(MENAFN- Golin Mena) Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – November 11, 2025 - His Excellency Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at), awarded SARsatX, a Saudi company under Wadi Jeddah - the investment and innovation arm of King Abdulaziz University third place globally in the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC). The award was presented during the closing ceremony held as part of Biban 2025.
This achievement follows intense competition among thousands of startups from around the world. SARsatX won a $150,000 prize in the Early Stage category, recognizing its locally developed innovations in satellite technology and remote sensing, created within the research ecosystem of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.
SARsatX is one of Saudi Arabia’s most promising start-ups, emerging from the university’s innovation environment. The company was first incubated through the university’s “Buthrah” Program, in collaboration with Wadi Jeddah, before receiving funding and strategic support to further develop its technologies and expand its business.
The company previously won first place in the Environment track of the Start Smart 2023 Competition, benefiting from advanced training and financial support programs that accelerated its growth journey.
Dr. Sattam bin Saud Al-Lingawi, Chief Executive Officer of Wadi Jeddah, expressed his pride in the achievement, stating: “SARsatX’s global recognition reflects the value of investing in innovation and national talent. At Wadi Jeddah, we believe that supporting university-born startups and transforming their ideas into real-world technologies is key to building a competitive, innovation-driven national economy.”
He added that this milestone embodies Wadi Jeddah’s vision of empowering Saudi startups to compete globally and strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a regional hub for entrepreneurship and technology.
Dr. Ahmed Al-Zubairi, founder of SARsatX, said: “This achievement is the result of a collective effort that began within the university’s supportive innovation environment. We are proud that our company represents what Saudi youth can accomplish when given the right opportunity and support. Winning at the Entrepreneurship World Cup marks the start of a larger journey toward global competition and delivering advanced space technology solutions that raise the Kingdom’s profile in aerospace innovation.”
Dr. Al-Zubairi, a graduate of the Aerospace Engineering Department at King Abdulaziz University, founded SARsatX to develop innovative space solutions that enhance communication and remote sensing systems.
This global recognition reflects Wadi Jeddah’s ongoing commitment to supporting university-based startups and advancing Saudi Arabia’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in alignment with the goals of Vision 2030.


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