JOHANNESBURG — The G20 Startup20 Summit kicked off in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday with the participation of a Saudi delegation led by President of the Saudi G20 Startup20 Prince Fahad bin Mansour. The event, supported by NEOM, is attended by representatives from government entities, the private sector, and non-profit organizations active in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Saudi Arabia’s participation reflects its leading role within the G20 and its ongoing efforts to empower entrepreneurs, support startups, and enhance its presence in international forums focused on innovation and sustainable development.

The summit saw the launch of a Saudi pavilion, which showcases the Kingdom’s achievements and investment opportunities in entrepreneurship. The pavilion highlights national projects, the Saudi entrepreneurial ecosystem, startups, and investors, with a focus on technology, energy, and the creative economy.

The Saudi delegation also organized several interactive workshops to share experiences in enabling startups and to explore opportunities for cooperation with participating countries in building sustainable and globally impactful business ecosystems.

Addressing the summit, Prince Fahad bin Mansour underscored the importance of continued support to innovation and entrepreneurship as key pillars for achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. He noted that the Kingdom’s successes in this field reflect the maturity and global competitiveness of its entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The summit continues with broad participation from entrepreneurship leaders and representatives of G20 member states to discuss the future of startups and mechanisms of backing them to address global challenges and explore ways to foster growth and positive impact.