Dr. Nabeel Koshak is the CEO and board member of the Saudi Venture Capital Co. (SVC).
SVC is a government venture capital firm established in 2018. It aims to develop the venture capital ecosystem in Saudi Arabia to support startups by co-investing along with angel investors, venture capitalists, and sophisticated investors in startups as well as investing in funds.
It recently signed an investment deal with a venture capital fund licensed by the Capital Market Authority and founded by Osool & Bakheet Investment Co. (OBIC) and iMENA Group. The signing ceremony took place virtually between Koshak and OBIC’s CEO Mazin Al-Dawood, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Koshak is a prominent Saudi academic and entrepreneur. He was the founder and CEO of five tech startups.
He was also the founder and angel investor at Athaal (Angel Investors Group), which invests in early-stage startups across the MENA region.
He is chairman of Saudi Arabia’s Global Entrepreneurship Network and a member of the investment committees at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s Innovation Fund.
He was the founding dean of the Prince Mohammad bin Salman College (MBSC) between 2017 and 2019. It is Saudi Arabia’s first institute of higher learning specializing in leadership and entrepreneurial development.
Established in 2016, the MBSC is located at the King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah. Koshak is a member of MBSC’s board of trustees.
Koshak is the former president of Al-Baha University and the former vice president for business and innovation at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU).
He was an associate professor conducting research at the Hajj and Umrah Research Institute while teaching courses at UQU’s College of Engineering and Architecture.
Koshak is the former director of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology GIS Technology Innovation Center at UQU, and the former chairman of the board of directors at the Transportation and Crowd Management Innovation Center.
He is the co-founder and former general supervisor of UQU’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute, and the co-founder and vice-chairman of the board of directors of Wadi Makkah Co., a platform for launching startup companies in various sectors in the Kingdom.
Koshak received his bachelor’s degree in architecture from UQU in Makkah in 1993, and his master’s degree from Colorado University in 1997. He received a doctorate in computational design from Carnegie Mellon University in 2002. He later joined Harvard’s executive education programs.
He is a member of various boards including the Middle East Venture Capital Association, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity and the executive committee of the King Faisal International Prize.
Dr. Nabeel Koshak, CEO and board member of the Saudi Venture Capital Co.
https://arab.news/j8mum
Dr. Nabeel Koshak, CEO and board member of the Saudi Venture Capital Co.
- Koshak is a prominent Saudi academic and entrepreneur
Saudi Arabia witnessing comprehensive cultural development, says expert
- Clotilde Entrecanales of Acciona hails pace of change in Kingdom
JEDDAH: Museums, exhibitions and art centers play a crucial role in the development of free and educated societies such as the one now burgeoning in Saudi Arabia, an expert has told Arab News.
Clotilde Entrecanales, the Spanish art historian and cultural executive who heads Acciona Living & Culture, a leading creator of technology-driven interactive museums, exhibits and events, said the Kingdom is making efforts to expand the role of culture development to show the world the greatest possible cultural offer.
She added that the Kingdom has quickly infused new energy into the region, and is rapidly establishing itself as a global cultural hub through massive investment in world-class museums, public art and international events, aligning with its 2030 vision.
She said: “With around 70 percent of the population under 30, cultural consumption looks very different than in Europe or the US. These spaces can’t feel like quiet, isolated institutions … they need to be fast, dynamic, brave and deeply connected to the city, blending into everyday urban life rather than sitting apart from it.”
Asked about the role of these sites in the evolving global cultural landscape, particularly in emerging cultural hubs like Saudi Arabia, Entrecanales said: “Our vision is to be a purpose-led partner for cultural and entertainment institutions, helping them be more relevant, connected, inclusive and sustainable.”
She added: “In emerging cultural hubs like Saudi Arabia, that approach feels especially relevant. The cultural transformation underway is moving fast — with major heritage and cultural destinations being developed and opened to the world.”
Speaking about her impression of the Kingdom’s approach to blending heritage with modernity face, Entrecanales said: “Others who attempt to achieve this balance often end up turning heritage into a theme, a layer of storytelling or a cultural program. What feels different about Saudi’s approach is how much pressure there is to treat heritage as the foundation, not just the surface.
“When you’re building at this speed and scale, there’s always a risk that history becomes a backdrop instead of a backbone. The projects that work best are the ones that slow down just enough to let the past set the rhythm for the present.”
Regarding opportunities and challenges, she said: “The opportunity is nothing less than positioning Saudi Arabia as a global cultural center. The challenge, as always, lies in balancing the speed and scale of that ambition with long-term sustainability and a sense of authenticity that remains credible and rooted.”
She added: “You can really feel this in places like the Islamic Arts Biennale, which shows hundreds of historical artefacts of the Islamic world, while re-framing them through contemporary scenography and designs by some of the best design studios in the world; or in AlUla, a world-class heritage site that hosts a major contemporary platform like Desert X, allowing ancient context and present-day artistic practice to coexist in a way that feels genuine.”
Under her guidance, ACCIONA Cultura aspires to create museums and cultural experiences that function as landmarks while fostering sustainable, inclusive and immersive interactions.
She elaborated on how the company is integrating technology, culture, and sustainability to preserve and promote the region’s cultural heritage: “We always start with human connection and storytelling: what’s the story, what should people leave with? Tech comes later.”
Recently, ACCIONA Cultura has been involved in significant projects in Saudi Arabia and is looking forward for more.
She said: “Right now, for example, we’re designing and curating a museum gallery where the entire space is shaped by the practice of a Saudi artist. Another example is the Net Zero exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), where we brought together Saudi and international artists to explore sustainability and our relationship with the planet, including voices like Dina Haddadin, Mohammed Al-Faraj, and Zahrah Al-Ghamdi.”
She added: “One of the projects I’m most proud of isn’t a museum, but our NEXT IN Summit, which we’ve hosted in two editions in our ACCIONA Campus in Madrid, highlighting the Kingdom’s unprecedented cultural momentum as it builds future-facing institutions with a startup mindset.”
About further collaboration with Saudi Arabia, she said: “Let’s just say … something’s definitely simmering in the kitchen.”
Commenting on being recognized among the Blooloop 50 Museum Influencers for 2025, she said: “It means a lot. More than anything, it feels like a nod to the years of teamwork and dedication behind Acciona Cultura, rather than to me personally.”
