For the third year in a row, the Atlantic Council’s WIn Fellowship brought together a group of trailblazing women entrepreneurs from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on a year-long journey to accelerate their business skills and expand their regional and international networks.

In 2024, about twenty inspiring business leaders were selected for the 2024-2025 Saudi Cohort, representing diverse sectors ranging from technology and climate sustainability to healthcare. To kick off the program, the Atlantic Council hosted a hybrid event in Riyadh on Wednesday, September 18th, at 11 am ET/6:00 pm KSA. The event addressed the state of women’s entrepreneurship in the Kingdom and explored ways forward for continued growth and innovation as the kingdom shifts its economic ecosystem.

Attendees joined the discussion on the current state of female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia, the challenges that remained, and the opportunities ahead to ensure continued progress.

Opening Remarks

Amb. Michael Ratney

Ambassador

Embassy of United States to Saudi Arabia

Speakers

Amal Dokhan

Managing Partner, MENA

500 Global

Afnan Ababtain

Innovation & Entrepreneurship Director Sector Investment Development

Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia

Wafa Al Obaidat

Founder & CEO

Playbook

Moderator

Noor Osama Nugali

Deputy Editor-in-Chief

Arab News

Explore the WIn Fellowship

Inaugural discussion: The state of women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia

May 3, 2024

2024 WIn Fellowship Roadshow

WIn Fellows participate in a fully sponsored trip to the United States for leadership training at Georgetown and meetings with US business and government leaders.
Inaugural discussion: The state of women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia

Jun 14, 2023

WIn Fellowship 2023-2024 KSA

Meet our 2023-2024 WIn fellows from Saudi Arabia: a group of dynamic women entrepreneurs poised to expand their leadership and executive skills. They are on a mission to scale their startups to new heights, setting new benchmarks for success.
Inaugural discussion: The state of women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia

Feb 24, 2023

2023 WIn Fellowship Roadshow

The WIn Fellowship roadshow is led by the Atlantic Council’s empowerME Initiative in cooperation with Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business with support from US Embassy Riyadh, UPS, and PepsiCo. The WIn Fellowship Roadshow participants, chosen from a highly competitive cohort of more than thirty applicants, receive a fully sponsored trip to the United States for leadership training at Georgetown and meetings with US business and government leaders.

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Inaugural discussion: The state of women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia

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Inaugural discussion: The state of women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia

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Inaugural discussion: The state of women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia

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empowerME at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East is shaping solutions to empower entrepreneurs, women, and youth and building coalitions of public and private partnerships to drive regional economic integration, prosperity, and job creation.

Learn more