Saudi Arabia is the world's fastest-growing major economy in 2022 and with a young Internet-savvy population, the market is expected to create lucrative opportunities for startups raising capital and scaling in Saudi Arabia.

This year, conversations and highlights will focus on 5 key tracks tackling Fintech with an emphasis on payments, crypto, and E-commerce; Future innovations with a focus on AI, mobility, energy, and cloud; Digital with media, marketing, and content; Start with an emphasis on startups, venture capital and growth and finally, Wellness deep diving into femtech, health, and fitness. The event will also host top speakers including Rakan Alrashed from Access Bridge Ventures; H.E Dr. Nabeel Koshak, Saudi Venture Capital Company; Amal Dokhan, 500 Global; Maha Abu Touq, Majid Al Futtaim, and many others.

Saudi Arabia’s prominent tech & startup festival – Step is scheduled to take place over a 2-day in-person event from 12th to 13th December at The Arena Riyadh. Direct-to-consumer brands will showcase their products to over 3,000 consumers and investors in the world’s most exciting economy at the dedicated new DTC Hub.

In image above: Ray Dargham, Co-Founder and CEO of Step

Top speakers include H.E. Dr. Nabeel Koshak, the CEO and Board Member of Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), Muna AbuSulayman, Media Icon, and Social Impact Leader, Nayef Al-Athel, chief of listing at the Saudi Exchange, scientist-turned-entrepreneur HRH Fahad Bandar Al Saud, former investment banker Khadija Khartit, and 500 Global´s Amal Dokhan.

Technology plays a key role in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The Saudi Arabian government announced a series of technological programs totaling more than $1.2bn aimed at improving the digital skills of 100,000 Saudi Arabia youth by 2030 with a focus on cybersecurity, programming, AI, and gaming. E-commerce revenue in Saudi Arabia is expected to reach US$ 20.04bn by 2025, and the number is expected to rise as 77% of Saudi consumers are more likely to shop online since the onset of the pandemic. The fundamentals for growth are already in place.

Adding onto the excitement, Ray Dargham, Co-Founder and CEO of Step said, "Step Saudi will play a vital role in supporting this vision. With this year’s event set to be our best yet – we are pleased to be working with some of the top decision-makers and startups. The event offers a platform for them to come together to shape the future of technology, e-commerce, digital, fintech, and others across the Kingdom.”