Incubators and accelerators in Saudi Arabia

Accelerators, incubators, venture studios and startup support programs in Saudi Arabia: who they’re for, how long they run, what they offer and whether they take equity, with the application link and source. 27 active programs so far.

A fintech accelerator launched by Falak Investment and Alinma Bank in 2025. It runs 12 weeks for early-stage Saudi startups, and its first cohort had 14 companies.

Organization
Falak Investment Hub with Alinma Bank
Duration
12 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
—

anb Accelerator

Accelerator

A fintech accelerator launched by Arab National Bank in 2025 under ANB Innovate, in partnership with Monsha'at, Fintech Saudi and Plug and Play. It runs 12 weeks in Riyadh for companies from post-prototype to pre-Series A.

Organization
Arab National Bank (anb) with Plug and Play
Duration
12 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
Seed

CMA FinTech Lab

Support programEquity-free

The Capital Market Authority's Fintech Lab, running since 2018, is a regulatory sandbox that grants experimental permits to fintech companies in securities activities such as equity crowdfunding and robo-advisory.

Organization
Capital Market Authority (CMA)
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
—

The Center of Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE) is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. It offers shared workspaces and incubation and acceleration programs for digital entrepreneurs, including the incubation program, Tech Founders and CODE Nine 66 for gaming.

Organization
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT)
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Idea, Pre-seed, Seed

A deep tech projects program from Dhahran Techno Valley at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. It selects 10 projects a year and offers support of up to SAR 200,000 for a stake of no more than 5%.

Organization
Dhahran Techno Valley (KFUPM) / Deep-Tech Ventures Company (DTVC)
Duration
12 weeks
City
Dhahran
Stages
Pre-seed

Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC)

CompetitionEquity-free

The Entrepreneurship World Cup is a global startup competition launched in 2019, co-organized by Monsha'at and the Global Entrepreneurship Network. Its finals are held in Riyadh with $1 million in cash prizes and no equity taken.

Organization
Monsha'at and Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Idea, Pre-seed, Seed, Series A

Finspire is a fintech program from Dhahran Techno Valley and the Saudi National Bank. It runs 12 weeks followed by six months of incubation, and offers up to SAR 200,000 to ten companies for a stake of no more than 5%.

Organization
Dhahran Techno Valley (DTV) with Saudi National Bank (SNB)
Duration
12 weeks
City
Dhahran
Stages
—

Fintech Saudi

Support program

An initiative launched by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) in 2018 in cooperation with the Capital Market Authority to support the fintech ecosystem in the Kingdom. It includes awareness programs, a fintech accelerator, and partnerships with bank accelerators and investors.

Organization
Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) with the Capital Market Authority (CMA)
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
—

Grow Tourism Accelerator

AcceleratorEquity-free

A business accelerator for tourism startups run by the Tourism Development Fund through its non-financial arm, TDF Grow. It runs 4 months and includes a trip to Silicon Valley and a demo day. Its sixth edition launched in April 2026.

Organization
Tourism Development Fund (TDF Grow)
Duration
16 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
—

An incubator for tourism startups run by the Tourism Development Fund through TDF Grow in partnership with Almosafer. It finished its first edition in 2026 with 30 companies over 10 months across two tracks, in person and virtual.

Organization
Tourism Development Fund (TDF Grow)
Duration
43 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
—

inspireU by stc

Accelerator

A business accelerator belonging to stc, launched in 2015 as the Kingdom's first accelerator for telecommunications and digital innovation. It offers a general three-month program that includes mentoring and grants, and an advanced six-month program by invitation.

Organization
stc
Duration
12 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
—

KAUST ScaleX

Support program

KAUST Scale X is a soft landing program from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank. It helps international tech companies at Series B stage and beyond enter the Saudi market over about eight months.

Organization
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Duration
—
City
Thuwal
Stages
Series B, Growth

The business incubators and accelerators at King Saud University's Entrepreneurship Institute in Riyadh, launched in 2015, offer incubation, training, legal and professional consulting, and offices for emerging projects.

Organization
King Saud University Entrepreneurship Institute
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Idea

King Saud University's Aspiring Entrepreneurs Program is run by Riyadh Valley Company with Flat6Labs and the Entrepreneurship Institute. It targets university students, staff and graduates, to develop their ideas up to the prototype stage.

Organization
Riyadh Valley Company with Flat6Labs and KSU Entrepreneurship Institute
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Idea

Lean Node

Venture studio

A startup-building studio based in Riyadh that says it has built more than 18 companies since 2017, and offers an entrepreneur-in-residence program and venture building for large corporations. In 2025 it launched an initiative with 1957 Ventures to build AI-based fintech companies.

