The First Saudi Startups Forum organized by Umm Al-Qura University represented by Wadi Makkah Technology Company will kick off, Allah willing, in the period from Safar 15-17, 1439 H corresponding to November 4-6, 2017 with the participation of their Highnesses and excellences and the senior leadership in the legislative and regulatory bodies involved in achieving the objectives of the National Transformation Program and the Kingdom Vision 2030.  The first session to be held on Sunday will discuss the "Ideal environment for entrepreneurship" and will shed light on the most important steps taken by the relevant authorities to set solutions for the future of the startups by facilitating the national and foreign initiatives to establish joint technology companies (startups) and permit creation of companies owned by Saudi faculty members and students,  besides supporting  leading technology partnerships amongst Islamic nation countries as well as supporting technology valleys, incubators and business accelerators in addition to the non-refundable financial support and investment funds in the venture capital.  

In this regard, UQU Vice President for Development and Entrepreneurship who serves also as the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Wadi Makkah Company Dr. Hani bin Osman Ghazi explained that the forum will witness similar four sessions on Monday Safar 17, 1439 H corresponding to November 6, 2017 where the heads of business incubators and accelerators will start their session on "Business Incubators and Accelerators"  to discuss the significant obstacles and challenges facing business incubators and accelerators in the Kingdom within the framework of current regulations and the solutions which will contribute to leading them to the global level and assure their growth and sustainability  according to the global models.   

Within the same vein, in their session titled:" The Role of Universities and Institutes in Harnessing Research to Support Transformation to Knowledge-based Economy", their excellences the Presidents and Deans of the Saudi Universities and Colleges will discuss means of  preparing researchers and entrepreneurs to lead the transformation to knowledge and economy and community by turning the researches and innovations into tangible products through the startups based on integration and differentiation in economy, resources and regional leadership to serve the national economy.  

Further, the Directors of the Venture Capital Funds will focus, in their session titled, " strategies of investment and venture capital in the startups", on the most important challenges facing venture capital funds to obtain investment opportunities in promising companies besides developing regulations related to the investment in the emerging projects. The session will also set solutions for the obstacles facing entrepreneurs in getting investments for their companies.    

While the entrepreneurs and founders of startups will present in the closing session titled "Education Curve: sharing experience, transferring knowledge between entrepreneurs and the owners of the startups", their experiences and success stories  and challenges facing them and their demands from the decision makers to make the Saudi companies effective elements and essential engine for economic development in the Kingdom. 

Dr. Ghazi Added that  the 1st Saudi Startups Forum will witness in its first and second days several activities which will focus on providing training for the owners of the startups to showcase products of their companies to investors and venture capital funds, besides the specialized workshops in technology and entrepreneurship to be presented by the business incubators and accelerators, the investment funds  and leading companies sponsoring the forum, that is to be added to the discussion panels and accompanying exhibitions.