Welcome Health Ventures Insider

Welcome Health Ventures Insider

by Steve Moore

Entrepreneurship Health & Fitness

Season 1

Burning the Ships: Dr Umair Khan on Building Arabic Medical AI

He'd just landed his dream job. Three months later, he resigned, moved to Riyadh and set out to build medical AI for a language he couldn't speak. In this episode of WHV Insider, Steve Moore is joined by Dr Umair Khan, former NHS haematology registrar and Co-Founder of Sahl AI, the Riyadh-based company building Arabic-first AI for clinical documentation. It started with an English demo and one question from the CEO of Riyadh First Health Cluster: "Can you do this in Arabic?" The team said a few weeks. It took nearly two years. In a Saudi clinic, Arabic isn't one language problem but several: regional dialects, colloquial rather than formal Arabic, and doctors who switch into English medical terms mid-sentence. Umair explains how Sahl AI became the first international company in the cluster's incubator, why a public partner everyone warned would be slow moved fast, and how an ethics rejection became the route to real-world data and a peer-reviewed study in JMIR Medical Informatics. He's also candid about what he'd do differently, and why Sahl AI no longer calls itself a scribe. In this episode: From NHS registrar and academic clinician to health tech founder "Burning the ships": leaving a dream job and moving his family to Riyadh Why open-source models failed on Saudi dialects and code-switching Partnering with Riyadh First Health Cluster, from MOU to boots on the ground Why real clinical conversations beat actors and synthetic speech Clinical validation as a selling point, not a distraction The mistakes: going part-time, cultural nuance, and product vs speed to market Vision 2030 on the ground, two and a half years in What's next: from documentation to coding, orders and revenue cycle management For anyone building health tech for Saudi, this is an honest founder's account of what localisation really means, and what it takes to get it right. Connect with Dr Umair Khan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-umair-khan-phd/and find Umair's email and contact details via Sahl AI at https://sahl.ai

Stop Selling to Saudi. Start Building With It.

This week, something different. Between the interviews, Steve Moore shares a short briefing on a single development, trend or idea that international companies and health leaders should be paying attention to. The subject is a shift most international organisations haven't priced in yet. When healthcare companies think about Saudi, they still tend to think through one lens: a very large market. Vision 2030, new hospitals, digital health, privatisation, procurement. The question Steve gets asked, almost without exception, is how do we sell into Saudi Arabia? That framing is becoming too narrow. Alongside the transformation of its own health system, Saudi Arabia is increasingly participating in global health leadership, in health diplomacy, international research, workforce development and health system cooperation. The most visible signal came in the last few weeks, Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean has been nominated by Saudi Arabia for Director-General of the World Health Organisation. The first Saudi national ever put forward to lead it. And Alfaisal Uni's new Global Health Hub.

No Stupid Money, Local IP & the Saudi MedTech Leapfroging efforts

In this episode of WHV Insider, Steve Moore is joined by Bruce Gaffney, CEO of KaRama Venture Studio, for a Meet the Investor conversation on what it actually takes to build, not just import, medtech and biotech ventures inside Saudi Arabia. Bruce isn't a typical investor. Starting his first business at 17, an encrypted communications platform and an early internet banking system, he was once told, "What is internet? And do you think people will manage finances with a computer and not a human?" Despite dismissals, he recognised that when something seems too difficult or like a dream, it's time to act. This mindset led him from New York through the GCC and UAE to Riyadh. Today, KaRama Venture Studio operates in the SFDA campus, building a portfolio of 15 companies in two years, focusing on local IP, capability, and manufacturing over importing international products. Bruce offers blunt insights into what works and what doesn't in Saudi. Bruce notes that raising capital now requires understanding that investors are shifting from quick real estate returns to biotech’s 10-15 year horizons. He's clear that no one invests because you're cool or Western. In this episode, we also cover: Bruce's route from a first startup at 17 to venture building in Riyadh, and the bank meeting that shaped his whole approach How KaRama Venture Studio has built 15 companies in two years from inside the SFDA campus Why investor culture in the Kingdom is shifting from real estate return horizons to biotech ones, and why raising is materially easier than it was two years ago Vision 2030 at the ten-year mark: the taxi driver test, and the shift from marketing value to hard financial and job creation metrics Why being physically on the SFDA campus is "a live-in relationship, not a long-distance one", and what that actually buys you When IP registration and regulatory work should start, and why day-one filings are often wasted money The MVP discipline most founders lack: knowing when to stop developing and start selling The single pitch line that switches Bruce off immediately Where academia is essential to a health venture, and where market validation matters more How the recent regional conflict accelerated the case for local manufacturing and supply chain resilience The leapfrog thesis: why Saudi Arabia will deploy the most advanced medical technology first Whether you really need a local Saudi partner — and what genuinely being based in the Kingdom looks like Why so many Vision 2030 slides are written by people who have never read Vision 2030 For anyone weighing a move into the Saudi health technology market, this is a practical, unsentimental account of how ventures actually get built in the Kingdom — and why, as Bruce puts it, you should build the relationships first and let the business follow. Find Bruce Gaffney and KaRama Venture Studio at karamavs.com or on LinkedIn.

