Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, scored the winning goal for the BMG team at the 21st GCC Polo Cup, leading the BMG team to a 7-5 victory against Cambridge County Polo Club.
The friendly polo match between Saudi and British teams captained by Prince William, took place in Cambridge on July 10, in the presence of prominent businessmen and dignitaries from both Saudi Arabia and the UK, including Prince Abdul Aziz bin Faisal bin Abdul Majid.
Prince William started playing polo at the age of 10 with both his father and grandfather.
The BMG GCC Polo Cup was born of a conversation between Prince Charles and Basil Al-Ghalayini, CEO of BMG Financial Group, in the 90s. On realizing a need for more cultural and sporting interaction between Saudi Arabia and the UK, Al-Ghalayini took it upon himself to create a platform on which this could take place, whilst simultaneously supporting noble causes.
The annual event reaffirms the strength of Saudi-British relations on social, cultural and charitable levels. BMG Financial Group, through its charitable arm, BMG Foundation, organized this event, the proceeds of which are used to support charitable organizations in both Saudi Arabia and the UK.
Funds from a concert at King’s College Chapel, organized by BMG, on July 9 will support Syria Relief, a charity providing medical aid and supplies to Syrian children in refugee camps.
Two young Syrian musicians, Riad Nicolas and Mariela Shaker, performed a mix of Eastern and western classical music at the event.
Prince William scores winning goal for BMG at GCC Polo Cup
Prince William scores winning goal for BMG at GCC Polo Cup
25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum
The Social Development Bank concluded the second edition of the Entrepreneurship and Modern Business Practices Forum — DeveGo 2025 — announcing the achievement of high-impact outcomes that further reinforced the forum’s position as the largest national platform in the region dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation, and freelance work in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
The forum witnessed broad participation from local and international experts, investors, entrepreneurs, and representatives of local, regional, and international institutions.
Over three days at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, the forum drew 25,000 participants and visitors, who benefited from over 45 specialized workshops and over 2500 advisory sessions delivered by more than 70 consultants and experts.
The sessions covered key areas including entrepreneurial planning, business models, venture capital, digital platforms, freelancing, and emerging technologies.
The forum also featured 20 panel discussions with leading local and international speakers, addressing major global trends in entrepreneurship, including the future of artificial intelligence, the creative economy, digital transformation, and venture investment.
The forum saw the launch of the Saudi Empretec Fellowship, in the presence of Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
The partners in success within the Social Responsibility Portfolio supporting entrepreneurs were honored.
It also saw the honoring of 13 winners of the Handicrafts Competition, representing various regions of the Kingdom, the announcement of winners of the Salam Award for Promising Projects, and the recognition of leading entrepreneurial projects fund under the Enterprises Track.
In addition, the NEXT UP Challenge concluded on the third day of the forum with 20 startups presenting their projects to more than 500 investors, enhancing opportunities for networking and partnership building.
As part of efforts to strengthen the support ecosystem, the forum witnessed the signing of 51 agreements, along with the launch of a suite of new financing products. These included the Capital Expansion Product with a ceiling of up to SR10 million, the Payroll Product with a ceiling of SR2 million, and the Rental Product with a ceiling of SR1.5 million, aimed at supporting enterprises in asset development and covering operational costs.
This reflects the bank’s direction toward offering more specialized financing tools that respond effectively to market needs.
The forum concluded by reaffirming its role as a unifying national platform for entrepreneurship, where accompanying activities and events provided direct engagement opportunities between entrepreneurs, investors, and experts.
The forum also highlighted success stories and practical experiences that reflect the scale of entrepreneurial momentum in the Kingdom and the growing role of the Social Development Bank in supporting a national economy driven by innovation and knowledge.
