The Biban24 Forum, organized by Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at), concluded in Riyadh on Saturday after five days with agreements and initiatives topping SAR35.4 billion.
The forum, which attracted more than 182,000 visitors and was held under the theme “Global Destination for Opportunities”, offered numerous opportunities and activities to support the Kingdom's rapid development in the SME and entrepreneurial sectors.
Monsha'at Governor Sami Alhussaini said: “Biban24 achieved great success this year. We witnessed record agreements and the introduction of many innovative initiatives that support entrepreneurship in the Kingdom. We are proud of the announcements for financing portfolios and strategic partnerships with prominent local and international entities.”
The five-day forum attracted a large number of entrepreneurs from various countries and featured over 300 panel discussions and workshops in which over 250 foreign and local speakers took part.
The Biban Talks stage hosted over 100 speakers who delved into topics such as media, tourism, environment, education, sports, finance, and investment. The interactive environment enabled entrepreneurs to share their success stories and challenges.
Some 115 entrepreneurs took part in the Investors Arena, showcasing their projects to investors, which resulted in preliminary agreements for investors to sign deals with 65 companies, worth over SAR15 million.
More than 1,300 startups from 72 countries participated in the forum, which also celebrated the graduation of 12 startups from the Real Estate Innovation Accelerator. Also, the virtual lab was launched to support entrepreneurs.
