The Biban Forum 2025 opened in Riyadh with a strong signal to the region’s business community: Saudi Arabia is doubling down on its small and medium enterprises (SMEs). On the first day alone, eight banking and financing agreements worth nearly USD 6 billion (SAR 22 billion) were signed between the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at) and leading national banks.
Now in its 11th edition, the Biban forum runs under the theme “A Global Destination for Opportunities.” It captures the country’s ambition to turn its SME sector into a global growth engine — one aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to raise the sector’s contribution to the national GDP.
Among the standout partnerships, Riyad Bank signed a USD 1.3 billion (SAR 5 billion) agreement with Monsha’at to roll out a joint financing program for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Alrajhi Bank followed with a USD 1 billion (SAR 4 billion) portfolio dedicated to fueling entrepreneurial ventures and expanding innovative financial products.
Other major lenders joined in. Arab National Bank (anb) inked a USD 533 million (SAR 2 billion) agreement to help SMEs scale their operations, while Alinma Bank committed USD 266 million (SAR 1 billion) toward improving access to finance and enhancing operational efficiency.
Bank AlJazira added another USD 266 million in new financing programs targeting working capital and contractor needs, while Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF) signed a SAR 700 million deal to strengthen enterprise growth and advance broader financial empowerment goals.
The momentum at Biban Forum didn’t stop there. Saudi National Bank (SNB) and Monsha’at also signed a memorandum of understanding to co-develop innovative financing solutions. SNB complemented this with the launch of a USD 1.3 billion (SAR 5 billion) funding portfolio.
Meanwhile, Bank Albilad unveiled a USD 773 million (SAR 2.9 billion) initiative to back entrepreneurs and SMEs, alongside a USD 53 million (SAR 200 million) fund focused on high-growth companies under the Tomoh program.
How the Biban Forum is Building a Financing Ecosystem
The Biban Forum has become one of the Kingdom’s signature platforms for SME growth — a space where policy, private capital, and entrepreneurship meet.
This year’s round of financing highlights an evolving financial landscape where banks are not only lenders but ecosystem partners, helping small businesses access more flexible, innovative, and tailored financing solutions.
For Monsha’at, these deals represent more than just capital. They’re part of a broader effort to create a competitive financing environment, one where startups and SMEs can move from survival to scale, supported by programs designed to match their operational realities.
By deepening collaboration between the public and private sectors, Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen the backbone of its economy.
SMEs already account for a significant share of employment, and with these new financial mechanisms, their contribution to GDP is expected to rise sharply in the coming years.
Biban Forum 2025’s first-day deals underscore that growth is beyond just a slogan as it’s being funded, structured, and scaled.
As entrepreneurs filled Riyadh’s exhibition halls to connect, pitch, and learn, the tone was clear: Saudi Arabia is not only nurturing startups; it’s building the financial infrastructure to sustain them.
