- More than 400 guests participated in the Riyadh Forward 2025 event.
- The Endeavor Summit discussed Riyadh’s rise as a global hub for innovation.
Endeavor Saudi Arabia, successfully concluded Riyadh Forward 2025, the latest chapter of the Forward Series — an exclusive curated summit convening entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders to explore the future of entrepreneurship from the heart of Saudi Arabia.
The event hosted +400 curated guests, includingEndeavor Entrepreneurs, Investor Network members, Limited Partners, and Mentors, alongside leading policymakers, changemakers, and ecosystem stakeholders.
Through dynamic sessions, insightful keynotes, and thought-provoking panels, Riyadh Forward 2025 explored the rise of Riyadh emerging as a global innovation, and the Kingdom’s pivotal role in driving growth and investment across MENA and beyond.
About the Forward Series
The Forward Series is Endeavor’s annual summit that convenes global trailblazers, investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders to explore the evolving future of entrepreneurship from Saudi Arabia.
Following the success of Fintech Forward 2024, which spotlighted the Kingdom’s fintech revolution, Riyadh Forward 2025 expanded the conversation to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s transformation into a global entrepreneurship hub — connecting founders with capital, markets, and ideas.
The Forward Series continues to serve as a bridge between regional ambition and global energy, reinforcing Endeavor’s mission to scale high-impact entrepreneurship worldwide.
Highlights from Riyadh Forward 2025
The day opened with “Riyadh to the World: A Journey to Global Innovation”, a conversation between Saud Al Sabhan, Deputy Governor of Monsha’at, and Ahmed Hamdan, Co-Founder & CEO of Unifonic, discussing the evolution of Saudi Arabia’s innovation landscape and its global ambitions.
Other key sessions included:
- “Scaling from Elsewhere: Founders Shaping the Future” — Fireside chat with Endeavor Global Co-Founder & CEO Linda Rottenberg, AbdulmajeedAlsukhan (Tamara), and Pieter de Villiers (Clickatell).
- “Asia Meets Saudi: LivSpace’s Next Chapter” — Anuj Srivastava (LivSpace) and Yana El Dirani (Endeavor Catalyst).
- “LatAm Meets Saudi: Inside Globant’s Global Playbook” — Federico Pienovi (Globant), Mohammed Alariefy (MCIT), moderated by Marcelo Lima (Monashees).
- “IPO Signals: Saudi’s Tech Listings Unpacked” — Mazen Al Jubeir and Sebastian von Renouard (Isometry Capital), followed by a panel with Abdullah Al-Beesh (CMA), Bandar Al Blehed (Saudi Exchange), and Fahad Almalki (Suhail Partner).
- Investor-focused sessions such as “M&A as a Growth Catalyst”, “VCs Go Global: Why MENA Is the Next Big Bet”, and “AI from the Source: Saudi’s Vision”, featuring leaders from Prosus, SPICE, Foodics, Endeavor Catalyst, HUMAIN, STV, and Merit Incentives.
- Practical insights on growth and IPO journeys were shared by Mohammed Galal (Extra) and Ayman Essawy (Connect Money).
The summit concluded with an exclusive networking dinner, fostering deeper connections among global and regional changemakers.
Partners and Sponsors
Riyadh Forward 2025 was made possible through the generous support of our esteemed partners and sponsors:
- Ecosystem Partner: Monshaat
- Strategic Sponsors: Seedra Venture, General Atlantic, Derayah
- Endeavor Entrepreneurs Sponsors: SILQ, Zenhr, Merit, Hala
- Contributors: Breadfast, Chapter One, House of Pops, Tchaba, Floward
- Media Partners: Entrepreneur Middle East, Entrepreneur العربية, entArabi, SharikatMubasher, News Patrolling, World Business Outlook, Tech World (عالم التقنية)
Their collaboration helped make Riyadh Forward 2025 a landmark platform for innovation, and entrepreneurship, driving the Endeavor mission forward.
About Endeavor Saudi Arabia
Endeavor is a global nonprofit community for high‑impact entrepreneurs. In Saudi Arabia, Endeavor empowers the country’s most promising founders by providing access to capital, mentors, markets, and talent. Riyadh Forward is one of several Endeavor initiatives intended to accelerate scale, amplify impact, and connect local innovation with the world.
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