At Rise Up Summit we checked out, “The Future Of Investments In The Area” panel, given that this is current talk of town given a growing global economic crisis. Several speakers participated to give their two cents and we were most interested with what Hashim Nabulsi, director of investments at NEOM in Saudi Arabia had to say.
For those who don’t know, NEOM is a smart city in the heart of Saudi Arabia ambitiously aiming to run entirely on renewable energy while promoting new technical breakthroughs. Speaking of talk of the town; NEOM has been word of mouth for its ambitious and futuristic designs and function.
Engineer turned investor, Nabulsi, said in his opening statement, “NEOM is not a solo project, but a product of joint cooperation between Saudi Arabia and numerous nations within the Middle East including Egypt, and the UAE.”
Nabulsi explained that before, there was some pessimism in the region in regards to entrepreneurs’ roles. He then asserted that 10 years ago, entrepreneurs would ask, “what kind of perks and support do we get if we participate and accelerate in the market? Would the government still be able to accommodate us by changing some of its regulations?” Today, Nabulsi assures up and coming entrepreneurs that things have changed dramatically and that entrepreneurs are “the most important asset Middle Eastern governments have in order to grow their economies” adding that, “even an immense project like NEOM came together through a collaboration between the Saudi government and entrepreneurs who are looking for ways to build new projects and at the same time create something that caters to the Saudi 2030 vision.
Nabulsi concluded with words of optimism and that he is, “impressed with what’s occurring on the entrepreneurial level here in the region.”
