We’re proud to present another founder story as part of our Saudi Startup Success Stories series, created in partnership with StartupBlink and the National Technology Development Program (NTDP). This series spotlights ambitious entrepreneurs who are building technology-driven companies that strengthen Saudi Arabia’s agri-tech, food security, and deep-tech ecosystems.

This conversation features Suliman Aldahlawi, Founder of Nighat, a Saudi agri-tech startup using artificial intelligence to automate date fruit quality inspection and sorting. Suliman’s journey into agricultural innovation began not in farming, but in mechanical engineering, where his technical background inspired him to solve one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: replacing labor-intensive, manual quality grading with scalable, AI-powered automation.

Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem played a pivotal role in Nighat’s early development. National initiatives such as NTDP’s MVP Lab enabled the company to validate its technology, build early prototypes, and accelerate product-market fit. Today, Nighat is positioning itself as a quality standard leader in date processing, helping modernize agricultural supply chains while supporting Saudi Arabia’s vision for food security and smart farming solutions.

Suliman, how did the idea for Nighat come to life?

The idea started from a real problem I noticed in the market. While buying and selling dates, I saw a critical gap between the actual product quality and the sorting process that happens after harvesting.

Most date sorting today relies on manual labor. The quality assessment is visual, so it depends heavily on human judgment. My academic background is in mechanical engineering, and I started looking for a way to automate this process.

When AI and computer vision technologies became more accessible, we realized this was the right opportunity to build a system that can visually inspect dates and classify quality grades automatically. That’s how Nighat was born.

Once you had the idea, what were the first steps to make it a reality?

We started by creating a controlled imaging environment and collecting more than 20,000 images of dates. This dataset helped us train our first AI models and validate whether the technology could actually differentiate between quality grades.

Our first milestone was building a minimum viable product. We participated in NTDP’s MVP Lab program, which helped us develop our first functional prototype.

We tested multiple AI models, almost ten different approaches, until we identified the best-performing solution. Once the technology was validated, we moved on to designing and fabricating our first physical sorting machine.

What role did Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem play in Nighat’s development?

Saudi Arabia offers a very supportive environment for startups today. Government programs actively encourage innovation and help companies bring technology to market.

Another important factor is local demand. Many customers prefer working with Saudi-based companies that understand their operational challenges and agricultural realities. Instead of relying on imported solutions, they want locally built technology tailored to their needs.

That combination of policy support and market demand made Saudi Arabia the right place to build Nighat.

Are there any new AI or R&D initiatives you’re currently excited about?

The technology we developed for date sorting can be applied to other use cases. We’re expanding our computer vision systems to support full production line quality inspection. This includes integrating CT cameras, extracting product information in real time, and connecting it with enterprise management systems.

The goal is not just sorting, but enabling end-to-end automation and data-driven decision-making with extracting real information from vision data that can rely for agricultural and food processing facilities.

What has been the biggest milestone for Nighat so far?

For us, the biggest milestone was developing the core technology itself.

At the beginning, we didn’t have experience in building AI-based inspection systems. We learned through trial and error, testing, failing, improving, and repeating the process many times.

Eventually, we succeeded in building a working solution. That moment validated everything we had worked toward.

What are your long-term goals for Nighat?

Our long-term vision is to become the quality standard leader for date products.

We want Nighat’s technology to define how quality grading and sorting is done, not only in Saudi Arabia, but globally. Over the next five years, we plan to scale regionally and expand into international markets while continuing to improve our technology.

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs building startups in Saudi Arabia?

Today, there are more opportunities than ever. Programs like NTDP didn’t exist before, and they now offer strong support for building and scaling startups.

My main advice is to get hands-on. Don’t be afraid to experiment, test ideas, and make mistakes. You learn the most by doing. Entrepreneurship is about starting, failing, learning, and starting again.

That’s part of the journey.

Closing Remarks

Suliman Aldahlawi’s journey with Nighat reflects a new wave of agri-tech innovation in Saudi Arabia, where engineering, AI, and agriculture intersect to modernize traditional industries.

By automating quality inspection and improving supply chain efficiency, Nighat is helping strengthen food security, increase export competitiveness, and position Saudi Arabia as a leader in smart agriculture solutions.