Riyadh – Mubasher: King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), represented by the Badir Program for Technology Incubators and Accelerators, has launched the first business accelerator in a bid to support the works of entrepreneurs and projects participating in the recently-held Hajj Hackathon.

Post the Hajj Hackathon, which is organised by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, KACST launched the “Haramain Technology Accelerator” in collaboration with a number of strategic partners, according to a press release on Monday.

These comprise the Doyof Alrahman Program, and the Small & Medium Enterprises General Authority “Monsha’at”.

Started on Sunday in Jeddah, the accelerator programme will last for the coming three months.

It will offer a number of advisory services, most notably investment, training, follow-up, workshops, along with continuous guidance for developing entrepreneurial innovations, and transforming them into existing projects within 90 working days.

Before launching the programme, Badir held a training camp for participants in “Hajj Hackathon”.

The total number of projects applying for the camp hit 600, of which 250 qualified through an electronic platform designed for application and registration.

“The Badir Program seeks, through ‘Haramain Technology Accelerator’, to establish our commitment to support entrepreneurship, enhance innovation and implement solutions contributing to the achievement of the Saudi Vision 2030, in order to increase the number of the visitors to the two Holy Mosques to 30 million a year,” Nawaf Al Sahaf, CEO of Badir Program, commented.