In a spirit to motivate the next generation to innovate and create innovative projects that contribute to the various developmental processes,  Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University (IAU) has established an "Entrepreneurship Unit" aimed at consolidating the University's efforts in building professional bridges and a distinguished professional future for male and female students under the decision of the president of the university No. 41691 dated 26/05/1438 AH.

Through this unit, the university aims to be one of a pioneer in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship that supports the young entrepreneurs who have promising projects in the region and provides them with the integrated support for achieving the success of their entrepreneurial projects through the educational resources and seeking to promote the entrepreneurial ecosystem and supporting the projects locally and globally by establishing strategic partnerships supporting Saudi Vision 2030.

Definition of the Unit

Entrepreneurship is to create an innovative new project that offers added economic efficiency in which resources are managed efficiently and with distinctive competence and ability to provide new economic and administrative activity.
The growth of small and medium-sized enterprises is one of the most important elements helping in providing job opportunities in any economy around the world. Entrepreneurship support programs are considered of the most important goals of the ambitious vision of the year 2030.
Thereby, the unit seeks to promote the pioneering spirit among male and female students who have pilot projects and to equip and arm the leaders of them with the pioneering thinking and spirit to be pioneers in initiatives that distinguish them in their future careers. The support of the unit extends beyond that to include the pilot projects outside the University's boundaries in the society.

The entrepreneur is distinguished as a person who creates a career opportunity for himself and thus opens up multiple opportunities for his employees.

About

Vision

The first factory for entrepreneurs in the region.

Message

Supporting the students, graduates, and employees of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University and the community to transform their creative ideas into job opportunities and investment projects by creating a stimulating and attractive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship supported by knowledge, high technology, and human resources.
 

Objectives 

Due to the importance of having an integrated system for entrepreneurship and strengthening partnerships and cooperation with internal authorities and the surrounding community to develop an entrepreneurial environment for university employees, the university's president issued the declaration # 41691 dated 26/05/1438 AH to establish an entrepreneurship unit that works to unify all the different efforts of the university's entrepreneurship programs and make them under one system aimed at:

  • Developing the entrepreneurial thinking of the students and employees of the university and qualifying them to enhance their competitiveness either to establish "entrepreneurial projects" or to develop "functional entrepreneurial thought"
  • Incubating and encouraging the promising projects in the business incubator of the unit.
  • Enhancing the entrepreneurial environment at the university through workshops, lectures, events specialized in entrepreneurship, and various periodic events that will support the direction of the unit.
  • Documenting entrepreneurial experiences and turning them into scientific materials that contribute to benefiting from pioneering experiences and disseminating them to make the unit the main scientific source of them.
  • Entering into partnerships and agreements with the internal and external bodies to support the Saudi Vision 2030, in developing and enhancing the concept of the entrepreneurship environment among the university's students.

Business Incubator

Business Incubator is the entrepreneurial environment provided by the Entrepreneurship Unit to incubate the promising projects of IAU students by providing the basic business requirements such as the capital, real space for work, mentoring and providing consultants of entrepreneurship for each project, as well as, a committee of IAU academic staff to follow up the various plans of the financial, marketing and technical projects, etc.
Moreover, one of the missions of the Business Incubator is to provide all means of support for each incubated project and to connect it with the market either through the partners of the unit or through the investors of the small projects.

Business Incubator Services

  1. Assist in developing the work plans of the incubated projects.
  2. Provide legal, marketing, financial and accounting consultancies to develop the project's strategy.
  3. Continuous follow-up and support and provide various aspects of support for developing and achieving success of the project.
  4. Communicating with funders and investors, such as banks and private sector to facilitate the financial support.
  5. Build relationships with entities and organizations in the Saudi market.
  6. Share incubated projects in the exhibitions and conferences.
  7. Provide permanent headquarters throughout the incubation's period of the project for both sexes and ensuring the privacy through providing an office prepared with all basic equipment (office, computer, chair, locker, Internet, printer).
  8. Multiple meeting rooms, workshops, and conferences.

Staff

Mohammed Emad Al-Shaikh 
Head of Entrepreneurship
Email: Mealshaikh@iau.edu.sa
Mobile: 0503363223 
Ext: 32065


Nadia Fahad Alnasser
Administrative assistant
EmailNalnasser@IAU.EDU.SA
Ext: 32067


Hanna bint Nasser Al-Nasser
Email: hnalnasser@iau.edu.sa
Ext: 32083


Moudi bint Salem Al-Barrak
Email: Msalbarrak@iau.edu.sa
Ext: 32051

Contact Us

Email:  EU@iau.edu.sa
Location: Entrepreneurship Unit - University City Building A7 - First Floor

Published on: 08 June 2022
Last update on: 13 February 2024
Page views: 1028