EY supporting female Saudi entrepreneurs in government tech

An initiative to provide Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs a competitive edge has concluded its application period. The program will include workshops, meetings with investors and founders, and will feature access to global and regional resources from EY.

The ‘EY Startup Academy’, spearheaded by consulting firm EY, is an annual six-week program designed to give structured support and advice to startup founders. With this year’s theme of ‘Women in GovTech’, the program aims to benefit women leaders in e-government startups in Saudi Arabia.

The support program for female Saudi entrepreneurs is run in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Saudi Digital Academy and the Digital Government Authority.

Saudi Arabia in recent years has been rapidly pushing for a more vibrant digital scene. E-government, startups, and digitalization have become key areas of development within the country’s aspirations to diversify the economy beyond oil-based revenues.

The Saudi Vision 2030 program is a strategic framework developed by the Saudi government’s Council of Economic and Development Affairs to shift their economy away from fossil fuel. The shift will boost sectors like tech, health, education, and entertainment, with a specific focus on empowering women in the workplace and in society.

Saudi Arabia has long been criticized for a lack of rights afforded to women. However, Mohammed bin Salman’s new leadership has seen some loosening of strict rules. A few women have even been appointed to senior government positions, including the SaudiCabinet's deputy secretary general, Shihana Al Azzaz, though serious criticism continues.