Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-: Biban, Saudi Arabia’s largest start-up, SME, and entrepreneurship conference, takes place between March 9 and March 13, 2023, at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.
Biban held its first edition in 2017, and is organized by Monsha’at, the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This year, international audiences will benefit from more highlights than ever before, with the forum strongly positioned to foster tangible opportunities.
Biban 2023 will host the Global Finals of the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC), one of the biggest and most diverse start-up pitch competitions and support programs of its kind. Since its inception, over 400,000 entrepreneurs from 200 countries have registered. This year, the finalists will compete for up to $1 million in cash prizes.
At Biban 2023, international guests can network and collaborate with government authorities, entrepreneurs, and investors – from the Kingdom and beyond. Additionally, the forum provides access to growing markets, including E-Commerce, FinTech, F&B, and others.
Attendees can also learn about the support – financial and other kinds – that are available to foreigners starting a business in Saudi Arabia.
Making up the engaging themed areas at the forum are nine “Doors”, which include:
- Start-up Door: Featuring incubators, business accelerators and start-ups
- Enablement Door: Hosting agencies that enable entrepreneurial business owners
- Funding Door: Providing start-ups and SMEs with information on where to secure funding and how to overcome financial challenges
- Growth Door: Educating SME owners on areas that help grow their businesses – marketing, strategy, innovation, and much more
Biban 2023 also welcomes a roster of over 350 speakers from the Kingdom and across the world, which include:
- HE Lee Young: Minister of SMEs and Start-ups, Republic of Korea
- Steve Chen: CTO and Co-Founder of YouTube
- Jeff Hoffman: Chairman of the Board, Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)
- Chris Barton: Founder and Creator of Shazam
Saudi Arabia is emerging as a key player in the global start-up scene. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor’s (GEM) 2022 National Entrepreneurship Context Index reported that the Kingdom is now the second-best economy in the world to start a business, reflecting a rapidly advancing start-up ecosystem, and a wealth of business opportunities for local and international entrepreneurs.
