WNAM REPORT: Saudi officials have promoted the Kingdom’s burgeoning startup ecosystem at a high-profile event in Tokyo.
The Saudi Ministry of Investment and Invest Saudi hosted “Startup Saudi: The New Global Magnet for Entrepreneurship” at Tokyo Innovation Base on Thursday, highlighting the Kingdom’s attractiveness to founders, investors and innovators seeking scale, capital and global reach.
The event advertised itself as capturing “the momentum of a fast-growing ecosystem powered by Vision 2030, world-class infrastructure and a surge of ambitious startups shaping the region’s future.”
An opening speech was delivered by Saudi Ambassador to Japan Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, who hailed Japan’s “refined and advanced innovation” culture and its “remarkable community of ideas and ambition.”
Japan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia was at an “important stage,” defined by expansion and transformation, he added.
“Under Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom is undergoing a profound transformation, not only in what we build, but in how we think about growth, opportunity and value,” the ambassador said.
The Kingdom is diversifying its economy by empowering the private sector and opening new pathways for innovation to emerge, Binzagr added.
“It is not only economic,” he said. “It is human. It is about how societies create value, how people connect and how innovation reflects the values we choose to build upon.”
Japan, he added, is a natural partner on this pathway, with its precision, discipline and deep respect for craftsmanship and progress, as well as a shared seriousness of purpose.
Binzagr highlighted the co-creating of technologies, industries and new value chains through the Ministry of Investment and the Public Investment Fund.
The Kingdom is committed to being open, predictable and supportive as it cultivates a culture that welcomes global talent to be the architects of this transformation, he said.
“Saudi Arabia is not only opening its doors; we are inviting you to help shape what comes next.”
The event’s afternoon session featured a fireside chat between the ministry’s investments development manager, Abdulmajeed Al-Anazi, and Taylor Scobbie, overseas director for Recursive AI, on how the company expanded to Saudi Arabia and built a fast-growing AI business in the Kingdom. The discussion highlighted the ecosystem factors that enabled its success and the opportunities ahead for cross-border founders.
This was followed by a panel discussion titled “From Vision to Venture: The Government Blueprint Shaping Saudi Startups,” which explored how national policies, strategic investments and regulatory reforms are accelerating the rise of the Kingdom’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
It highlighted the government’s role in enabling founders, attracting global capital and turning Vision 2030 into a “thriving engine for innovation and high-growth ventures.”
The ministry’s director of entrepreneurship and startups, Afnan Ababtain, moderated the discussion and was joined by Faisal Al-Qarni, director, Program Sahabah, MEWA; Atha Al-Ajmi, international partnership director, Monshaat; Yangte Kim, manager, overseas business administration department, SBI; and Mohamed Amine Merah, managing partner and CEO, BIM Ventures.
The event closed with a networking session for attendees.
