Wa'ed — Saudi Aramco Entrepreneurship Center

Backs Saudi startups with venture investing, loan-based financing, incubator programs, and practical acceleration support.

Wa'ed is Saudi Aramco's entrepreneurship center, established in 2011 in Dhahran. It combines venture capital, SME loan financing, incubation, training, and enterprise support, with Wa'ed Ventures serving as the $500 million investment arm.

The center backs Saudi-based startups and firms that are localizing to the Kingdom from seed to growth. Its reach spans artificial intelligence, deep tech, fintech, agtech, healthtech, sustainability, energy, industrial services, drones, cloud, and e-commerce. The wider platform also includes the Wa'ed SME Loan Financing route, the Wa'ed Incubation Program, and the Wa'ed Accelerator, where small cohort grants of SAR 50,000 have been awarded.

Wa'ed's process favors founders with a minimum viable product, a full-time team, and a clear Kingdom-based operating footprint. Wa'ed Ventures can invest up to $20 million per deal, while the accelerator gives early teams a narrower entry point through workshops, mentorship, and follow-on incubation. The center is distinct from Aramco Ventures and from Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, and its startup intake runs through a dedicated dealflow process rather than an open grant competition.