Organization
Lean Node
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Idea, Pre-seed

MiSK Accelerator

AcceleratorEquity-free

MiSK Accelerator is an accelerator program run by the Misk Foundation in Riyadh since 2019. It lasts 12 weeks in a hybrid format and targets seed-stage tech startups, with no equity taken.

Organization
Misk Foundation
Duration
12 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
Seed

Misk Launchpad

Accelerator

Misk Launchpad is a pre-acceleration program from the Misk Foundation for idea-stage entrepreneurs. It runs 10 weeks in a hybrid format at no cost, and helps teams validate their idea and build a prototype.

Organization
Misk Foundation
Duration
10 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
Idea

A program run by Monsha'at to accelerate university startups through accelerators inside Saudi universities. Each cohort lasts about 6 months, and it targets students, recent graduates and university staff.

Organization
Monsha'at (Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority)
Duration
26 weeks
City
Several cities
Stages
Idea, Pre-seed

S60 Accelerator

Accelerator

An accelerator launched by S60 Ventures in partnership with Fintech Saudi in September 2025 at the Money20/20 conference. It runs 16 weeks for seed-stage fintech companies and adjacent sectors.

Organization
S60 Ventures
Duration
16 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
Seed

SAMA Regulatory Sandbox

Support programEquity-free

A regulatory sandbox run by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) that lets local and international fintech companies test their innovative financial solutions in the Saudi market under the bank's supervision before full licensing.

Organization
Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
—

A business accelerator run by 500 Global in partnership with Sanabil Investments, which is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). It launched in Riyadh in 2021 as the Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator. It targets tech companies with early momentum in the region, and reached its 12th cohort in 2026.

Organization
500 Global & Sanabil Investments
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Pre-seed, Seed

A startup-building studio founded by Sanabil Investments, which is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), in partnership with Switzerland's Stryber. It began work in Riyadh in 2023 and builds companies in fintech, consumer goods and tourism.

Organization
Sanabil Investments
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Idea

TAQADAM Startup Accelerator

AcceleratorEquity-free

A business accelerator run by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in partnership with Saudi Awwal Bank since 2016. It lasts six months and offers non-dilutive funding of up to $140,000 per company.

Organization
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) with Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB)
Duration
—
City
Thuwal
Stages
Pre-seed, Seed, Series A

Tech Founders

Support program

Tech Founders is a program from the Center of Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE) at the Ministry of Communications, to develop Saudi tech company founders and expand them globally. Its seventh cohort launched in January 2026 with 20 founders.

Organization
CODE (Ministry of Communications and Information Technology)
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Pre-seed, Seed

The Garage

Incubator

The Garage is a startup hub in Riyadh opened by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in 2023 on 28,000 square meters. It hosts incubation and acceleration programs, including the Garage Incubator and the Garage Plus accelerator.

Organization
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST)
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Pre-seed, Seed

A venture studio based in Riyadh that supports entrepreneurs from the region and international companies that want to expand in Saudi Arabia, through market access, technical development, legal support and funding. It runs programs including VMS Accelerate and Bridge.

Organization
Value Makers Studio
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Seed

Wadi Jeddah Incubator is run by Wadi Jeddah Company, which is owned by King Abdulaziz University. It selects startups after an intensive bootcamp and invests SAR 100,000 in each company, along with a six-month incubation program.

Organization
Wadi Jeddah (King Abdulaziz University)
Duration
—
City
Jeddah
Stages
—

The Badir Program for Technology Incubators and Accelerators was founded by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in 2007 and is operated by the Business Incubators and Accelerators Company (BIAC). It incubates tech projects in several regions of the Kingdom.

Organization
BIAC (Business Incubators and Accelerators Company)
Duration
—
City
Riyadh
Stages
Idea, Pre-seed

An accelerator program from Flat6Labs in Riyadh, launched in 2023 with backing from the Saudi Venture Capital Company, Jada and Riyadh Valley. It offers SAR 500,000 in cash funding to each company and a 4-month program. The sixth and final demo day was held in January 2026.

Organization
Flat6Labs
Duration
16 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
Seed

GAIA Generative AI Accelerator

AcceleratorTemporarily paused

The GAIA generative AI accelerator launched in Riyadh in 2023 with backing from SDAIA and the National Information Technology Development Program and operated by New Native. It runs 10 weeks at The Garage.

Organization
New Native (with SDAIA and NTDP)
Duration
10 weeks
City
Riyadh
Stages
Pre-seed, Seed