Saudi News Agency

Makkah: March 12, 2018

HRH, Prince Abdullah Bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Emir of Makkah Region, inaugurated the “Growth Incubator” during his visit today Monday to Wadi Makkah Technology at the UQU campus in Abediya to check on its products and startups which are in line with the Kingdom Vision 2030. During the visit, he was briefed on the models of the summer training program for modeling streams, entrepreneurship, design and programming, which included applications on smart devices, sensor models, electronic circuits, professional designs and marketing campaigns for start-up companies in Wadi Makkah.

After that, Prince Abdullah bin Bandar viewed a presentation about Wadi Makkah under the title: “From a Moor to a Global Oasis for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship”. The presentation showed the company’s services in the investment in technology transfer industry and development, in addition to establishing technology incubators and investing in them and in scientific research, as well as preparing university students to work in the private sector through training and qualifying them then providing them with proper jobs.

The presentation explained that that Wadi Makkah was able to create 29 technical products and establish 15 start-up companies that managed to enter the labor market, providing 3,000 jobs for the saud young men and womens. The presentation estimated the volume of start-ups to be 50 million Saudi Riyals, while the sales of these companies reached 45 million Riyals. The plan of Wadi Makkah aims to increase the number of start-up companies to 45. It also aims to provide training, advisory, legal, administrative and technical programs, as well as financial support to these companies, in addition to constructing initial prototypes innside the modeling and manufacturing laboratory.

Afterward, he looked at Wadi Makkah’s general plan which is an embodiment of the company’s vision to become a business incubator and a platform for start-ups. The project is located in the eastern part of the UQU campus in Abdiya. It is connected to public transportation through a metro station planned to be implemented. The project includes incubators and business accelerators, in addition to a trade line that includes Wadi Makkah Hotel, an administrative center, international companies’ centers, and an area for residence and social activities.

Afterward, he cut the “Growth Incubator” ribbon to officially mark the inauguration of its work. He then looked at samples of the work of the summer training students. This was followed by a visit to the electronic sensors laboratory which contains a number of modern equipment in the field of designing prototypes for innovative products, and manufacturing sensors and precise electronic circuits operated by a group of Saudi young people. He also learned about the start-ups in Wadi Makkah whose work involves using images and their analysis for the services of crowd management and collection of social media data, to analyze them using artificial intelligence techniques. This process aims to produce marketing reports and advanced electronic devices to support the Internet of Things applications and transport and tracking services. Moreover, it supports the manufacturing of medical equipment to analyze bacteria automatically using the technologies of the laser, in addition, artificial intelligence and deep understanding technologies to produce traffic safety technologies.

All the more, Prince Abdullah witnessed signing of three cooperation agreements between Wadi Makkah Technology Compny, Makkah Developmetn Authority, Makkah Commercial and Industrial Chamber and Saudi Spine Society.

The agreements aim at cooperation between Wadi Makkah and the three mentioned parties to voost performance efficiency and develop the land allotted for Wadi Makkah to become an attractive business center and a platform for innovation and entrepreurship.