ISLAMABAD: Pakistani co-working startup COLABS is betting on building a strong local brand and community as key to succeeding in Saudi Arabia, its chief executive officer said on Monday, as the company expands into the Kingdom amid growing demand for flexible workspaces.
Founded in Pakistan and operating in cities including Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, COLABS has positioned itself as part of the country’s growing startup infrastructure, providing shared workspaces and community-led platforms for businesses.
In April, the company launched its new workspace campus in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, that marked its first major international expansion as it looked to tap into the Kingdom’s fast-growing startup and small business sector.
COLABS co-founder and CEO Omar Shah, who has been visiting the Kingdom since childhood, said on Monday that he saw Saudi Arabia transforming into a large market, which offered him an opportunity to expand into the Kingdom.
“I think that was our main reason behind Saudi, was building this unique product where you’re not just giving space, but you also focus a lot on community building, focus a lot on entrepreneurship,” he said in a video shared by COLABS on Instagram.
“And I think that brought us back to the point where we were very keen on working with the local Saudi partners... And that’s basically what we’re focused on. Building a local brand, bringing people in, but supporting them ahead.”
COLABS’ 4,000 square meter campus in northern Riyadh aims to cater to startups, scale-ups and enterprise teams as competition intensifies to serve the Kingdom’s expanding entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The campus, located in the Al-Narjis district, is designed to accommodate more than 500 members and includes meeting rooms, event space, a rooftop terrace and a podcast studio, according to COLABS.
The company raised more than $8 million from investors, including Shorooq, Waseel Partners and Indus Valley Capital, and aims to become a leading workspace provider across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan in the coming years.
“We worked with them (Saudi partners) to bring in not just space, but to work together in a larger space on how you can take this ahead, what you can do,” Shah said.
“And that’s what we’re doing.”
