The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia takes a significant stride toward nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship by inaugurating “The Garage“, marking its status as the largest startup district in the Middle East. Nestled within the premises of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh, this hub spans an impressive 28,000 square meters.
What was once a parking space has undergone a remarkable transformation, now boasting 24 meeting rooms, a capacious event area accommodating over 1,000 individuals, and dedicated workshop zones. Currently, The Garage plays host to a thriving community of more than 300 startup companies and offers many specialized programs, including ‘ACCESS,’ ‘The Garage Plus,’ ‘The Garage Incubator,’ ‘GAIA Startup Accelerator,’ ‘MVP Lab,’ ‘Antler,’ and ‘MVP Lab.’
Over the years, The Garage has successfully graduated more than 230 startups through ten program cycles and provided guidance to 450 startup founders from across 50 countries. These startups have collectively generated revenues exceeding SR24.5 million (approximately $6.5 million) and secured investments surpassing SR215 million (approximately $57.3 million), all while benefiting from invaluable training initiatives.
The Garage’s vibrant ecosystem has witnessed the organization of over 40 events, attracting participation from 150 local and international startups. With attendance by industry experts, investors, partners, and forward-thinking entrepreneurs exceeding 3,500 individuals, these events have facilitated networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
This groundbreaking initiative, initially showcased at the inaugural LEAP conference in 2022, has now firmly established itself as the focal point for startups and an incubator for both Saudi and international ventures. Developed in partnership with King Abdulaziz University for Sciences and Technology, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, and the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming, The Garage draws inspiration from the garage spaces that birthed tech giants such as Google, Apple, and Amazon.
