Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship Participated in StartUp Saudi Arabia Forum

Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College (MBSC) of Business and Entrepreneurship, a leading provider of world class, high caliber higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, participated in the StartUp Saudi Arabia Forum, an event for emerging Saudi companies which was held Saturday November 4 to Monday November 6, 2017, at the Ritz-Carlton in Jeddah.

Under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region, the StartUp Forum was organized by Umm Al-Qura University represented by Wadi Makkah Technology Company.

The forum included a conference, an exhibition, and seminars as well as short presentations for investors.  In addition to participating in the conference, MBSC also had a booth at the exhibition giving information on their EXED (executive education) programs and MBA degrees.

Decision makers, men of expertise, local and international companies participated in the forum sessions with a view to achieving sustainable development in line with the Kingdom Vision 2030 in terms of supporting national knowledge-based economy, regional leadership, expanding the productive base through entrepreneurship and creating a congenial environment for an incubator of knowledge and technological creativity and innovation.

A number of sessions and seminars were held to discuss topics of interest to start-ups and entrepreneurs such as legislative and organizational development of start-ups, venture capital and investment strategies, best practices and latest research works and studies in the field, as well as a session for sharing experiences and knowledge transfer between entrepreneurs and start-ups owners.

MBSC participated in two panels on the 6th of November when H.E. Dr. Nabeel Koshak, Dean of Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College for Business & Entrepreneurship, took part in a panel discussion titled Nurturing a Culture of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Mr. Osama Ashri. Head of Development and Strategic Alliances at MBSC, took a part in a panel discussion titled Incubators and Accelerators: What is NEXT?

“My colleague and I are delighted to have participated in the StartUp Saudi Arabia Forum since its objectives aligned with MBSC’s aim to create a new generation of entrepreneurs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Dr. Koshak. “We believe the forum stimulated and activated startups in the SMEs sector, which is a key component of Saudi Vision 2030.”

In addition to H.E. Dr. Koshak and Mr. Ashri, speakers and panelists representing academic institutions included Ms. Amal Dokhan. Managing Director of Babson Global Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at MBSC;

H.E. Dr. Bakri Asas. President. Umm Al Qurra University; Professor Gordon McConnell. Head of Entrepreneurship Center. KAUST; and H.E. Dr. Khalid S. Al Sultan. Rector. King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).

Other distinguished panelists included H.E. Dr. Abdulfattah Mashaat. Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, and Former President of Jeddah University; Eng. Ibraheem Al Zuhimeel. Governor’s Advisor, General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises; and Mr. Nawaf Attaf Al-Sahhaf. CEO of the Badir Program for Technology Incubators & Accelerators.

In addition, the forum was a networking venue for entrepreneurs, start-up owners, and venture capitalists seeking investments that encourage their initiatives and change them from start-ups into small and medium size projects as a major contribution to the kingdom’s sustainable economic growth and development.