Scars, Distribution & the Saudi Health Tech Opportunity

In this episode of WHV Insider, Steve Moore is joined by Kamyaar Butt, Investment Lead at Arāya Ventures, for a Meet the Investor conversation on what it actually takes to raise capital, and build conviction, across the UK, US and GCC. Kamyaar's path into venture is anything but conventional: from artist and event management in California, through fintech at Square, to building a platform with clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson that scaled to 200,000 users, before moving into venture capital itself. That breadth of operating experience now shapes how she evaluates founders at Arāya Ventures, a fund that has grown in under three years from a UK pre-seed vehicle, the Super Angel Fund, into a multi-fund platform spanning the UK, GCC, Europe and Asia, with roughly 70% of its portfolio built around AI. One of the most useful parts of the conversation is what Kamyaar looks for once the pitch is over. Founders who can't recite their CAC or churn without opening a spreadsheet are a red flag. So is a pitch built entirely on momentum rather than an honest account of what isn't working yet. In a region where, as Kamyaar puts it, failure is still culturally looked down upon rather than treated as data, she argues the ecosystem matures fastest when founders are rewarded for showing their scars, not just their wins. That theme connects to a wider point about market entry: the GCC remains a relationship-first economy, and building trust takes face time, not just a strong deck. Kamyaar is candid too about the effect of the recent regional conflict on sentiment and fundraising activity, and why she still sees the underlying growth story as intact, pointing to Andreessen Horowitz's first Saudi investment closing mid-conflict as a signal that conviction in the market hasn't wavered. For founders and investors weighing where health tech and venture capital in the GCC are heading, Kamyaar makes the case that Saudi Arabia — still a G20 rather than G7 market, and still maturing — is on track to become a genuine health tech hub for the wider Middle East and North Africa over the next decade, in the same way Silicon Valley became synonymous with AI. In this episode, we cover: Kamyaar's path from artist management and fintech to venture capital, via a platform built with Jordan Peterson How Arāya Ventures has scaled from a UK pre-seed fund into a UK–GCC–Europe–Asia platform in under three years Why "distribution channels and scars in founders" matter more than the product itself in an AI-native world The most common mistake founders make when pitching their unit economics Why failure needs to be normalised, not hidden, for the GCC startup ecosystem to mature How relationship-building in the Middle East differs fundamentally from the US or Western Europe The real impact of the recent regional conflict on founder sentiment and fundraising activity Where the tangible investment gaps sit today: women's health, palliative and older-age care, and the seed-to-Series-A funding gap Why Saudi Arabia and the UAE can be a launchpad into Africa and Asia, not just a market in their own right Kamyaar's 10-year outlook for Saudi Arabia as a health tech hub for the Middle East and North Africa Arāya Ventures' plans to open a Saudi office in Q4 and deepen its presence on the ground For anyone building or investing across Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, this episode is a grounded look at how a hands-on investor thinks about conviction, timing and trust, and why the founders who show their scars are often the ones worth backing. Find Kamyaar Butt and Arāya Ventures at araya.ventures or on LinkedIn.

