RIYADH — The winning startups take part into to a four-day startup tour in Germany in April 2018 and represent their companies at the Mena Business Forum in Berlin

Saudi startups heads up: The German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO) opened up the registration for the 1st German-Saudi Startup Competition at the Rosh Rayhaan by Rotana Hotel in Riyadh on March 22, 2018.

Interested participants can register their business models and products online until March 5, 2018. The ten best startups get the opportunity to pitch their business ideas in front of the members of the local German Business Community and a high-ranked jury including GESALO Delegate Oliver Oehms, the German Ambassador Dieter W. Haller, leading local entrepreneurs, and investors. The competition is open for any Saudi startup founded 2015 or later in the fields of tech innovation and social entrepreneurship.

“We offer young Saudi entrepreneurs a platform to connect to industry leaders, experienced investors, and potential new customers from Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf region. Small and medium-sized companies and innovative business ideas are the key drivers of the German economy and a growing sector in Saudi Arabia. We intend to support young Saudi startups with our network and know-how,” declares Oliver Oehms, Delegate of German Industry & Commerce for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen.

The two best entrepreneurs are winning a four-day startup tour in Germany. As a particular highlight, the startups get the chance to pitch at the Mena Business Forum in the presence of special guests such as HKhaled Juffali and leading businessmen in Berlin on April 12, 2018. Before and after the event, an exciting dive into the vibrant startup ecosystem in Berlin is waiting for the entrepreneurs including individual meetings with successful German founders, investors, and experts.

GESALO organizes the event in cooperation with the German Embassy in Riyadh, the Goethe-Institut Riad, SHEWORKS, Dubai Angel Investors Riyad TAQNIA Fund (RTF) and Riyad Capital. “We are glad our project attracts a huge interest in the German business community. For GESALO as well as for German companies Youth Employment is one of the core topics in the Kingdom. We aim to further contribute through a stronger exchange between Saudi Arabia and Germany,” remarks Delegate Oliver Oehms in the view of the strong support from renowned companies such as Lufthansa, Airbus, Detasad, Roland Berger, Juffali Industrial Products Company (JIPCO/Mercedes-Benz), Al-Ewan Medical Company, and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. — SG