In May 2023, Mastercard announced the return of “Her Voice” podcast series, a platform empowering small businesses in Saudi Arabia. To further extend additional value to women entrepreneurs across the Kingdom, Mastercard partnered with SAB to offer an outstanding female entrepreneur the opportunity to be featured in the final episode of the season in addition to a $30,000 business grant.
Kholoud Attar, a serial entrepreneur and founder of KAAPH Media that publishes Design Magazine and Saudi Metaverse drb, was chosen the winner of “Her Voice.” Attar’s business acumen demonstrates strong synergy with Mastercard’s approach to helping female entrepreneurs in the Kingdom grow and thrive by empowering them with digital payment solutions, data insights, and innovative tools to run their enterprises more efficiently and securely.
Yasser Al-Barrak, chief executive of corporate and institutional banking, SAB, said: “We are delighted to announce Kholoud Attar as the winner of our SME grant in collaboration with Mastercard. At SAB, we believe in the power of entrepreneurship and innovation, and we recognize the critical role that small businesses play in driving economic growth and diversification. By providing support and resources to small businesses, we hope to play our part in unlocking the untapped potential of the SME sector in the Kingdom. We hope that this grant will serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to other aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women, across the Kingdom.”
Maria Medvedeva, country manager, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Mastercard, said: “The passion that small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Kingdom display is unmatched, they raise the bar higher every day. We are particularly proud to have been able to provide this grant to Kholoud Attar, a female entrepreneur who has demonstrated exceptional creativity, drive, and resilience. Women represent a significant untapped market in Saudi Arabia, and we believe that empowering them to start and grow their own businesses is essential to promoting sustainable economic development and advancing social progress.”
Meanwhile, Attar said: “Having been a staunch supporter in empowering female entrepreneurs in the Kingdom, this grant comes as a pleasant surprise and will further support me in my agenda to elevate Saudi women. I would like to thank Mastercard and SAB for choosing me as the winner and giving me a chance to talk about my journey and future plans on the ‘Her Voice’ platform.”
Mastercard has pledged to bring 25 million women entrepreneurs worldwide into the digital economy by 2025, connecting them to the digital tools, training, insights and solutions that will empower their business.
