Q1–Q2 2026
Innovating VAT Reclaims for the Guests of Allah.
Sahlan is a value-upcycling layer for pilgrims, tourists and premium Muslim shoppers — turning approved tax-free refund value into something more useful, emotional and spendable inside the Muslim travel economy.
Hajj 2026 pilgrims
1.71M
GASTAT 2026
Inbound spend
SAR 176.6B
MoT 2025
Working SAM
~SAR 10B
Sahlan
How it works
The Sahlan model in four steps.
Sahlan is not a VAT refund operator. We're the loyalty and value-upcycling layer that sits on top of approved tax-free rails — making the refund worth more.
- 01
Shop
Visitors shop at participating merchants across Makkah, Madinah and the Kingdom — perfumes, gold, dates, gifts, fashion and more.
- 02
Validate
The VAT refund is validated through the approved tax-free operator. Sahlan stays fully compliant — we never replace ZATCA or Global Blue.
- 03
Upcycle
Instead of a plain cash refund, visitors can convert that value into Sahlan wallet credit, perfume and gold vouchers, hotel stays, Umrah services or airline miles.
- 04
Boost
Merchants, hotels and partners upsize the value — a SAR 100 refund can become SAR 115–130 of partner-funded rewards inside the sacred economy.
“Sahlan turns refunds into a commerce flywheel for the Two Holy Cities.
Our mission
Elevating the journey in the Two Holy Cities.
Our vision
To evolve the Islamic economy and empower our future founders.
Pilgrims come for worship. The buying experience around them shouldn't get in the way. Sahlan reduces opacity, improves trust, and modernises commerce around Makkah and Madinah — beginning with a wedge pilgrims already feel: value they may lose, delay, or underutilise.
2026
Our milestones in 2026.
The year converted Sahlan from a broad marketplace concept into a more focused, capital-efficient, investor-ready company.
01
Strategic wedge sharpened
Repositioned from marketplace-first to value-conversion-first — starting from pain points pilgrims and businesses already feel.
02
Operational efficiency increased with AI
Rapid AI adoption within our internal systems and infrastructure being built for the sacred economy.
03
Military grade AI cybersecurity
Predictive threat intelligence and defense tech to preserve and protect our users and partners.
04
Nusuk 2027 cohort maintained
Whitelisted partner status retained — credibility in the pilgrim ecosystem preserved.
Ecosystem
A larger ecosystem built on stewardship.
Sahlan Technologies is the umbrella — a family of ventures serving the sacred economy with one standard of trust.
Sahlan Technologies
Sahlan Capital
Ethical, riba-free venture capital for founders serving the sacred economy.
Sahlan VAT
Tax-free value upcycling for pilgrims, tourists and premium Muslim shoppers.
Sahlan FX
Fair, transparent currency conversion built for visitors.
Sahlan Marketplace
Trusted commerce across Makkah and Madinah merchants.
Sahlan Ops
Operating infrastructure and technology for the sacred economy.
Distribution moat
SAR 3.03 million worth of pilgrim-facing touchpoints.
Delivered through our hotel and transport partnerships.
Team
Execution depth in a specialised market.
Cofounder · CEO
Dr. Omar Mirza
- 15+ years in brand building
- Major rebrands and Guinness World Records
- Deep investor and ecosystem relationships
Cofounder · CTO
Eng. Abdullah Mazi
- 25+ years in IT
- Led mega digitalisation projects (Adahi, Othaim)
- Strong government and regulator relationships