New Lego store in Riyadh pays tribute to Saudi culture & heritage

The store will carry all Lego lines including all the exclusives, which can only be found at the Lego Certified Stores.
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Updated 16 February 2021
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New Lego store in Riyadh pays tribute to Saudi culture & heritage

The Lego Group has expanded its presence in the Kingdom by opening a new flagship store in Riyadh Park Mall. The store will be operated by local franchisee Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group.

What distinguishes the new store from others is the availability of unique build, a feature which exists in very few Lego stores worldwide. These include: A Mosaic Maker photo booth — which enables anyone to get their photo printed and then built with Lego bricks; a massive minifigure scanner in the front shop window; a three-dimensional model of the Riyadh skyline at a height of 2.5 meters; and a one-of-a-kind Salwa Palace mosaic built in cooperation with Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah Gate Development Authority, said: “We are incredibly honored to be collaborating with Lego, a brand of such iconic heritage, partnering together in celebration of Riyadh’s first Lego store opening this week. Our unique UNESCO World Heritage Site At-Turaif is going to be depicted as a mosaic in the store for the people of Diriyah and Riyadh to see our jewel of the Kingdom in Lego form for the first time. As Lego continues to provide the building blocks to educate and inspire children and adults worldwide, we too at DGDA are shaping the building blocks of Saudi Arabia’s past to help create the Kingdom’s future, reimagining and recreating the historic stories of Diriyah to inspire local and global audiences today.”

The store will carry all Lego lines including all the exclusives, which can only be found at Lego Certified Stores, such as the Lego Technic Lamborghini Sián FKP 37, Lego Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment System, Lego Ideas Grand Piano and more.

Jeroen Beijer, general manager, Lego for Middle East and Africa, said: “We are very excited about opening up our first Lego store in the capital city of Riyadh. The store will feature several amazing brick elements that pay tribute to the rich Saudi Arabian culture and heritage. It will also feature lots of fun and interactive elements for kids of all ages to explore and interact with. The opening in Riyadh Park Mall is another step on our journey to expose more Saudi children and families to the fun and learning benefits of Lego play and we will continue to invest in more stores in major cities across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the future.” 

Hisham Al-Hamoudi, CEO of Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group, said the new store actively encourages children to discover their artistic potential and includes many interactive stations that allow children and their families to play and interact with each other.


25,000 attend Social Development Bank’s DeveGO25 forum

Updated 27 December 2025
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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.