Online retail builder Salla from Saudi Arabia purchases Sweply to introduce a digital advertising platform.
In a strategic move to bolster its position in the region's ecommerce sector, Salla, a Makkah-headquartered ecommerce platform provider, has acquired Sweply, a digital advertising platform, for an undisclosed sum.
Founded in 2016 by Nawaf Hariri and Salman Butt, Salla has been a significant player in the Arabic market, with about 150 active stores as of Q2 2025. The acquisition of Sweply, established in 2021 by Ebrahim Saeed and Wael Hassan, expands Salla's service offerings to include integrated digital advertising solutions.
Sweply has built a significant presence in the region's digital marketing landscape, serving over 35,000 registered advertisers. The new service provided by Salla, resulting from the acquisition of Sweply, is expected to be available on the Salla platform by the second quarter of 2025.
The new service aims to build a sophisticated advertising ecosystem, enabling sellers to fully capitalize on cutting-edge marketing tools. It will offer access to AI-powered targeting and advanced analytics, providing merchants with the ability to launch and manage advertising campaigns directly from their store dashboards.
The acquisition was backed by a $130 million pre-IPO investment round led by Investcorp, with participation from Sanabil Investment and STV, which Salla raised in March 2024. Salla had previously invested in Sweply's $2 million seed round in June 2024.
Nawaf Hariri, CEO of Salla, commented on the acquisition, stating that it aligns with their long-term vision of providing innovative and seamless solutions. He emphasized that the acquisition aims to build a sophisticated advertising ecosystem, enabling sellers to fully capitalize on cutting-edge marketing tools.
However, as of mid-2025, there is no publicly available detailed information confirming the current status or direct integration of "Salla Ads," a digital advertising solution, within the Salla ecommerce platform following the acquisition of Sweply in 2024. The Salla App Store currently shows no marketing apps available, suggesting limited or no active promotion tools offered directly through the platform at present.
Further information might be available directly from Salla or Sweply corporate communications for updates beyond the publicly indexed data. The acquisition is expected to have a significant impact on the ecommerce landscape in Saudi Arabia, with digital channels accounting for 90 percent of total advertising spending, which reached SAR 9.5 billion in 2021, and projected to grow further in the coming years.
- By acquiring Sweply, an established digital advertising platform, Salla is looking to venture into the realm of integrated digital advertising solutions, aiming to provide a sophisticated advertising ecosystem for merchants who want to capitalize on advanced marketing tools in the financial aspect of their business.
- The expected integration of Salla Ads, a digital advertising solution, into the Salla ecommerce platform will allow businesses to launch and manage advertising campaigns utilizing AI-powered targeting and advanced analytics, potentially revolutionizing the business and investing landscape in Saudi Arabia's ecommerce sector due to the growing focus on digital technology.
