Startups and SMEs in Saudi Arabia have played a vital role in boosting economic growth by introducing innovation into well-established industries.

Biban, Saudi Arabia’s premier startup, SME, and entrepreneurship conference to promote and showcase local, regional, and global businesses, begins today at The Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center. The five-day event will run until March 13.

The event, themed “Attract-Connect-Achieve,” is being organized by Monsha’at, the General Authority for Small and Medium Businesses of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

With over 350 speakers and an expected 105,000 attendees from the kingdom and abroad, the conference will allow attendees to participate in over 300 workshops and interact with almost 120 public and private enabling institutions.

Participants at Biban 2023 will receive insights from renowned local and international speakers and have the chance to network, discuss ideas, and achieve shared goals.

The keynote session will be delivered by H.E Young LEE, Minister of SMEs and Startups, South Korea, who will discuss the opportunities available for South Korean SMEs in the kingdom. This will be followed by John Pagano, Chief Executive Officer at Red Sea Global, who will discuss future startup prospects.

Other notable speakers include Liam Zhao, Chairman of Huawei’s board of directors in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Jamil AlBagawi, senior vice president of the National Champions at Aramco, Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Ad Diriyah Gate Development Authority, and H. E Haytham Alohali, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology.

Biban 2023 will also host the final round of the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC), a significant tournament for business owners from over 200 nations who compete for over $1 million in cash awards.

In past few years, the kingdom is emerging as a hub for SMEs, entrepreneurship, and business innovation, due to the extensive economic and social reforms.