Biban 2025: Monsha’at report highlights surge in SME growth, funding
Saudi Arabia's entrepreneurial landscape expanding rapidly with record levels of SME financing, employment and business registrations.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority, Monsha’at, has reported a rapid expansion in the Kingdom’s startup ecosystem and broader ease of doing business.
According to the authority's latest report, "Biban 2025: A Destination of Ambition in a Nation Abounding with Opportunities," released during the opening of the Biban Forum in Riyadh, various metrics indicate significant progress.
The number of active commercial registrations reached 1.7 million by the end of the third quarter of 2025, while small and medium-sized enterprises employed more than 8.4 million people as of August.
Saudi women's participation in the workforce rose to 43.5 percent, reflecting the success of Vision 2030's empowerment programs.
The tourism sector saw a 9.7 percent increase in spending by inbound visitors in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, showing the Kingdom’s steady diversification efforts.
The real estate market expanded with 47,286 off-plan residential units licensed in the third quarter.
Furthermore, the e-sports sector grew by 72 percent year on year, with 9,603 commercial registrations in gaming activities recorded by the end of the third quarter.
There was also a significant increase in financing for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, which rose 20 percent year on year in the second quarter.
Commercial banks accounted for 96 percent of total lending during this period.
The report emphasized the impact of foreign investment regimes, privatization programs, and the National Transformation Program in strengthening competitiveness.
It also noted the Public Investment Fund’s pivotal role in driving priority sectors under Vision 2030.
Monsha’at described Biban 2025 as one of the world's leading entrepreneurship platforms aimed at empowering enterprises, enhancing managerial and technical capabilities, fostering partnerships, and promoting regional investment opportunities across the Kingdom.
The forum, held from Nov. 5 to 8 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, is expected to attract over 140,000 visitors from more than 150 countries.
Its agenda includes panels, workshops, and deal-signing sessions as well as the Global Finals of the Entrepreneurship World Cup, a competition that received 10,300 applications from 169 countries.
The top 100 finalists will compete in Riyadh for $1.5 million in cash prizes.
According to the authority's latest report, "Biban 2025: A Destination of Ambition in a Nation Abounding with Opportunities," released during the opening of the Biban Forum in Riyadh, various metrics indicate significant progress.
The number of active commercial registrations reached 1.7 million by the end of the third quarter of 2025, while small and medium-sized enterprises employed more than 8.4 million people as of August.
Saudi women's participation in the workforce rose to 43.5 percent, reflecting the success of Vision 2030's empowerment programs.
The tourism sector saw a 9.7 percent increase in spending by inbound visitors in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, showing the Kingdom’s steady diversification efforts.
The real estate market expanded with 47,286 off-plan residential units licensed in the third quarter.
Furthermore, the e-sports sector grew by 72 percent year on year, with 9,603 commercial registrations in gaming activities recorded by the end of the third quarter.
There was also a significant increase in financing for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, which rose 20 percent year on year in the second quarter.
Commercial banks accounted for 96 percent of total lending during this period.
The report emphasized the impact of foreign investment regimes, privatization programs, and the National Transformation Program in strengthening competitiveness.
It also noted the Public Investment Fund’s pivotal role in driving priority sectors under Vision 2030.
Monsha’at described Biban 2025 as one of the world's leading entrepreneurship platforms aimed at empowering enterprises, enhancing managerial and technical capabilities, fostering partnerships, and promoting regional investment opportunities across the Kingdom.
The forum, held from Nov. 5 to 8 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, is expected to attract over 140,000 visitors from more than 150 countries.
Its agenda includes panels, workshops, and deal-signing sessions as well as the Global Finals of the Entrepreneurship World Cup, a competition that received 10,300 applications from 169 countries.
The top 100 finalists will compete in Riyadh for $1.5 million in cash prizes.
