Business & Money | Sunday 4 February, 2018 1:09 am |

The King Abdullah Center for Petroleum Research and Studies (KACPRS), Riyadh, recently concluded “Launch Your Project,” a series of 15 workshops aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The event, attended by around 8,800 people, was created in line with the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020 and the objectives of Vision 2030 to empower youth to initiate their own projects to drive economic development. It was supported by King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).

The event focused on four areas, based on Vision 2030: Promising economies, innovation, competitiveness, and leadership.

Itidal Al-Najim, general supervisor of “Launch Your Project,” said the event reflected the innovation of the participating entrepreneurs, concentrating on high-end technology and artificial intelligence in its interactive activities and workshops.

Panel discussions offered recommendations and consultation to startups, or to those wishing to launch their own small and medium enterprises (SMEs), she added.

The three joint winners of the event’s “Future Star” platform will feature at this year’s Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) in Dubai.

Al-Najim added that she hopes the initiative will become the first stop for anyone looking to launch a startup in the Kingdom, and described “Launch Your Project” as an “important step” in helping to develop local SME projects by 2030.

She said the initiative seeks to be the first station in launching any startup project in the Kingdom in its capacity as an important step to empower and develop SME projects in the region by 2030.