The Saudi Credit and Saving Bank (SCSB) and Etihad Ettisalat (Mobily) held a celebration on the occasion of the first session closure of Firnas external innovation platform which was launched last September. The five winning final ideas that won through the competitions lunched during the last few months were reviewed in the presence of ten investors and business incubators. The selection of these ideas came after reviewing 155 ideas proposed by entrepreneurs and innovators. Eng. Ghazi bin Al Shahrani, Assistant of General Manager for Small and Medium Enterprises Department at the SCSB, expressed his pleasure that the SCSB is a major partner in Firnas open Platform for innovation, an appreciated initiative that was launched by Mobily. Al Shahrani said: "The Bank has sought through this platform to provide a package of non-financial services through the National Center for Small Business and startups Companies Development, which included training and counseling services to the winners in the past three challenges, and develop their ideas to become a fertile ground for business incubators and funders and interested investors. These ideas will be launched into advanced stages and then the start of a new story of successful leaders and business entrepreneurs. He noted that this initiative has sought to deal with local challenges that we face in reality in order to stimulate the youth to submit proposals and practical solutions, in a step to become entrepreneurs in dealing with the facts and seek for change and innovation. Ismail Saeed A. AlGhamdi, Acting Chief Business Officer at Mobily, said: "We would like to thank the Saudi Credit and Savings Bank, which is our best partner in supporting innovators, and I've seen a great cooperation between the two sides reflecting the importance of integration of roles between the public and private sectors." Al Ghamdi added: "Innovation is an essential part of Mobily's identity, so we appreciate the innovators and entrepreneurs. Firnas is considered one of the main platforms that supported innovation over the past few months in the Kingdom, and witnessed a turnout and engagements exceeded all expectations. The winners and participants were honored on the sidelines of Firnas ceremony in addition to the announcement of investable ideas, which will be converted to actual projects. Firnas is an open platform for innovation initiated by Mobily and worked on with partnership with the National Center for Small Business and startups Companies Development an affiliate of the Saudi Credit & Saving Bank, in line with the role of the Bank and its directives related to financial and non-financial services for the small and medium enterprises. — SG
