Exponeur… Saudi Initiative to Connect Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystems

Exponeur is the first pavilion in the history of expo that is fully dedicated to the ecosystem of entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment (SPA) 
Exponeur is the first pavilion in the history of expo that is fully dedicated to the ecosystem of entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment (SPA) 
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Exponeur… Saudi Initiative to Connect Global Entrepreneurship Ecosystems

Exponeur is the first pavilion in the history of expo that is fully dedicated to the ecosystem of entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment (SPA) 
Exponeur is the first pavilion in the history of expo that is fully dedicated to the ecosystem of entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment (SPA) 

The Kingdom's pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka witnessed the launch of the “Exponeur” initiative, a global Saudi initiative that aims to connect entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors through the international Expo platform, and to leverage the global gathering to empower entrepreneurship ecosystems from all around the world.
The initiative spans five years, from Expo Osaka 2025 to Expo Riyadh 2030, and works to link global challenges with opportunities for innovation through training programs, the highlighting of pioneering projects, and the creation of tangible impact to be presented at each edition of the Expo, starting with the Riyadh 2030 edition.
Exponeur aspires to become the first pavilion in the history of expo that is fully dedicated to the ecosystem of entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment, thereby enhancing the Kingdom’s global role in building a limitless entrepreneurial environment and reflecting its firm commitment to promoting international cooperation and supporting the next generation of innovators.
Among the programs and activities that the Exponeur initiative will offer is the “Exponeur Academy,” a global six-month training program that will train 150 entrepreneurs annually from more than 20 countries.

The program includes mentorship sessions, investment readiness preparation, and opportunities to present projects before venture capital funds.
It also includes the “Exponeur Competitions and Challenges,” which span five years and are organized in accordance with the theme of each expo edition.

These challenges go through regional and global stages and conclude with showcasing the top projects at the Exponeur pavilion during Expo Riyadh 2030.
In addition, the initiative includes the “Annual Exponeur Event,” which will be held in Riyadh, the host city of the upcoming expo, and will feature panel discussions, presentations, networking activities, and partnership-building efforts. The initiative also introduces the “Entrepreneurship Development Fund,” which aims to support startup projects and close the financing gap in developing countries.
This initiative is launched in partnership with the Vision Leadership Association, in cooperation with the Ministry of Investment in the Kingdom and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), and is sponsored by SBI Holdings Japan, which supported the first edition of the initiative’s programs and training activities during Expo 2025 Osaka.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Chairman of the Vision Leadership Association and Head of the Saudi Startups Group at the G20 (Startup20) Prince Fahad bin Mansour bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz said that the “Exponeur” initiative embodies the Kingdom’s role in supporting national and global economic development through building bridges between countries to promote a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment in facing global challenges.

He added that the initiative aims to empower future generations to contribute to the creation of solutions, benefit from the global gathering for knowledge exchange, bridge funding gaps, and present opportunities to stakeholders.

For his part, founder of Exponeur initiative, Mansour Al-Saanouni, said Exponeur began as an idea during Saudi Arabia’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.

“It stemmed from a belief in the power of entrepreneurs to present real solutions to global challenges. Today, this idea has evolved into a global initiative to empower entrepreneurs, starting from Expo Osaka 2025 and extending through to Expo Riyadh 2030,’ he said.

 

 



IMF Eyes Revised Global Forecast, but Warns Trade Tensions Still Cloud Outlook

A hazy view of the skyline in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio.
A hazy view of the skyline in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio.
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IMF Eyes Revised Global Forecast, but Warns Trade Tensions Still Cloud Outlook

A hazy view of the skyline in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio.
A hazy view of the skyline in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio.

The International Monetary Fund warned on Friday that risks related to trade tensions continue to cloud the global economic outlook and uncertainty remains high despite some increased trade and improved financial conditions.

IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath said the fund would update its global forecast later in July given "front-loading ahead of tariff increases and some trade diversion," along with improved financial conditions and signs of continued declines in inflation.

In April the IMF slashed its growth forecasts for the United States, China and most countries, citing the impact of US tariffs on imports now at 100-year highs and warning that rising trade tensions would further slow growth.

At the time, it cut its forecast for global growth by 0.5 percentage points to 2.8% for 2025, and by 0.3 percentage points to 3%. Economists expect a slight upward revision when the IMF releases an updated forecast in late July.

According to Reuters, Gopinath told finance officials from the Group of 20 major economies who met this week in South Africa that trade tensions continued to complicate the economic outlook.

"While we will update our global forecast at the end of July, downside risks continue to dominate the outlook and uncertainty remains high," she said, in a text of her remarks.

She urged countries to resolve trade tensions and implement policy changes to address underlying domestic imbalances, including scaling back fiscal outlays and putting debt on a sustainable path.

Gopinath also underscored the need for monetary policy officials to carefully calibrate their decisions to specific circumstances in their countries, and stressed the need to protect central bank independence. This was a key theme in the G20 communique released by finance officials.

Gopinath said capital flows to emerging markets and developing economies remained sluggish, but resilient, in the face of increased policy uncertainty and market volatility. For many borrowers, financing conditions remained tight.

For countries with unsustainable debt, proactive moves were essential, Gopinath said, repeating the IMF's call for timely and efficient debt restructuring mechanisms.

More work was needed on that issue, including allowing middle-income countries to access the G20's Common Framework for Debt Restructuring, she said.