H.E. Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Social Development Bank (SDB), inaugurated the second edition of the Entrepreneurship and Modern Business Practices Forum (DeveGo 2025), organized by the Social Development Bank, under the slogan “Don’t Start from Zero… Start from DeveGo.”

The forum is being held from December 21-23, 2025 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, with broad participation from a distinguished group of international and local speakers, entrepreneurs, representatives of regional and international organizations, and public and private sector entities.

H.E. Eng. Al Rajhi opened the forum with a speech in which he highlighted that this inspiring event embodies the growing dynamism of the entrepreneurial movement in the Kingdom and reflects the significant progress achieved by entrepreneurial and startup sectors under the Kingdom’s ambitious vision. He noted that the Kingdom is witnessing a qualitative transformation in the entrepreneurship and freelance ecosystem, enabling young men and women to enter new promising sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, advanced technologies, and venture capital, while providing them with broader opportunities to contribute towards the Kingdom’s innovation, expansion, and global competitiveness.

He explained that SDB invests more than SAR8 billion annually to support enterprises and entrepreneurs, contributing to an increase in the number of employees in bank-financed enterprises from 12,000 in 2021 to more than 140,000 in 2025. This is in addition to a comprehensive support ecosystem that includes non-financial programs such as the Jada 30 business communities, which have incubated more than 4,300 enterprises across 13 cities, and the Dulani Business Center, which has delivered more than 67,000 consultations benefiting over 150,000 male and female entrepreneurs. This support ecosystem also includes a strategic partnership with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to deliver the global Empretec program aimed at enhancing entrepreneurs’ capabilities.

The forum also witnessed the launch of the “Empretec Saudi Fellowship” in partnership with UNCTAD, in the presence of the organization’s Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan. The fellowship is an international platform aimed at developing personal entrepreneurial behaviors and empowering a select group of high-potential entrepreneurs through intensive training programs, access to international experts, and technical tools that support growth and expansion—helping transform promising ideas into impactful projects and global success stories.

His Excellency also honored contributors to the Social Responsibility Portfolio of the Social Development Bank, a development initiative that aims to direct partners’ corporate social responsibility allocations toward supporting entrepreneurs and financing their projects in promising sectors. Honorees included prominent entities such as the General Authority for Awqaf, ACWA Power, Jahez, the Saudi National Bank, Alinma Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi, Arab National Bank, Savola World Foundation, Ma’aden, Fakeeh Care Group, and Al-Ghuwayri Charity Foundation.

The forum recorded a strong turnout on its first day from a diverse audience that included entrepreneurs, experts, and international speakers representing various fields of entrepreneurship, technology, and digital transformation, enriching discussions on the future of the entrepreneurial economy and innovation in the Kingdom.