Riyadh – Mubasher: Saudi women entrepreneur-owned technology startups incubated in Badir programme for technology incubators and accelerators increased 144% in 2017, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) said on Sunday.
“Out of the number, 44 companies are active in the fields of communications, software, e-commerce and smart device applications,” KACST added.
The kingdom's commerce and investment ministry has issued almost 88,000 commercial registrations. Riyadh accounted for the highest numbers of the commercial registrations with 20,086 women, while Jeddah and Makkah saw 13,826, and 5,098 women, respectively, according to a recent Arab News article.
Deemed the mainstay of the Saudi “Vision 2030” plan, Prince Mohammed’s blueprint to move the economy away from what he called its“addiction to oil” toward the private sector, women empowerment provides the necessary foundation for a prosperous society and sustainable development.
Saudi women are more than ever receiving business licenses to run their own shops, businesses, tech firms and start-ups, according to the report.
The growth rate of Saudi women’s projects supported by the programme is “good”, compared to the previous five years, CEO of Badir Program for Technology Incubators Nawaf Al Sahhaf said.
“The program has contributed to supporting the ambitious and innovative initiatives and ideas of Saudi women entrepreneurs and providing them with an appropriate work environment through the offices specialized in the preparation, habilitation, training and workshops,” Al Sahhaf added.
