Business
Momentum 2025: Saudi Arabia confirms $201.6m in new funding programs
Saudi Arabia’s Development Finance Conference MOMENTUM 2025 continued its second day of dialogues in Riyadh, announcing new National Development Fund (NDF) programmes and gaming investments totalling SR756m ($201.6m).
Held under the theme “Leading Development Transformation” at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre, the event brought together decision-makers, experts, investors and innovators, underscoring the Kingdom’s leadership in sustainable development.
Across more than 30 dialogue sessions and contributions from over 100 international speakers, discussions focused on accelerating development outcomes and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation under Vision 2030.
Momentum 2025
An accompanying exhibition highlighted more than 20 public and private sector entities.
The day opened with the session “How Can We Build Resilience in A Disruptive World?” during which Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at the National Development Fund (NDF) Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri affirmed that the essence of Saudi Vision 2030 is diversification.
He noted that the NDF consistently monitors non-oil GDP, employment and local content indicators.
In a session on sustainable investment opportunities, Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih stated that the Kingdom is targeting more than $1tn in infrastructure investments by 2030, with between 40 per cent and 50 per cent expected to come from the private sector.
He affirmed that the Kingdom has become the regional centre for green finance.
Momentum 2025 also showcased the rapid growth of Saudi Arabia’s gaming and esports sector.
Experts reviewed the transformation from minimal infrastructure 15 years ago to global leadership today, supported by the National Gaming and Esports Strategy and major events such as Gamers 8 and the Esports World Cup.
These events drew more than 750m viewers and three million visitors to Riyadh, confirming the Kingdom as the largest gaming market in the Middle East and North Africa.
During the conference, the NDF detailed new funding initiatives exceeding SR300m ($80.4m), a venture capital fund worth SR150m ($40.2m) and the region’s largest gaming accelerator valued at SR306m ($82m).
Momentum 2025 reinforced Saudi Arabia’s commitment to diversification, innovation and long-term investment as central pillars of national development, supporting the continued advancement of Vision 2030 objectives.
