The meeting was inaugurated in a speech delivered by Assistant Undersecretary of the Sustainable Development Affairs Faisal Bin Ahmad Qattan, where he stressed that the lab is part of UNDP’s international efforts to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Golas (SDGs), as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Accelerator Lab is one of the UNDP’s initiatives in the Kingdom that aims to realize 2030 SDGs.

He added that the Saudi lab was recently added to a global network of accelerator labs in 115 countries through 91 labs with the aim of increasing economic growth, improving youth outcomes and addressing development issues, calling on all sectors to participate in and benefit from the lab to support SDGs.

UNDP Resident Representative for Saudi Arabia Adam Bouloukos said that the Kingdom is going through a unique moment of rapid change that includes a mix of vision at the highest government level, fiscal space and political stability.