What Is Salla?
Salla (سلة) is the leading commerce operating system in Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA region. Founded in 2016 in Mecca by Nawaf Hareeri and Salman Butt, Salla has grown from a lightweight tool for automating social media sales into the region's most trusted commerce infrastructure.
With 68,000+ active merchants and over $13.3 billion (50B+ SAR) in processed transactions, Salla powers everyone from first-time entrepreneurs to enterprise brands like Arabian Oud, Abdul Samad Al Qurashi, and the official Nintendo store in Saudi Arabia. One in two Saudi online shoppers has purchased from a Salla-powered store — a level of consumer trust unmatched by any other platform in the region.
In 2023, Salla raised a $130 million pre-IPO round led by Investcorp, Sanabil (a PIF company), and STV, cementing its position as the region's most well-funded commerce platform. The company employs 500+ staff from its Mecca headquarters.
Key Features
Arabic-First Design
Salla is built natively in Arabic with full RTL (right-to-left) support. Unlike international platforms that offer Arabic as a translation layer, Salla's entire ecosystem — dashboard, themes, apps, customer checkout, and support — is designed Arabic-first. The platform supports 40+ languages, allowing merchants to serve both local GCC markets and international customers from the same storefront.
Integrated Payment Gateway
Salla provides its own payment gateway with instant activation — no third-party contracts or specific bank accounts required. Supported methods include:
- Cards: Mada, Visa, Mastercard, American Express
- Mobile wallets: Apple Pay, STC Pay
- Buy Now Pay Later: Tabby, Tamara
- International: PayPal
The gateway handles 15+ currencies and payments from 79+ countries, maintains a 99% successful payment rate, and is PCI DSS Level 1 certified with AI-powered fraud detection and 3D Secure authentication.
ZATCA E-Invoicing Compliance
Salla includes built-in e-invoicing that complies with Saudi Arabia's Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) Phase 1 & 2 requirements, with direct integration to the authority. VAT reporting and GCC regulatory compliance are built-in — no third-party apps needed.
Salla App Store (4,000+ Apps)
Salla's App Store features 4,000+ applications covering marketing automation (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Meta Ads, Snapchat, TikTok, Google Ads), ERP, CRM, accounting, customer service, and loyalty programs. Developers can use the open API to build custom integrations. The App Store is accessible at apps.salla.com.
Theme Store (200+ Themes)
Salla offers 200+ free and premium responsive themes optimized for GCC industries — fashion, beauty, electronics, food, perfumes, jewelry, and more. All themes feature Arabic typography, mobile responsiveness, and visual customization for colors, layouts, and imagery.
Salla Point — Native POS
Salla Point is a native point-of-sale system that connects physical stores to the digital backend. Boutique Shatha eliminated 100% of monthly POS hardware fees after switching to Salla Point, demonstrating real cost savings for omnichannel merchants.
Mahally Marketplace
Mahally is Salla's native marketplace that brings automated traffic to merchants with 0% commission. Salla generates orders for merchants without additional effort — a unique advantage over platforms that charge marketplace fees.
Souq Eljomla — B2B Wholesale
Souq Eljomla is a native B2B wholesale marketplace connecting suppliers and retailers directly inside the Salla ecosystem. This enables merchants to expand into wholesale without leaving the platform.
Salla Ads
Salla Ads allows merchants to run advertising campaigns directly inside the platform — a first-of-its-kind capability in regional e-commerce. Ruby Jewelry achieved 100x return on ad spend (ROAS) and 10x sales growth in their first month using Salla Ads.
CAPI Integration
Salla provides native Conversions API (CAPI) integration for Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat, enabling precision tracking that bypasses cookie limitations — critical for modern digital marketing.
Mobile App Builder
Salla's App Maker enables merchants to create a custom mobile app for their store within 72 hours, without needing a programmer or designer. This feature is included free with the Special plan.
Shipping & Logistics
Salla connects merchants with 200+ shipping partners including Aramex, SMSA, DHL, IMILE, and Emirates Post. Coverage spans Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and global routes. Merchants can print labels, set delivery zones, track shipments, and manage fulfillment without external tools.
Enterprise Brands & Success Stories
Salla serves businesses of every size as permanent commerce infrastructure:
- Arabian Oud — Global fragrance leader using Salla to expand digital operations
- Abdul Samad Al Qurashi (ASQ) — Iconic luxury perfume brand running e-commerce on Salla
- Nintendo Saudi Arabia — Salla custom-built a pre-order system processing 12,000 customers and 12M SAR during peak traffic
- Ghaya Pharmacy — 25% conversion rate increase post-migration from X-Retail
- Freshiez — 600% sales growth during Ramadan via native Cashback and loyalty systems
- IBRAQ (Ibrahim Al Qurashi) — High-traffic enterprise brand operating regional storefronts
Migration Proof & ROI
Merchants switching to Salla from other platforms report significant improvements:
- From Magento: Outlet Pharmacy reduced costs by 80%; Mahaba Store eliminated 20,000 SAR/month in server costs
- From WooCommerce: Bayt Al-Jawza increased sales 5x-9x
- From Zid: Neyam migrated for superior stability
- From X-Retail: Ghaya Pharmacy reduced costs by 50%
Salla Pricing Plans
Salla offers four plans (source: https://salla.com/plans/):
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Store creation, basic product management |
| Plus | 990 SAR/year | Individuals & home producers |
| Pro | 2,990 SAR/year | Small & medium businesses |
| Special | Custom (contact sales) | Large merchants with high volume |
Free Trial
Salla offers a 14-day free trial on paid plans for new merchants. Source: https://salla.com/terms/
Salla Affiliate Program
Salla operates its own affiliate program through Salla Partners (https://salla.partners/affiliate). Key details:
- Commission: Up to 0.7% of total sales from each referred merchant
- Duration: Earnings continue for up to 24 months per referred merchant
- Payment: Monthly payments directly from Salla
- Eligibility: Saudi individuals and non-Saudi companies
- Tools: Dedicated tracking links, custom discount codes, educational resources
Who Should Use Salla?
Recommended For:
- Saudi merchants starting their first online store
- Businesses needing ZATCA e-invoicing compliance
- Merchants who prioritize Arabic-first customer experience
- Enterprises with multiple branches needing POS and ERP integration
- Merchants wanting native B2B wholesale capabilities
- Brands looking for built-in advertising (Salla Ads)
Not Recommended For:
- Merchants targeting exclusively non-Arabic markets
- Businesses needing open-source self-hosted customization
- International stores with no Saudi market presence