The environment for global innovators and investors remains highly challenging. According to Bain & Co, in 2022, global venture capital funding fell 36% and private equity investments fell around 35%. Given the turmoil in the financial sector at the beginning of 2023 – combined with a difficult macro-economic environment – the situation is unlikely to become much easier in the short term.
In Saudi Arabia, however, the picture is very different. In 2022, the Saudi Capital market saw record IPOs as more than ten billion dollars were raised from 49 listings. As in the first half of 2022, Saudi Arabia became the world's fourth-largest country in raised capital from capital market listings. venture capital with funding growing by more than 70% to nearly $1 billion, representing the strongest expansion among all MENA countries. An economy that was the fastest-growing in the G20, expanding 8.7%, The Kingdom has also placed a significant emphasis on cultivating the start-up and innovation ecosystem –through sweeping regulatory reforms, uplifting initiatives, and state-led investment in key infrastructure.
Join us for a private round table that will see Saudi Arabia's Minister of Investment, the Chairman of the Capital Markets Authority and senior leaders from the Saudi Private Sector, discuss the state of the global economy, the local Saudi economy and its sectors poised for growth and investment, and the opportunities for investors and innovators in Saudi Arabia.
