Saudi Arabia-based AI startup Velents has expanded into Bahrain through a strategic partnership with stc Bahrain, signed on the sidelines of LEAP 2026 in Riyadh. The deal builds on Velents' existing presence in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, marking its third MENA market.
Founded by Mohamed Gaber, Velents develops agentic AI solutions for enterprises — autonomous digital agents that automate workflows, reduce manual processes, and support decision-making. Under the partnership, Velents and stc Bahrain will launch an exclusive suite of agentic AI product bundles for enterprise customers in Bahrain, integrating Velents' technology directly into stc Bahrain's B2B offering.
The partnership is designed to provide Bahraini businesses with locally delivered AI infrastructure and tools, allowing deployments to comply with local regulatory and data requirements. Gaber framed the deal as a shift in how enterprises access AI: "From today, an enterprise in Bahrain can get autonomous AI agents the same way it gets connectivity — from one local provider, under one agreement, governed by local rules."
The expansion underscores a broader trend in the region: AI startups are scaling across MENA by partnering with incumbent telecoms rather than building standalone go-to-market operations. By embedding AI capabilities into existing B2B ecosystems, startups like Velents can reach enterprise customers faster while meeting local data sovereignty requirements.
