Saleh Fareed Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Qotuf, which works to formulate the entrepreneurial landscape in Saudi Arabia, honored 12 graduates, the first batch of the first tech-private startup accelerator program in Saudi Arabia. The project, which is under the patronage of Minister of Labor Adel Faqih, is supported by the private sector. Dr. Ghassan Ahmad Alsulaiman, a founding sponsor of the program, and other senior officials from Qotuf and other companies attended the graduation ceremony. “The graduation of the first batch in the entrepreneurship program is the result of Flat6Labs Jeddah accelerator's team efforts to provide the latest training for young Saudi entrepreneurs and others wishing to enter the business world to achieve their goals. The program is an ideal platform to support them,” said Alsulaiman. Alsulaiman hailed the program for supporting the initiatives of owners of the new tech-projects that help them take the first step to enter the business world in different fields and make their ambitions come true. “We look forward to creating new jobs for young Saudi entrepreneurs through the support of these new and small emerging companies. Recently, studies have proved that in the last 25 years, 90 percent of the new jobs emerged from startups and small businesses which demonstrate the importance of such companies,” he said. Alsulaiman said the Flat6Labs Jeddah accelerator's team is working continuously to develop the program to attract great talents and minds from among young entrepreneurs to help them keep pace with global companies and compete in the local and international markets. Flat6Labs Jeddah leverages on the expertise, know-how and success of Flat6Labs founded by Sawari Ventures in Egypt and on Qotuf's talent and well-established relationships with organizations in the Kingdom which support small businesses. The partnership of Flat6Labs and Qotuf seeks to unify their common vision of promoting entrepreneurship and extending it across the region.
