Badir Program showcases 127 Saudi startups at GITEX Dubai

Saudi Arabia-based Badir Program for Technology Incubators, one of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology projects, will take part in GITEX Technology Week Exhibition 2017, which will be launched on the 8th of October at Dubai World trade Center. This initiative aims to highlight the role of the Program and its interest in supporting technology startups and entrepreneurship in the Kingdom.

During its participation at the event, Badir Program will shed light on its role and main services in terms of developing the spirit of initiative and innovation in the technological field among Saudi young people, and supporting and sponsoring innovators and entrepreneurs, to help them turn their ideas into promising technology projects that would contribute to accelerating the economic development. Badir will also present some of the 127 technology projects currently incubated by the program.

At GITEX Future Stars, which will be held in conjunction with GITEX Technology Week, Badir Program will explore new promising opportunities for its incubated companies, and will give them the opportunity of participating in this event that will host more than 700 entrepreneurs and innovators coming from 75 countries to present their leading ideas, and they will be able as well to meet more than 250 of the top investors and most influencing capital owners in the world.

GITEX Future Stars will feature three distinctly themed conference tracks with trending conversations on capital funding, tech start-ups and creative disruptors, featuring high-profile regional and international speakers. Start-ups and entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to network with and learn from renowned Silicon Valley investors.

Commenting on the Program presence at GITEX, Nawaf Al Sahhaf, CEO of Badir Technology Incubator  , said, “GITEX Technology Week offers us a unique opportunity to communicate with the leaders of the technology sector worldwide, and get an idea of the latest technological quality innovations that are likely to support and increase the capacities of Saudi startups, while also presenting our main achievements in supporting the knowledge-based economy, adopting the advanced international practices, and creating developed policies that meet the ambitions and needs of entrepreneurs in the Saudi market” . 

He pointed out that Badir Program will seize this opportunity to open new channels of communication and cooperation with international technology companies, and share practical experiences in the business and innovation fields, and highlight the innovating technology companies in the Saudi market, while also shedding light on the governmental initiatives that aim to support entrepreneurs and SMEs”. 

Badir Program for Technology Incubators is one of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology’s’ programs. It is a comprehensive national program that seeks to activate and develop technical business incubators, enhance the concept of technical entrepreneurship and transform projects and technical research into successful business opportunities through the support of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology incubators and the provision of an appropriate environment for the growth of emerging technical institutions based on the principle of risk reduction and focus on business development leading to a knowledge-based society and economy in the Kingdom. 

Since its launch in 2007 by King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Badir Program for Technology Incubators and accelerators has exponentially grown supporting budding entrepreneurs and succeeded served more than 200 startups since its inception. The program currently has 127 technical projects incubated through its five incubators, generating a market value of SR331 million ($88.26 million) for 34 of these projects alone.