Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

KAUST, University of Texas partner to empower entrepreneurial Saudi women

KAUST, University of Texas partner to empower entrepreneurial Saudi women

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) announced on Thursday the completion of bootcamp that welcomed 45 Saudi-based female founders as part of the “Empowering Saudi Women Through Entrepreneurship" program.
The Saudi-first program has been developed in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin’s Global Innovation Lab (GIL), a unit of Texas Global, and the US Consulate General in Jeddah. It aims to build the capabilities of female entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia and the entrepreneurial ecosystem while expanding access to domestic and global markets.Female entrepreneurs are essential for the development of advanced industries to support the creation and growth of new ventures. By supporting this important group, KAUST hopes to spur growth and diversification in the economy while encouraging the participant’s ambitions — two vital pillars of Vision 2030. The women selected to participate in the program are developing innovative technologies and products with global export and growth potential to help solve pressing Saudi societal and economic challenges, focusing on issues in western Saudi Arabia.

"KAUST is committed to supporting the advancement of female entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia. We're so excited to see the outcomes of this partnership and the real impact that participants will have in the Kingdom and beyond as they develop their skills and join this international network," Hattan Ahmed, Director of KAUST Entrepreneurship Center.

The hybrid program started online via the GIL’s online Innovation Readiness® Series in March 2022 and continued in June at the GIL and KAUST Bootcamp from May 29 - June 2, 2022, where participants were fully immersed in branding and storytelling, fundraising, leadership, pitching as well as one-on-one sessions with KAUST mentors. The Bootcamp culminated in the women delivering a final pitch in front of a panel of GIL and KAUST judges, who selected which hopefuls qualified to continue and attend the final training in the U.S. at the UT-Austin campus in July 2022.

There, the finalists will join an extensive global network of UT-Austin and the city’s own vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Taking advantage of global networking in this way will offer new opportunities and broaden the participants’ global influence and impact.

Both UT-Austin and KAUST have the shared objective and goal to promote entrepreneurship via programs that encourage skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking and teamwork. The program solidifies this mission and the U.S. Consulate, based in Saudi Arabia, is offering its full support. By empowering Saudi women and fostering collaboration between tech-centered institutions like KAUST and their American counterparts, the Consulate hopes to produce fruitful alliances to tackle pressing global issues.

“Texas Global is proud to partner with KAUST and the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah to offer a program that advances women’s entrepreneurship ,” said Dr. Sonia Feigenbaum, senior vice provost for global engagement and UT-Austin’s chief international officer. “The Global Innovation Lab curriculum teaches strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of participants’ endeavors, promoting entrepreneurship as a means of stimulating economic growth and thereby increasing the financial security and prosperity of the citizens of Saudi Arabia.”

Upon completing the program, participants will have gained the knowledge necessary to start a successful entrepreneurial venture and build the capacity to ensure long-term sustainability. This will result in a positive ripple effect throughout the Saudi Arabian ecosphere as well as strengthen global connections through groundbreaking entrepreneurship.

“The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of economic, educational, and cultural exchange that benefits both countries.” said Dale Lawton, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah. The U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah works to maintain this relationship by partnering with programs and initiatives that further the positive economic transformation outlined in Vision 2030. Hundreds of Saudis and Americans who have participated in our programs are an important part of the ties that bind our two nations together.”

By supporting Saudi-based female entrepreneurs, KAUST reaffirms its commitment to the continued expansion of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem within KSA. In nurturing and showcasing new ideas and future leaders, the university aims to stimulate economic growth, create better-quality jobs, open new markets and increase global economic security and prosperity.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
×