Saudi Arabia gears up for Biban 2025, the region’s largest startup and SME event

Biban 2025 will convene a global audience from over 150 countries. Biban 
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Updated 31 October 2025
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Saudi Arabia gears up for Biban 2025, the region’s largest startup and SME event

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is set to host the Middle East’s premier entrepreneurial event, Biban 2025, on Nov. 5, at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center. 

Organized by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority known as Monsha’at, the four-day event will run under the theme “Global Destination for Opportunity.”

Now in its 11th edition, Biban 2025 will convene a global audience from over 150 countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The forum will feature 200 local and international speakers and bring together 150 enabling entities from the government and private sectors, with several billion-dollar agreements and initiatives expected to be unveiled.

The event solidifies its role as the region’s largest entrepreneurial platform, connecting startups, investors, policymakers, and world-renowned experts. The goal is to forge strategic partnerships, explore high-value opportunities, and develop innovative ideas to fuel the growth of Saudi Arabia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Attendees are set to gain insights from more than 85 specialized workshops led by top experts, focusing on key areas such as finance, investment, management, marketing, digital transformation, and global expansion. 

The forum features seven main sections, designed to cover the various needs of entrepreneurs and small-to-medium enterprises. These dedicated sections address key areas such as financing, franchising, e-commerce, and market access.

Biban 2025 builds on the legacy of its previous editions, which have launched hundreds of successful projects and partnerships, empowering small and medium-sized enterprises to expand into local and global markets. 

The forum is a key initiative supporting Saudi Vision 2030, reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a global hub for investment and opportunity.


Global investors commit more than $3bn to King Salman Park as Saudi giga-project secures new deals

Updated 10 March 2026
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Global investors commit more than $3bn to King Salman Park as Saudi giga-project secures new deals

RIYADH: The King Salman Park Foundation has secured more than $3.8 billion in new private-sector commitments at the MIPIM 2026 real estate conference, including a landmark $3 billion fund backed by international investors to develop a major mixed-use district in the heart of Riyadh.

According to a press release, the announcements bring total committed investment in the 17.2 sq. kilometers urban regeneration project to over $5.3 billion across five major packages.

Launched in 2019 under Saudi Vision 2030, the development is designed to be the world’s largest city park and aims to boost green space, improve quality of life, and feature over 1 million trees and extensive leisure facilities.

A $3 billion metro-connected district

The largest of the two packages, designated Package 5, will see a consortium led by Kolaghassi Development Co. deliver a residential-led district with a total built-up area exceeding 1 million sq. meters. 

It will provide approximately 3,700 residential units, a K–12 school, around 300 hospitality keys and more than 100,000 sq m of Grade A office space alongside a wide variety of retail and dining offerings.

The development is supported by a Saudi-domiciled, Capital Market Authority-regulated fund managed by Mulkia Investment Co. that has attracted leading investors from the Kingdom and across the world.

Kolaghassi Development Co. will lead the project alongside Al Othaim Investment, one of the Kingdom’s real estate players, and RXR, a New York-headquartered real estate investor and operator.

“Securing investment of this scale, supported by international capital and expertise, is an important milestone for King Salman Park,” said George Tanasijevich, CEO of King Salman Park Foundation. 

$850 million cultural district package

In a separate announcement, the Foundation confirmed the award of Package 4 to a consortium led by Retal Urban Development Co., with support from a fund managed by SAB Invest.

The project has a total value exceeding $850 million and will host more than 600 residential units, over 140 hotel keys, and almost 50,000 sq m of Grade A office space, alongside curated retail and food and beverage experiences.

“This opportunity reflects the maturity of Saudi Arabia’s real estate investment landscape and our confidence in culture-led, mixed-use urban destinations as a driver of sustainable returns,” said Abdullah Al-Braikan, CEO and founder of Retal Urban Development Co.

Ali Al-Mansour, CEO of SAB Invest, said the fund structure brings together “long-term capital, experienced development partners, and a shared commitment to place-making excellence” while contributing to Riyadh’s cultural vibrancy and the Kingdom’s quality-of-life ambitions under Vision 2030.