Saudi Arabia launches industrial business accelerator, incubator program

The new initiative — which will last for more than three months — also aims to boost the efficiency of small and medium industrial projects in the Kingdom.
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Updated 20 August 2023
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Saudi Arabia launches industrial business accelerator, incubator program

RIYADH: As part of its efforts to expand the Kingdom’s industrial base, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has launched a business accelerator and incubator program, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The program involves “15 qualitative industrial projects” for Saudi Arabia’s industrial pioneers and aims to identify challenges and ways to resolve issues for sustainable growth.

The new initiative — which will last for more than three months — also aims to boost the efficiency of small and medium industrial projects in the Kingdom.

According to an official spokesperson of the ministry Jarrah bin Muhammad Al-Jarrah, the ministry asked entrepreneurs last May to register with the Nomu accelerator and industrial business incubator, which aimed to meet the specific needs of industrial project owners and SMEs.

He said the initiatives fall in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the National Industrial Strategy to expand the industrial base of Saudi Arabia and promote SMEs and enable them to compete globally.

Al-Jarrah said the program aims to provide a platform to support the ideas of industrial entrepreneurs while helping them establish their projects and boost their success rate.

The spokesman said the ministry seeks to provide an enabling environment for industrial entrepreneurs by studying and evaluating the current situation of emerging, small and medium industries in the Kingdom and comparing local standards with international norms.


Closing Bell: Saudi stocks slip as Tadawul falls 1% amid broad market weakness

Updated 30 December 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi stocks slip as Tadawul falls 1% amid broad market weakness

RIYADH: Saudi stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, with the Tadawul All Share Index closing down 108.14 points, or 1.03 percent, at 10,381.51.

The broader decline was reflected across major indices. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index slipped 0.78 percent to 1,378.00, while Nomu, the parallel market index, fell 1 percent to 23,040.79.

Market breadth was strongly negative on the main board, with 237 stocks falling compared to just 24 gainers. Trading activity remained robust, with 164.7 million shares changing hands and a total traded value of SR3.19 billion ($850.6 million).

Among the gainers, SEDCO Capital REIT Fund led, rising 2.73 percent to SR6.77, followed by Chubb Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co., which gained 2.69 percent to SR20.20.

National Medical Care Co. added 1.72 percent to close at SR141.60, while Alyamamah Steel Industries Co. and Thimar Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing Co. advanced 1.57 percent and 1.13 percent, respectively.

Losses were led by Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co., which tumbled 8.36 percent to SR24.65. Raoom Trading Co.fell 6.75 percent to SR64.20, while Alkhaleej Training and Education Co. dropped 6.60 percent to SR18.12 and Naqi Water Co. declined 5.51 percent to SR54.00. Gulf General Cooperative Insurance Co. closed 5.44 percent lower at SR3.65.

On the announcement front, Chubb Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co. signed a multiyear insurance agreement with Saudi Electricity Co. to provide various coverages, expected to positively impact its financial results over the 2025–2026 period. The deal will run for three years and two months and is within the company’s normal course of business.

Meanwhile, Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co. announced a one-year health insurance contract with Saudi National Bank, valued at SR330.2 million, covering the bank’s employees and their families from January 2026. Despite the sizable contract, Bupa Arabia shares fell 0.8 percent to close at SR137, weighed down by the broader market weakness.

In contrast, United Cooperative Assurance Co. revealed an extension of its engineering insurance agreement with Saudi Binladin Group for the Grand Mosque expansion in Makkah. The contract value exceeds 20 percent of the company’s gross written premiums based on its latest audited financials and is expected to support results through 2026. However, the stock came under selling pressure, ending the session down 4.51 percent at SR3.39.