The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority “Monsha’at” launched the Makkah Challenge initiative at the Biban Makkah Region forum, with the aim of engaging members of the community in finding innovative solutions and creative, entrepreneurial ideas for the region through two tracks: Hajj and Umrah, and logistics services.

The Hajj and Umrah track targets creative ideas and applicable commercial innovative solutions that contribute to developing the services provided to pilgrims, in order to achieve the Kingdom’s vision of accommodating 30 million Hajj and Umrah pilgrims by 2030 and to raise the level of satisfaction and the quality of services provided.

The logistics services track targets creative ideas and applicable innovative solutions to facilitate the provision of services to residents and the business sector in Makkah Region in an innovative way.

Participants will submit integrated solutions and ideas for each of the tracks after studying their feasibility and designing how they work. The projects and ideas will then be evaluated from several angles to identify the most creative, impactful, and integrated solutions, provided that the idea is new or improves an existing one, is clear in its details and complete in its elements, and is applicable. There will be six winners across the two tracks (3 per track); the first prize will be SAR 30,000, the second SAR 20,000, and the third SAR 10,000. Submissions opened on Wednesday, October 31, and continue until November 21, while the winners will be selected on December 26. More details on the challenge are available on the website.

The Biban Makkah Region forum presented several initiatives, agreements, and entrepreneurial projects, launched by His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region, which will drive progress for SMEs and entrepreneurs in the region.