The entrepreneurial scene in Saudi Arabia has been on a roll in the past few years with an increase in startup investment.
This entrepreneurial growth could be attributed to its Vision 2030 objective of achieving a thriving economy through fostering and investing in startups.
Saudi’s 2030 Vision does not only focus on expanding entrepreneurship and enterprise opportunities per se, but it also aims at more female inclusion and participation in different aspects of the economy.
The Kingdom believes in the importance of investing in Saudi women’s capabilities and enabling them to strengthen their future and contribute to the development of our society and economy.
16% of founders in Saudi Arabia are females whereas the rest of the 192 founders are men, according to Arabnet’s “State of Digital Investments in MENA 2013-2018” report. It seems that tables are starting to turn in the once male-dominated business environment in the Kingdom with the proliferation of women in the startup scene.
This is the result of giving women the necessary space and tools to thrive in order to lead entrepreneurship and digital innovation in the Kingdom.
This year’s Arabnet Riyadh conference, taking place on December 10-11, will feature several female industry leaders and entrepreneurs that have been driving growth and disrupting the entrepreneurial scene in the Kingdom such as Nejoud Almulaik, Director of Fintech Saudi.
Aside from Nejoud Almulaik’s experience in building client relationships and portfolios, she was appointed in October 2018 as Fintech Saudi Director – a government-led initiative to support the efforts around enabling Fintech ecosystem development in Saudi Arabia.
Deemah AlYahya is a digital transformation and innovation advisor who launched the “Women Spark” initiative in 2015 in order to provide women with the necessary technical, soft, and business skills they need for success in the digital industry. With that, Deemah aims at supporting the rising number of female entrepreneurs to use their full potential in driving growth in the Saudi economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Tuba Terrekli is yet another Saudi woman who is leading entrepreneurship and digital innovation in the Kingdom. As an international business development and investment expert with a focus on futurism, innovation, tech development, and equity investments, Tuba has founded Qotuf Al Riyadah Development Company and established Flat6Labs Jeddah among many other initiatives that provide support to SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Such initiatives help several female entrepreneurs in the Kingdom kick-start their careers such as Ghazael Al Dossary, founder of Oriental Promises Trading. Aside from being the first Saudi female entrepreneur to operate in the recycled industrial waste sector, Ghazael was among the “Top Ten Innovators” to win the Merit Prize at Shell LiveWIRE’s global competition.
Seeing women strive in such an innovative yet competitive ecosystem is an indicator that women have the potential to scale and accelerate their business and the whole economy once given the right means and space to do so.
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