• Saudi hospitality startup Gathern raised USD 72M in Series B funding led by PIF-owned Sanabil Investments.
• The round valued Gathern at over USD 266M, marking a milestone as it eyes a potential Tadawul listing.
• Funds will fuel expansion across Saudi and region, focusing on inbound tourism, long-term stays, and AI-driven tech solutions.

Gathern

What happened? Saudi’s Gathern secured USD 72 million (SAR 270M) in a Series B funding round. The round was led by Sanabil Investments, an investment company fully owned by PIF. The round also saw participation from Endeavor, Pinnacle, Nuwa Capital, and STV.

With this round, the startup reached a valuation exceeding USD 266 million (SAR 1B). This is an important milestone as it prepares for its potential listing on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul).

Who are they? Gathern is an alternative hospitality platform aiming to reshape the travel and accommodation experience. It provides guests the opportunity to stay in privately managed homes hosted by locals.

Since its founding, Gathern has aimed to build and shape the alternative hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia. It aims to offer unique travel experiences that allows guests to experience the Kingdom’s culture. All while enabling local hosts to unlock the potential of their properties and generate sustainable income. 

It currently operates over 72,000 private hospitality units, representing nearly 15% of the total lodging supply in the Kingdom. Additionally, it reports that it contributed more SAR 2 billion to support the local economy. This is through payouts to over 33 thousand Saudi hosts who own 72 thousand units across over 200 cities.

Hospitality 

What is next? With the funding, it aims to accelerate its local and regional expansion. This is with a focus on attracting inbound visitors, expanding long-term stay offerings, and strengthening its tech infrastructure through AI-driven solutions. Furthermore, this is in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 to position the Kingdom as a tourism and hospitality hub.