Saudi Arabia has secured leading global rankings across several entrepreneurship indicators in the 2025–2026 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report, reflecting the steady advancement of its entrepreneurial ecosystem and its growing competitiveness. This progress further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position among the world’s most entrepreneurship-friendly economies.

The Kingdom ranked first globally among high-income economies in the Entrepreneurial Finance index for 2025, highlighting the strength and maturity of its funding landscape and the continued evolution of support mechanisms for SMEs. This has made it easier for businesses to access financing while supporting their growth and long-term sustainability. Saudi Arabia also placed third worldwide in the National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI), reinforcing its standing as one of the most advanced economies in fostering an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and as an increasingly attractive destination for venture investment.

The report also points to rapid growth in entrepreneurial activity across the Kingdom. The early-stage entrepreneurial activity rate rose significantly from 12.1% in 2018 to 28.9% in 2025, while entrepreneurial intentions increased from 26.8% to 48.5% over the same period. These figures clearly reflect a growing inclination among individuals to launch their own ventures and capitalize on opportunities within Saudi Arabia’s evolving business landscape.

University entrepreneurship has also seen notable progress, with Saudi Arabia climbing to seventh place globally in 2025, up from 53rd in 2018. This underscores the expanding role of educational institutions in fostering innovation and embedding an entrepreneurial mindset, in line with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030.

Overall, these results highlight the Kingdom’s sustained momentum in entrepreneurship, marked by rising confidence among individuals, alongside a strong financial and regulatory framework that supports business sustainability and enhances competitiveness.

The National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI) is one of the key components of the GEM report, led by the GEM consortium in partnership with leading academic institutions, including Babson College and London Business School. In Saudi Arabia, the report is implemented by Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business & Entrepreneurship (MBSC) in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority, “Monsha’at”.

Monsha’at noted that these achievements reflect the continued alignment of efforts across government entities, the private sector, and academic institutions, driving the development of a world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem that keeps pace with global best practices and supports the Kingdom’s journey toward sustained growth and innovation.