asset custody infrastructure provider, offering enterprise-grade tools for secure key management, wallets, transactions and blockchain integration.

Instead of concentrating on retail cryptocurrency speculation, Oumla is building infrastructure that financial institutions, companies and public bodies could use to interact with tokenised assets securely.

Its technology is designed to provide application programming interfaces that allow existing corporate systems to connect with blockchain networks without replacing their entire technology stacks.

This matters because banks and government entities cannot manage digital assets through the same consumer wallets commonly used by individual cryptocurrency holders.

They require strict access controls, approval hierarchies, audit trails, recovery procedures and clear governance over who can authorise a transaction.

Oumla’s services could become useful if Saudi Arabia expands its work in areas such as tokenised property, digital bonds, institutional settlement or blockchain-based identity systems.

The company reportedly raised a $2.4m seed round in September 2025 before attracting further investment for its institutional infrastructure and locally operated permissioned blockchain networks.

Its long-term prospects will depend heavily on regulation because institutional clients will not adopt digital-asset infrastructure without clear legal rules governing custody, ownership and liability.

However, Oumla is well positioned if Saudi authorities continue favouring controlled, business-focused blockchain applications over unrestricted retail cryptocurrency activity.

Nuqtah Connects Web3 with Saudi Creators

Nuqtah is focused on the cultural and commercial potential of digital ownership.

Launched in 2021, the Saudi Web3 company initially became known as an token marketplace designed to help artists, brands and creators produce and commercialise digital collectibles.

Its wider ambition has since evolved towards becoming an infrastructure provider that helps organisations introduce blockchain into loyalty programmes, intellectual-property management and consumer engagement.

Nuqtah has attracted backing and support from organisations associated with major blockchain ecosystems, including Animoca Brands, Polygon and Cardano-linked investors.

That backing gives it international connections while its Saudi roots provide a better understanding of local language, culture, intellectual property and regulatory expectations than many overseas platforms.

The company’s strongest opportunity may not come from selling expensive standalone tokens, a market that has become far less speculative since its 2021 peak.

A more sustainable model involves using tokens as digital memberships, event passes, authenticated collectibles or loyalty rewards linked to practical benefits.

Saudi sports clubs, entertainment companies, tourism projects and luxury brands could use this infrastructure to reward customers, confirm ownership and build communities around their products.

Nuqtah is helping to shift the regional conversation away from tokens as short-term investments and towards blockchain as a tool for managing digital rights and brand relationships.