Agreements to Launch Pilot Initiatives for Small Enterprises in Saudi Arabia

Biban 2023 witnessed the signing of more than 25 agreements and memorandums of understanding, and the launch of a number of pioneering and financing initiatives. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Biban 2023 witnessed the signing of more than 25 agreements and memorandums of understanding, and the launch of a number of pioneering and financing initiatives. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Agreements to Launch Pilot Initiatives for Small Enterprises in Saudi Arabia

Biban 2023 witnessed the signing of more than 25 agreements and memorandums of understanding, and the launch of a number of pioneering and financing initiatives. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Biban 2023 witnessed the signing of more than 25 agreements and memorandums of understanding, and the launch of a number of pioneering and financing initiatives. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Biban 2023 - Saudi Arabia’s largest start-up, SME, and entrepreneurship conference – saw on Friday the signing of more than 25 agreements between the government and private agencies.

The forum, which kicked off on Thursday at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, is organized by Monsha’at - the Saudi General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, and attended by 350 speakers representing entrepreneurs, investors and experts from around the world, more than 120 public and private entities, and 750 exhibitors.

The forum witnessed the signing of more than 25 agreements and memorandums of understanding, and the launch of a number of pioneering and financing initiatives, with a financial value of more than 11 billion riyals ($2.9 billion).

A cooperative agreement was signed between Monsha’at and SABB Bank, in the presence of the Deputy Governor of the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises for Planning and Development, Suleiman Al-Tarif, and the head of Business Banking and SMEs at SABB, Munif Al-Otaibi.

Monsha'at also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia, to work together to equip Saudi SMEs with the tools to grow and succeed in the e-commerce space. The agreement will promote joint cooperation and pioneer leading-edge solutions designed to empower SMEs reliant on communication technology.

On the other hand, Monsha’at signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Energy, with the aim of enabling gas stations to expand their brands through the Commercial Franchise Center.

The General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises concluded a number of MoUs with government agencies and major projects, including the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Tourism Development Fund, the Saudi Export Development Authority and the Red Sea International Company, with the aim of empowering and supporting entrepreneurs, establishments and startups.



Egypt Targets 10 mln Ton Wheat Harvest

A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
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Egypt Targets 10 mln Ton Wheat Harvest

A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Egypt expects to harvest 10 million tonnes of wheat this year, up from 9 million in 2023, driven by improved crop yields and ambitious land reclamation efforts, Agriculture Minister Alaa Farouk told Reuters late on Wednesday.

He said 3.1175 million feddans (about 1.30 million hectares) have been cultivated this season — slightly lower than the 3.5 million feddans announced earlier by the planning ministry and 3.2 million feddans in 2024 (1.34 million hectares), suggesting a possible decline in total wheat area.

Farmers have told Reuters that wheat has become less profitable compared to crops like beet, whose area increased from 500,000 feddans (210,000 hectares) to 700,000 feddans (294,000 hectares) this year.

The government plans to buy 4-5 million tonnes of local wheat and import about 6 million tonnes to provide heavily subsidised bread for over 69 million Egyptians.

Farouk said newer high-yield wheat strains developed by the Agricultural Research Center have raised productivity by 7-8.5%.

"This is vertical expansion, and horizontal expansion is coming," he said.

That horizontal expansion is led by the Mostakbal Misr for Sustainable Development, which plans to reclaim 4 million feddans across the country.

Farouk said some of that land is ready for production and the rest will follow in the next two years, offering major opportunities for agricultural investment.

Mostakbal Misr, recently tasked with wheat imports, is also developing infrastructure and growing crops tailored to local consumption, exports and agri-processing, Farouk said..

Farouk added the government is studying a potential rise in local fertilizer prices. Urea and nitrate fertilizers cost around 9,500 Egyptian pounds ($185) per tonne to produce but are sold at a subsidized 4,500 ($87.63). Export prices reach up to 20,000 pounds ($389.48), Farouk said.