Under the theme “Creativity and Innovation in the Context of the Knowledge Economy (Fourth Industrial Revolution)” The second session of the Aspar International Forum 2017 kicked off yesterday evening in Riyadh in the presence and patronage of Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh, with the participation of 66 local and international speakers, representing government leaders, leading companies, innovators and entrepreneurs, the forum continues for 3 days to discuss investing in national minds, advanced technologies and providing comprehensive support for the distinguished in various fields.

The “Ibtikar” exhibition showcases investors“ projects.

Innovate Exhibition showcases investors” projects

As part of the opening ceremony, HH the Emir of Riyadh inaugurated the “Ibtikar” exhibition launched by the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises in partnership with Aspar International Forum. The exhibition will allow entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to present their projects to investors, and the Innovation Award was launched for the first time, after which HH the Emir honored the strategic partners of the forum and sponsors.

The forum program includes 11 sessions, 6 specialized workshops with leading innovation and technology experts, 6 public lectures, in addition to a number of panel discussions and interviews, with more than 66 speakers participating in the events.

Government leaders and leading companies

During his opening speech, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Forum, Dr. Fahad Al-Orabi Al-Harithi, welcomed His Highness the Emir of Riyadh, thanking him for his patronage of the Forum, and welcomed their Excellencies and guests. He explained that the Asbar International Forum works on the optimal investment of human capital that inspires all forms of creativity and innovation, pointing out that the theme of this session is an extension of the outcomes of the previous session of the Forum, addressing the fruits of the Forum in its previous session, and the launch by the Minister of Labor of the Future Work or self-employment initiative from this platform.

<The Chairman of the Forum explained that what distinguishes the Aspar International Forum is that it always brings together government leaders, leading companies, local and international experts, and young energies to work together to prepare vital and useful formulas for the future, praising the role of strategic success partners, scientific partners, and everyone who helped or supported the march of this forum.
The Chairman of the Forum revealed an award within its activities in the field of innovation, in addition to holding an exhibition for innovators in partnership with the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, describing the Forum as a platform for initiatives.

Transforming innovative ideas into projects

His Excellency the Minister of Labor and Social Development, Dr. Ali Al-Ghufais, delivered the speech of the strategic partner of the forum, noting that the opening of the “Aspar International Forum” comes in the context of the interest and support of His Highness the Emir of Riyadh Region for the fields of creativity and innovation and the generous patronage that these fields enjoy by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince - may God protect them.

For his part, H.E. Dr. Ali Al-Ghufais said. <Dr. Ghassan Al-Sulaiman, Governor of the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, said at the beginning of his speech: "There are common factors among the countries leading the economy in the world, including many moral and material matters, and the most important lessons of global best practices that we found within the interests of ministries and similar institutions is that they focus on small and medium enterprises, which focus on knowledge economies."

His Excellency the Governor of the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, Dr. Ghassan Al-Sulaiman, said at the beginning of his speech. He pointed out that the Authority has a role in transforming innovative ideas into realistic projects. Al-Salman pointed out that the Authority will be an incubator for the winners of this award, contributing to the realization of the Saudi Vision 2030.

A civilized window to an innovative society and a prosperous future

Mohammed Al-Saqqaf, Aramco's Senior Vice President for Operations and Business Services, emphasized Aramco's keenness to continue the important strategic partnership with Asbar International Forum, highlighting the success of the first edition of the Forum as a civilizational window to an innovative society and a prosperous future, noting that Aramco's strategy for knowledge-based economic transformation is based on four pillars: supporting the culture of innovation, supporting entrepreneurship, and sustainable investment in research and development.

Aramco's Senior Vice President for Operations and Business Services, Mohammed Al-Saqqaf, promised to support the winners of this award in a way that contributes to the Saudi Vision 2030. The Vice President for Technology and Innovation at SABIC, Dr. Fahad Al-Shuraihi, described the Aspar International Forum as a real attraction for SABIC, indicating that SABIC has started establishing a special unit to develop and localize local industries to allow SMEs to thrive and become a major driver of the economy.

Aspar International Forum is a civilizational window for an innovative society and a prosperous future.