AI, Early Detection & the UK–Saudi Longevity Opportunity

In this episode of WHV Insider, Steve Moore is joined by Dr Wareed Alenaini, Founder and CEO of Twinn Health, for a practical conversation about AI-driven early detection, preventative health, and what it takes to build a health technology company across both the UK and Saudi Arabia. Twinn Health began as research at Imperial College London, where Dr Alenaini studied how MRI data reveals patterns of disease progression. That work became a patented, NHS-validated platform that applies AI to identify chronic and age-related conditions years before clinical symptoms appear. Having commercialised in the UK, the company is now entering the Saudi market, and the conversation is candid about how different those two journeys have been. One of the most instructive parts of the discussion is what happened when the same product met two very different systems. In the UK, the private MRI market had a problem with underutilised capacity, and Twinn offered a way to fill it. In Saudi Arabia, the position was reversed: scanners are fully utilised, some centres run twenty-four hour cycles, and new machines are added year after year. The technology did not change, but the value proposition had to be rebuilt entirely, around insurers who own the hospitals and the machines, and who stand to capture the savings that earlier detection creates. That experience speaks to a core theme behind WHV Insider: Saudi Arabia is not simply a market to enter, but an ecosystem to understand. Desk research and published data can suggest a strong fit while the commercial reality on the ground looks nothing like it. As Dr Alenaini puts it, the insight that mattered came from knocking on doors and speaking directly to customers. In this episode, we cover: How AI and MRI data are being used to detect chronic disease before symptoms appear Why a value proposition that works in the UK can fail on arrival in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia's diagnostic infrastructure and where early detection technology fits The chronic disease burden shaping health priorities across the Kingdom Why non-communicable conditions are driven far more by environment than by willpower Vision 2030 at ten years, and the shift from extending lifespan to extending healthspan Why Saudi's cluster model borrows selectively rather than copying any single system The university hospital route into the Saudi system that many market entry plans overlook Practical guidance for non-Saudi founders on building trust in a relationship-led market What still gets misunderstood about Saudi Arabia from the outside Lessons from taking a university spinout through validation, clearance and commercialisation Dr Alenaini also reflects on the personal experience of late diagnosis within her own family that shaped the company's founding purpose, and shares the advice from a mentor that has stayed with her throughout: never be afraid of making mistakes, but never make the same mistake twice. For founders, investors, clinicians and healthcare leaders looking at Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, this episode offers a grounded view of where the opportunity in preventative health sits — and why building the right commercial model for the local system matters as much as having the right technology. Find Dr Wareed Alenaini and Twinn Health at twinn.health or on LinkedIn.

Saudi Digital Health, Diabetes Innovation, and the UK–Saudi Opportunity

In this episode of WHV Insider, Steve Moore is joined by Dr Meshari Alwashmi and Hassan Chaudhury for a practical conversation about healthcare innovation, digital health, diabetes, and the growing opportunity between the UK and Saudi Arabia. The discussion explores how Saudi's healthcare transformation is creating space for new models of care, new partnerships, and international innovation that can respond to real system needs. With diabetes and long-term condition management remaining major priorities across the region, the conversation looks at where digital health, data, clinical engagement, and market access need to come together. This episode also reflects one of the core themes behind WHV Insider: Saudi Arabia is not just a market to enter, but an ecosystem to understand. Success depends on knowing the people, priorities, pathways, and practical realities that shape how innovation is adopted. In this episode, we cover: Saudi Arabia’s evolving digital health and healthcare innovation landscape Why diabetes and chronic disease management remain major priorities How UK and international companies should think about Saudi market entry The importance of local relevance, partnerships, and system alignment What innovators often misunderstand about entering the Saudi market How relationships, trust, and timing influence healthcare opportunities The role of WHV in connecting innovators, operators, investors, and system stakeholders For founders, investors, healthcare leaders, and innovators looking at Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, this episode offers a grounded view of where the opportunity sits — and why understanding the system matters as much as having the right product.

What Everyone Gets Wrong About Saudi Arabia (And Why It Matters for Business)

Episode 1: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Saudi Arabia — History, Culture, and Doing Business the Right Way In this first episode of WHV Insider, we sit down with Dr. Khalid Aldeera, CEO and Founder of Phases of Arabia, to explore the history, culture, and realities of Saudi Arabia, and why understanding them is critical for anyone looking to engage with the Kingdom today. In this episode, we cover: The phases of Saudi Arabia and how they shape the Kingdom today Why are many Western perceptions of Saudi incomplete or outdated The role of culture, religion, and tradition in business interactions Common mistakes foreigners make when entering the market How to build trust and long-term relationships in Saudi Practical insights on navigating meetings, etiquette, and expectations About the guest Dr. Khalid Aldeera is the Founder of Phases of Arabia, an initiative focused on sharing the true history and cultural identity of Saudi Arabia through immersive tours and experiences across Riyadh and beyond. You can reach Phases of Arabia via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phasesofarabia/ Or Whatspp: wa.me/966550729259