JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia-based live social shopping and auction platform Rwaj has raised $1.2 million (SAR 4.5 million) in a pre-seed funding round to accelerate product development and regional expansion.
Rwaj enables sellers across the GCC to conduct live shopping and real-time auctions through its platform. Sellers can offer products through fixed-price purchases or timed auctions, while buyers can bid and complete purchases directly within the app.
The platform addresses challenges commonly associated with social-media-based live selling, including payment risks, manual order management and fragmented shipping processes. Rwaj uses an escrow-based payment system, holding buyers’ funds until products are delivered and confirmed.
The platform supports Mada, Apple Pay and card payments, while shipping is managed through integrated carrier partners. Its Arabic-first, bilingual interface is designed for sellers across all GCC countries, while buyers can participate from anywhere globally.
Beyond commerce, Rwaj positions itself as a social shopping platform, allowing buyers to follow sellers, discover products through a community-driven experience and return for future live streams.
“This round lets us reach many more sellers and buyers, in the region and beyond,” said Taher Alblowe, Founder and CEO of Rwaj. He added that the company aims to make live selling safer and more native to the region by bringing selling, payments and shipping into a single platform.
The funding will be used to expand Rwaj’s seller and buyer base, enhance its product and accelerate growth across the Middle East.
