KSA Hafla

Saudi’s tech community, in one room. 

KSA Hafla is a free tech meetup for developers, designers, founders and curious builders — meet face-to-face, share what you’re making, and turn strangers into real friends. Starting in Jeddah, with Riyadh next.

Kicking off in Jeddah100% free, alwaysOpen to everyone in tech
JeddahFounding cityOur first home on the Red Sea coast — more cities on the way.
FreeAlways freeNo tickets, no paywalls. Just show up and join in.
Bilingualعربي & EnglishTalks and conversations flow naturally in both languages.
OpenAll levels welcomeStudents, engineers, designers, founders — everyone builds something.
Next Gathering

The First Hafla

We’re assembling the founding crew for our very first meetup in Jeddah. Join the community to be first to know when it’s locked in.

Jeddah Tech Hafla #01 — Kickoff Night

Our very first gathering. A relaxed evening to meet the people building tech in Jeddah, hear a couple of short lightning talks, and help shape what KSA Hafla becomes.

When
Date & time TBA
Where
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — exact venue TBA
Format
Lightning talks · open networking · giveaways · food & coffee
  • AI & Machine Learning
  • Cloud & DevOps
  • Web3 & Blockchain
  • Smart Contracts
  • Product Design
  • Cybersecurity
  • Startups & Fundraising
  • Mobile Development
  • Data Engineering
  • Open Source
  • UX Research
  • Robotics
  • Game Development
  • Developer Careers
What happens at a Hafla

Meet people. Make friends. Join the crew.

Meet developers, designers, and founders building real things in Saudi tech — learn from them, become friends, and leave with more than just a LinkedIn connection.

01

Learn

Short, honest talks and live demos from people actually shipping — no fluff, no sales pitches.

02

Connect

Real conversations over coffee and food. Leave with new friends, not just new contacts.

03

Build

Find collaborators, co-founders, and teammates for your next side project or startup.

Who it’s for

Come with a question, a half-built idea, or nothing at all

Some people turn up to find a co-founder. Some want a straight answer about the thing they’re stuck on. Some are two weeks into their first job. All of it counts.

Founders & almost-founders

Starting a company, or still circling the idea? Bring it at any stage — half-formed is welcome here.

Looking for a co-founder

The person whose skills cover your gaps is far easier to find in a room than in a cold DM.

After honest advice

Ask the people who already hit the wall you're walking toward, and hear what it actually cost them.

New to tech

Students, fresh grads, and career-switchers. Nobody here is going to ask how many years you've got.

Want real feedback

Show the thing. Take the hard questions. Leave knowing exactly what to fix first.

From anywhere in the world

Saudis, expats, and people just passing through. Different markets and different scars make better conversations.

Where we meet

A city built on people passing through

Jeddah has been a gateway for centuries — traders, pilgrims, and now the people building the Kingdom’s tech. It felt like the right place to start.

CornicheAl-HamraAl-BaladRED SEAN5 km

Illustrated map — Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — exact venue TBA.

Al-Balad

The old town's coral houses and their rawasheen — where Jeddah started.

King Fahd Fountain

The jet on the waterfront you can see from most of the city.

The Corniche

Sea air, long walks, and the best place in town to keep talking after.

Across the Kingdom

Jeddah First. All of Saudi Next.

We’re starting small and real in Jeddah, then bringing KSA Hafla to more cities as local tech communities step up. Vote for where we should go next.

  1. Jeddah

    Live Now

    Founding city — building the crew right now.

  2. Riyadh

    Next Stop

    Next stop on the roadmap.

  3. Khobar / Dammam

    On Roadmap

    On our radar for the Eastern Province.

  4. Makkah / Madinah

    On Roadmap

    Reach out if you want to help kick this off.

What’s coming

Giveaways, Web3 nights, and sponsors on the way

The first Hafla is the start. Here’s what we’re lining up next — nothing is booked yet, so treat these as promises we intend to keep rather than dates you can hold us to.

Coming soon

Giveaways at every Hafla

Swag, cloud credits, event tickets and the occasional device — raffled off on the night, free to enter.

Coming soon

Web3 & blockchain nights

Dedicated sessions on chains, wallets, smart contracts and what teams in the region are actually shipping.

Coming soon

Web2 & product nights

The everyday stack — web apps, cloud, mobile, data and design — for the people building day to day.

Coming soon

Company sponsors & partners

We're already in talks and meetings with a few brands and companies about hosting a night, feeding the room, or backing the community.

Backed by (soon)

In talks, open for partners

We’re in early conversations and meetings with brands and companies about backing KSA Hafla. These slots are open and ready to showcase verified partners.

Want your brand in one of those slots, or want to host a tech night with us? .

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really free?

Yes — every KSA Hafla event is free to attend, always. We're built by and for the community, not for profit.

Who can join?

Anyone curious about tech: students, engineers, designers, product folks, founders, and career-switchers. You don't need to be an expert — you just need to be curious.

What language are the talks in?

A natural mix of Arabic and English, depending on the speaker. Slides and demos are usually in English.

Can I give a talk or sponsor an event?

Absolutely — we're always looking for speakers and venues/sponsors for food and drinks. Reach out and let's talk.

I'm not in Jeddah — can I still be part of this?

Yes. Jeddah is our founding city, but KSA Hafla is a Kingdom-wide idea. Join the community channel and help us bring it to your city next.

Be part of the founding Hafla crew

No spam, no noise — just an invite to the first event and the occasional update as we grow across the Kingdom.

Join Community