AIM Startup partners with key Saudi institutions to boost US$1 bn annual investment

AIM Startup a major initiative by the UAE Ministry of Economy and part of the Annual Investment Meeting, AIM, an international investment conference in Dubai has partnered with key Saudi Arabian institutions that will help spearhead entrepreneurship in the region.

Dawood Al Shezawi, Chief Executive Officer of AIM Startup, has signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU, with Osama Ashri, Head of Development and Strategic Alliances of Prince Mohammad Bin Salman College of Business, that will see both organisations nurture the growth of entrepreneurship in the region.

Al Shezawi also signed a MoU with Nawaf Al Sahhaf, Chief Executive Officer of the Badir Programme for Technology Incubators – KSA, confirming the programme’s participation as a ‘Gold Sponsor – Saudi AIM Startup 2017-2018.’ "Entrepreneurship is an important solution to the needs of Arab youth, and we have seen a major shift in government policies to empower the youth with the right tools so they can become job creators, instead of becoming job seekers.

"AIM Startup – with a theme of Technology for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Growth – is going to become the epicentre of entrepreneurship and the start-up movement in the Arab world, and the latest partnership with three key Saudi institutions will help us to strengthen the start-up movement in the region and help spearhead youth employment," Al Shezawi said, following the signing of the agreements.

This year, 200 promising start-ups will come together under one roof to meet investors, corporates, government representatives and industry experts, and will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their ground-breaking solutions to a global audience of more than 20,000 people.

"Our deals to partner with three Saudi Arabian institutions are aimed at supporting public sector initiatives with private sector participation, and help the development of a healthy entrepreneurship eco-system that will continue to develop and help fund start-ups and create new tech-based employment," Al Shezawi added.

AIM Startup’s initiatives will help increase the number of Arab entrepreneurs, who will create employment and help absorb millions of young men and women waiting to be hired in the GCC and the wider MENA region.

"With the world population nearing 9 billion by 2025, sustainability should be at the heart of every conversation today. With world hunger, poverty, water scarcity, wasteful consumption, climate degradation and inequality threatening the very fabric of our social, environmental and economic well-being, now is the time to get actively involved, if we wish to create the future that we desire," Al Shezawi added.