Biban 2025: Monsha'at report highlights surge in SME growth, funding

06/11/2025 01:13 AST

Saudi Arabia's Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority, Monsha'at, said the Kingdom's entrepreneurial landscape is expanding rapidly, with SME financing, employment, and business registrations reaching record levels.

In a new report titled "Biban 2025: A Destination of Ambition in a Nation Abounding with Opportunities," released to coincide with the opening of the Biban Forum in Riyadh, the authority detailed progress in the Kingdom's startup ecosystem and the broader ease of doing business, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

According to Monsha'at, the number of active commercial registrations reached 1.7 million by the end of the third quarter of 2025, while small and medium-sized enterprises employed more than 8.4 million people as of August.

Saudi women's participation in the workforce rose to 43.5 percent, reflecting the success of empowerment programs under Vision 2030.

In the tourism sector, spending by inbound visitors rose 9.7 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, reflecting the Kingdom's steady diversification efforts.

The real estate market also expanded, with 47,286 off-plan residential units licensed in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, the e-sports sector grew 72 percent year on year, with 9,603 commercial registrations in gaming activities recorded by the end of the third quarter.

The report noted record support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, as financing to the sector increased 20 percent year on year in the second quarter, with commercial banks accounting for 96 percent of total lending.

It also cited the contribution of the foreign investment regime, privatization programs, and the National Transformation Program in strengthening competitiveness, alongside the Public Investment Fund's central role in driving priority sectors under Vision 2030.

Monsha'at described Biban 2025 as one of the world's leading entrepreneurship platforms, aimed at empowering enterprises, enhancing managerial and technical capabilities, strengthening partnerships, and promoting regional investment opportunities across the Kingdom.

Held at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center from Nov. 5 to 8, the forum is expected to attract more than 140,000 visitors from over 150 countries, including startup founders, investors, and policymakers.

Its agenda features panels, workshops, and deal-signing sessions, as well as the Global Finals of the Entrepreneurship World Cup, the world's largest startup competition. With 10,300 applicants from 169 countries, the top 100 finalists will compete in Riyadh for $1.5 million in cash prizes.