Selwa Al-Hazzaa, founder and chairman of SDM, Naif Al-Obaidallah, co-founder and CEO
Khaled Al Oud (Riyadh Daily)
Saudi health-AI startup SDM places second among nearly 100 contenders at regional competition
A Saudi startup building artificial intelligence for early detection of chronic disease has placed second at the London Business School MENA Startup Competition 2026, edging into the top three of nearly 100 applications drawn from across the Middle East and North Africa.
SDM develops tools that help health practitioners in the Kingdom identify chronic conditions before they advance, an area where early diagnosis can shape both patient outcomes and the cost of long-term care. Its chief executive, Naif Al-Obaidallah, said the result was a proud moment for the team and that it would encourage the company to keep working on healthcare challenges in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
The competition's ten finalists pitched in Dubai for a share of a USD 45,000 non-dilutive prize pool, meaning the money comes without giving up equity. UAE-based environmental technology company Persium took first place, and Frank AI, which built an operating system for independent real-estate professionals across the GCC, came third. The finalists spanned artificial intelligence, healthtech, agritech, climatetech, fintech and proptech, according to the organisers.
Judges weighed business potential, early traction, the founding team and how well each product fits the problem it targets.
