Merak Capital invests SAR 203M in DSShield to expand Saudi cybersecurity capabilities as cloud, OT, and digital infrastructure adoption accelerate.
Merak Capital has invested SAR 203 million in DSShield, strengthening one of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing cybersecurity firms as demand surges across cloud, industrial, and enterprise environments.
Also Read: Shift Raises $83m from Merak Capital
The investment comes at a pivotal moment for the Kingdom’s digital economy. As organizations accelerate cloud adoption, industrial automation, and large-scale digitization, cybersecurity risks are rising in parallel. According to the National Cybersecurity Authority, Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity market reached SAR 15.2 billion in 2024, marking 14 per cent year-on-year growth. The Kingdom also ranked first globally in the IMD World Competitiveness cybersecurity indicator for 2025, underscoring its rapid progress in digital resilience.
Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Riyadh, DSShield operates in high-risk environments where downtime and breaches are not an option. Since launch, the company has delivered more than SAR 1.5 billion worth of cybersecurity projects, spanning advisory services, system implementation, and 24/7 managed security operations for public and regulated sectors.
Commenting on the investment, Siraj Marghalani, Founder and CEO of DSShield, said the company was built on “trust, discipline, and execution,” adding that the partnership with Merak Capital will strengthen DSShield’s technical capabilities and support its ambition to become a national cybersecurity leader as digital adoption accelerates.
From the investor side, Othman Abdulrazaq Alhokail, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Merak Capital, described the deal as aligned with the firm’s strategy of backing companies that form the backbone of Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation. Partner Mohannad Alfayez added that DSShield has already earned credibility across government and regulated industries, with the new capital supporting long-term scaling and a potential future public listing.
The funding will be used to expand DSShield’s security operations, grow its advisory and implementation teams, and accelerate development of proprietary cybersecurity platforms. A significant focus will also be placed on operational technology (OT) security, an area that remains underserved across the region despite rising demand from industrial and critical infrastructure operators.
As Saudi Arabia pushes forward with industrial modernization and Vision 2030 initiatives, the investment positions DSShield to play a larger role in safeguarding critical systems, enterprise networks, and national digital infrastructure.
Why Merak Capital-DSShield Collaboration Matters to MENA
The Merak Capital–DSShield deal highlights a broader shift across MENA: cybersecurity is no longer a support function, but core national infrastructure. As Gulf economies digitize energy, manufacturing, logistics, and government services, demand for locally rooted cybersecurity champions is accelerating.
For Saudi Arabia, backing homegrown firms like DSShield strengthens digital sovereignty, reduces reliance on foreign security vendors, and supports Vision 2030’s goal of building globally competitive technology leaders from within the Kingdom.
