Entrepreneurial Momentum in Saudi Arabia Shines at Riyadh Forward 2025 Summit
Endeavor Saudi Arabia’s event gathered 400+ founders, investors and policymakers to spotlight Riyadh’s rise as a global innovation hub
Endeavor Saudi Arabia concluded its flagship Riyadh Forward 2025 summit on 26 October in Riyadh, bringing together more than 400 founders, investors, mentors, policymakers and ecosystem leaders to celebrate the Kingdom’s surge in global entrepreneurship.
The event served as a platform to showcase Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a hub for innovation, capital and scaling in the Middle East and beyond.
At the opening session, Saud Al-Sabhan, Deputy Governor for Entrepreneurship at Monsha’at, declared bold expectations for the coming years: “Fast forward five years from now, we expect five thousand to seven thousand new startups to launch, and hope over thirty percent of these scale-ups will enter global markets, turning Saudi brands into international names.” His remarks set the tone for discussions throughout the day.
Keynote speakers included Tamara founder and CEO Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, who emphasised the importance of “mega smart global funding” to support local scale-ups.
Adding a global perspective, Federico Pienovi, CEO (MENA & APAC) at Globant, contrasted Saudi Arabia’s founder-friendly environment with other markets: “In Saudi Arabia they ask how they can help you expand.” Sessions focused on themes such as IPO readiness, cross-border expansion, artificial intelligence and merger & acquisition strategies, enabling regional founders to engage with global narratives of growth.
The summit’s agenda featured fireside chats, panels and networking experiences framed around the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions.
Among the topics: how to scale from emerging markets; how Latin American and Asian tech players are partnering with Saudi founders; and how Saudi capital and consumer markets are driving momentum.
The event concluded with an exclusive evening dinner, reinforcing deep connections between regional and international ecosystem actors.
By convening high-impact participants and articulating clear growth targets, Riyadh Forward 2025 underscored Saudi Arabia’s ambition to shift from a regional platform to a global launchpad.
With its ecosystem ecosystem-level goals, the Kingdom is positioning itself as a vibrant engine for entrepreneurship, innovation and cross-border investment.
The event served as a platform to showcase Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a hub for innovation, capital and scaling in the Middle East and beyond.
At the opening session, Saud Al-Sabhan, Deputy Governor for Entrepreneurship at Monsha’at, declared bold expectations for the coming years: “Fast forward five years from now, we expect five thousand to seven thousand new startups to launch, and hope over thirty percent of these scale-ups will enter global markets, turning Saudi brands into international names.” His remarks set the tone for discussions throughout the day.
Keynote speakers included Tamara founder and CEO Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, who emphasised the importance of “mega smart global funding” to support local scale-ups.
Adding a global perspective, Federico Pienovi, CEO (MENA & APAC) at Globant, contrasted Saudi Arabia’s founder-friendly environment with other markets: “In Saudi Arabia they ask how they can help you expand.” Sessions focused on themes such as IPO readiness, cross-border expansion, artificial intelligence and merger & acquisition strategies, enabling regional founders to engage with global narratives of growth.
The summit’s agenda featured fireside chats, panels and networking experiences framed around the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions.
Among the topics: how to scale from emerging markets; how Latin American and Asian tech players are partnering with Saudi founders; and how Saudi capital and consumer markets are driving momentum.
The event concluded with an exclusive evening dinner, reinforcing deep connections between regional and international ecosystem actors.
By convening high-impact participants and articulating clear growth targets, Riyadh Forward 2025 underscored Saudi Arabia’s ambition to shift from a regional platform to a global launchpad.
With its ecosystem ecosystem-level goals, the Kingdom is positioning itself as a vibrant engine for entrepreneurship, innovation and cross-border investment.
