Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) achieved two significant national accomplishments during the “Biban 2025" Forum, organized by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha'at) at the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Center on Saturday evening, November 8, 2025.
The event was held under the patronage of H.E. the Minister of Education, Mr. Yousef A. Al-Benyan, and attended by H.E. the Minister of Commerce, Dr. Majid A. Al-Qasabi, and H.E. the Governor of Monsha'at Mr. Sami I.Al-Hussaini.
IMSIU was awarded 2nd place nationwide in the ranking of top entrepreneurial universities, in recognition of its outstanding efforts and innovative initiatives to enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem, support innovation, and empower students and staff to develop creative projects that contribute to the national economy and achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
H.E. Prof. Ahmed S. Alaameri, President of IMSIU, received the award shield from H.E. Mr. Sami Al-Husseini, Governor of Monshaat, during the ceremony honoring entrepreneurial universities as part of the forum's events.
In addition, the ceremony honored the top three winners of the Best Startup Award, which carried a total prize of SAR 50,000.
IMSIU's project “Nesr" won 3rd place nationwide in the Saudi University Entrepreneurs Competition. The project team received a recognition shield for their entrepreneurial achievement and excellence in developing an innovative project.
“Nasr" is an innovative digital platform providing comprehensive tourism guidance solutions in Saudi Arabia. It empowers tour guides and enhances visitor experiences through advanced technologies, contributing to the development of the tourism sector and supporting the knowledge-based economy.
The entrepreneurship competition featured 43 university projects from across the Kingdom, which went through qualifying stages that began with a two-month virtual bootcamp to develop their entrepreneurial ideas, followed by a selection round to identify the top 10 university startups. The final announcement revealed the top three winners, who will represent Saudi Arabia regionally and globally in upcoming international competitions and forums.
The event also announced that Saudi Arabia had, for the first time, won the Best Product Award in the Arab World in the University Category of the Junior Achievement Global Competition, marking an unprecedented achievement that highlights the creativity and competitiveness of Saudi university teams on the international stage.
Dr. Yazeed M. Al-Khuraijah, Head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, expressed his pride in these two achievements, emphasizing that they are the result of the strong support provided by the university's leadership—represented by H.E. the President—for the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. He noted that these accomplishments reflect IMSIU's commitment to realizing Vision 2030 goals by building an economy grounded in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Ms. Ebtisam Al-Falaj, Assistant Director of the university's “Imam Cloud" business incubator, stated that the success of the Nasr project reflects the quality of the university's entrepreneurial environment. She added that the incubator will continue to enhance its programs to empower creative and innovative individuals to transform their ideas into impactful and sustainable ventures.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Al-Khuraif, a student from the College of Business and leader of the Nasr project, expressed his happiness with the win, emphasizing that this achievement was made possible by the supportive environment provided by Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University—through its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and “Imam Cloud" incubator—which enabled him and his team to develop their project into a competitive entrepreneurial model at the national level.
The “Biban 2025" Forum is the largest event of its kind in the region, with participation from more than 150 countries and over 200 local and international speakers. This year's forum witnessed the launch of numerous initiatives and agreements supporting the entrepreneurship ecosystem, contributing to empowering youth and universities to lead the transformation toward a national economy driven by knowledge and innovation.