AlUla – Powering start-ups for Inclusive Growth event

Barely catching my breath from the Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit, I flew from Dhahran to AlUla, one of the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula and home to Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I was visiting as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2022, where we gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the region’s SMEs on the path to sustainable and inclusive growth.

I met a thriving community of local entrepreneurs who were passionate about building a high-growth economy, that uplift their communities and preserve local authenticity; from a beekeeper who was expanding honey production in the region, to a tour guide who was preserving the historic Arabic traditions of stargazing.

The desert around AlUla is truly breathtaking. I expect that it’s the closest I will ever get to setting foot on the Martian surface!