THEMAR vs. Funding Souq

Sharia-Compliant Financing Platforms in Saudi Arabia Reviews & Features Comparison

The table below highlights the core features offered by Funding Souq versus Themar.

Both are shariah-compliant crowdfunding platforms that connect businesses in need of liquidity with investors who want to support them and earn healthy returns.

On the surface they sound similar, but whether you’re an investor or a business in need of finance, you’ll find many important distinctions in the fine print. To make it easy, we’ve broken down the key points you need to know to assess which platform is right for you.

Features Comparison

For Investors

Platform feature	Funding Souq	Themar Platform
What are you investing in?	You are investing in pre-screened SMEs based in the Saudi Arabia and the UAE, providing them with working capital finance to help them grow.	You are investing in Saudi Arabia-based SMEs that need purchase financing.
Who can invest?	- Funding Souq’s Global platform can onboard nearly all nationalities, allowing almost anyone to invest in UAE-based businesses. - Funding Souq’s KSA platform can onboard only Saudi nationals and residents as per Saudi Central Bank regulation.	Themar’s platform can only onboard Saudi nationals and residents with local Saudi bank accounts.
What is the minimum investment?	The minimum investment is SAR/AED 1,000, or approximately $270.	Themar does not list a minimum investment amount.
What is the maximum investment?	- In Saudi Arabia Retail investors can invest up to SAR 250,000 per year and up to 25% of any opportunity’s total requested amount. - In the UAE Retail investors can invest up to AED 365,000 per year and AED 36,000 per business	Retail investors can invest up to 25% of the requested financing amount with a limit of 250,000 SAR across all projects.
What returns can investors expect?	Investors can expect a net yield of up to 15% and an IRR of up to 23% as monthly repayments allow for compound return. To understand the difference between Yield and IRR read our blog here.	Investors earned a gross return average return of 17.65% average annual returns in Q4 2024.
When are investors paid?	Investors receive monthly principal and profit repayments. This enables compounding as these repayments are returned.	Investors receive monthly or quarterly capital distributions in addition to profits. The average project has a term of 8 months.
What are the fees for investors?	Zero hidden fees. The returns displayed on the platform are net of any applicable fees. The presented return is what you should expect to earn.	Themar does not list any fees for investors. Investors receive the net profit announced for each project.
Does the platform have an Auto-Investment option?	Yes. Once enabled, the Auto-Invest system will automatically allocate your available funds into new opportunities based on your selected investment strategy.	No.
Are all finance and investment operations sharia-compliant?	Yes. You can find more details about our Shariah certification here	Yes.
Is the platform under the supervision of a regulator?	Yes. Funding Souq is regulated by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)	Yes. Themar is registered with the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).

For Businesses

Platform feature	Funding Souq	Themar Platform
Who is eligible for borrowing?	Established businesses in Saudi Arabia or the UAE with a minimum of two years of trading. The business should have SAR / AED 2 million of revenue and be profitable or on path to profitability.	Established businesses in Saudi Arabia with a minimum of two years of trading. The business should have sales of 1 million SAR or more, and previous experience with the supplier they are receiving financing to purchase from.
What is the maximum financing duration?	Request financing for periods of 3-24 months.	Request financing for periods of 1-12 months.
What level of financing is available?	Typically between SAR/AED 100,000 to 1,000,000, but up to a maximum of SAR/AED 7.5 million.	Request financing from SAR 100,000 to 7.5 million SAR
What are the fees for borrowers?	- Origination fee: 2-5% of total funding amount - Service Fee: 1-2 % of the profit paid by the business to investors	- Setup Fee: 2-5% of the financing amount, with a minimum value of 5,000 SAR - Service Fee: Estimated at 30% of the project’s profit margin
How long does it take to get a funding decision?	Typically within 72 hours.	Themar does not disclose how long it typically takes to get a funding decision.

Invest with no hidden fees and get returns of up to 23%

Up to 23% return by financing SMEs

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