Revitalizing a former parking structure, The Garage in Saudi Arabia provides a workspace featuring 24 meeting rooms, an expansive event area with a capacity of over 1,000 people, and designated workshop spaces.
Saudi Arabia has unveiled The Garage, the largest startup district in the Middle East, located within the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh. Encompassing 28,000 square meters, this space now accommodates more than 300 startup companies and is part of the kingdom’s dedication to fostering innovation.
Repurposing a former parking facility into a dynamic workspace, The Garage features 24 meeting rooms, an event area with a capacity exceeding 1,000 individuals, and specialized workshop areas. This transformation initiative commenced in April 2022 with the aim of empowering startups and has since established partnerships with industry leaders like Google for Startups and the National Center for Information Technology Development.
The startup district offers a diverse range of programs, including The Garage Plus, ACCESS, The Garage Incubator, MVP Lab, GAIA Startup Accelerator, and the Middle East’s inaugural Antler program. Over the course of ten program cycles, it has graduated more than 230 startup companies, nurturing 450 founders from over 50 countries, collectively generating revenues surpassing SAR 24.5 million (approximately $6.5 million).
Additionally, these startups have secured investments exceeding SAR 215 million (approximately $57.3 million).
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The Garage: Fostering Saudi Startups
The startup district has hosted more than 40 events, attracting participation from 150 local and international startups and drawing over 3,500 attendees, including partners, investors, and industry experts.
The inauguration of the Startup District represents a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East’s global startup landscape. It grants founders access to a thriving ecosystem of partners and innovators.
Debuting at the inaugural Leab conference in 2022, the innovation hub has firmly established itself as the central hub for startups, nurturing promising ventures from the heart of Riyadh.
This innovation district aspires to become the ultimate destination for tech startups, offering a comprehensive business model that encompasses incubation, acceleration, and extensive support services.
Beyond being merely a workspace, it embodies a way of life and serves as a community hub, strategically situated to encourage collaboration with creative minds and national laboratories across various sectors, as stated in the announcement.
