Global startups align with Saudi goals at Biban Forum 2025
Biban
Forum 2025 has reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s position as a global center
for entrepreneurship and innovation, bringing together startups, investors, and
industry leaders from around the world at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and
Conference Center.
Organized by Monsha’at —
the Kingdom’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority — and held under
the theme “A Global Destination for
Opportunities,” this year’s edition underscored Saudi Arabia’s growing
appeal as a hub for business and investment in line with Vision 2030.
Since its launch in 2017, Biban has evolved into
the Middle East’s largest entrepreneurship forum. The 2025 event welcomed
representatives from more than 150 countries, over 200 international speakers,
and thousands of exhibitors.
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The forum’s signature “doors,” or thematic
zones, spanned every stage of the entrepreneurial journey — from financing and
e-commerce to franchising, innovation, and international expansion — creating a
comprehensive platform for cross-border partnership and growth.
A global gathering with expanding
international interest
Among the global participants was South Korean
tech leader Naver,
joining a delegation supported by the Korea Institute of Startup and
Entrepreneurship Development.
Interpreter Jeongmin Han highlighted the strategic importance of the Saudi
market:
“It’s very important for Korean companies to have a base here. Saudi Arabia
offers great potential and acts as a bridge to the wider Middle East — it’s the
best place to start.”
US-based AgerPoint, an AI and data solutions
provider for agriculture and natural assets, also attended for the first time.
CEO Kevin Lang described the moment as pivotal:
“It’s an exciting time to be in Saudi Arabia. Being at Biban allows us to
contribute to Vision 2030 goals, especially in food security and water resource
management.”
Lang added that the forum’s collaborative
environment created meaningful opportunities to meet entrepreneurs, investors,
and government leaders looking to adopt advanced technologies.
“If we can secure pilot projects to demonstrate our capabilities,” he said, “we
can evolve our technology around the challenges being addressed here in Saudi
Arabia and across the region.”
Saudi entrepreneurs in the spotlight
Local innovators were equally prominent.
Saudi entrepreneur Hadi Al-Yami, founder of The Bees Basket, showcased his
growing startup focused on honey and hive-based products.
“We produce high-quality honey and participate in international competitions.
Now we aim to expand into the medical and tourism sectors,” he said, praising
Biban for giving emerging founders visibility and access to potential partners.
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A cornerstone of Vision 2030’s SME ambitions
Biban is now firmly established as a pillar of
Saudi Arabia’s strategy to diversify its economy and cultivate a thriving SME
ecosystem. The event connects local entrepreneurs with global investors and
reinforces the Kingdom’s reputation as a place where ideas can scale into
sustainable enterprises.
With participation from every continent, Biban
Forum 2025 highlights the rising international confidence in Saudi Arabia’s
entrepreneurial landscape — and its growing role as a global hub for innovation
and opportunity under Vision 2030.
Source: Arab News
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