Etihad Salam Ignites Saudi Startups with Visionary Salam Award at DeveGo 25

Etihad Salam Telecom drew quite a bit of attention at DeveGo 25 in Riyadh this week, after spotlighting five standout projects through its Salam Award for Promising Projects. The forum, held at the King Abdulaziz Convention Center, has slowly become one of those annual gatherings where you can feel the energy of Saudi Arabia’s entrepreneurial scene buzzing in every corner. I remember attending a similar event years ago and thinking how the ecosystem still felt like a work in progress—now it’s a whole different story.

Salam positioned the award as part of its broader push to strengthen the SME sector and help founders turn clever ideas into real businesses. And believe it or not, the competition brought in a surprisingly varied mix of submissions from across the Kingdom. The chosen winners were evaluated on creativity, originality, feasibility and the potential to actually make a dent in the market—criteria that, in my view, are spot on for early-stage ventures, even if they can be a bit of a faff for founders to prepare for.

During the event, Salam’s CEO, Eng. Ahmed Al‑Anqari, shared remarks emphasising the role of startups and SMEs in building a sustainable digital economy. He noted that the award reflects Salam’s commitment to backing ideas capable of creating market impact and boosting private‑sector competitiveness. I reckon this aligns neatly with the country’s ongoing Vision 2030 ambitions, especially around digital transformation and economic diversification.

The awards themselves were handed out by Abdallah Mohammed Al‑Khorami, the company’s Chief Business Officer, underscoring the push for deeper collaboration between major corporates and the entrepreneurial community. It’s something we talk about at Arageek quite often—how startups thrive faster when the big players actually open doors instead of just cheering from afar.

The five winners—BioNet by Lama Abdulaziz Al‑Rashid, Qad Bisalama by Ahmed Abdallah Al‑Misfar, Nefhasaha by Khamis Al‑Hamad, Bayyin by Abdulrahman bin Rashid, and Qawel Tech by Mohammed Nasser Al Anqidan—spanned a mix of sectors. Each project tackled a different challenge, offering practical solutions rather than just shiny concepts. From what’s been shared, all five seem to have real potential for marketplace adoption, which is refreshing to see amid a landscape where not every idea translates well outside a pitch deck.

To take part, applicants were asked to share a 60‑second pitch video on social media using the #SalamAward hashtag. Simple enough, though I’m not a fan of the trend of reducing big ideas to tiny clips—well… I mean, sometimes nuance needs more than a minute. Still, the approach clearly worked, drawing submissions that were later reviewed by a dedicated evaluation committee.

Through initiatives like this award, Salam aims to keep boosting its role as a digital enabler, supporting platforms that nurture entrepreneurship and innovation. And on the flip side, these kinds of partnerships really do help build a more diverse and resilient economy—something founders across the region tell us they’re chuffed to bits to see. As Saudi Arabia’s startup landscape keeps expanding at pace, programmes like this one feel not just relevant but definately necessary.

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