جدة: Saudi Arabia’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) will gain access to up to SR5 billion ($1.33 billion) in Shariah-compliant financing through a new partnership between the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha’at) and STC Bank.
The agreement, signed during the Money20/20 conference in Riyadh, is designed to strengthen the Kingdom’s entrepreneurship ecosystem by improving access to innovative digital financing solutions for SMEs.
The partnership was formalized by Suliman bin Abdulrahman Al-Turaif, Deputy Governor for Planning and Development at Monsha’at, and Modhie Farih Al-Shammary, Head of Wholesale Banking at STC Bank.
Under the agreement, a dedicated financing portfolio will provide Shariah-compliant funding solutions to businesses across a wide range of economic sectors. The program will offer short-, medium-, and long-term financing facilities, including both cash and non-cash products, with repayment terms extending up to 10 years.
The initiative comes as Saudi Arabia’s SME sector continues to expand rapidly. According to the Vision 2030 Annual Report 2025, the Kingdom is home to more than 1.7 million SMEs, which collectively employ approximately 8.8 million people and contribute 22.9 percent of GDP.
Monsha’at stated that the agreement aligns with its broader efforts to accelerate the growth and sustainability of the SME sector by providing entrepreneurs with innovative financing options that enhance economic diversification and increase the sector’s contribution to national development.
SME Financing on the Rise
The new agreement reflects the broader momentum in SME financing across the Kingdom.
وبحسب Ibrahim Al-Rashid, CEO of the SME Bank, cumulative credit facilities extended to MSMEs reached approximately SR467 billion by the end of 2025, marking a 33 percent year-on-year increase.
Al-Rashid noted that Saudi Arabia successfully met its SME lending and financing targets in 2025 and expects significant expansion in the sector over the next five years. Growth is expected to be supported by indirect financing mechanisms, venture capital investments, and the government-backed Kafalah loan guarantee program.
Monsha’at reported that the Kafalah program has supported more than 27,000 enterprises through over 73,000 financing guarantees, helping unlock nearly SR135 billion in financing for businesses across the Kingdom.
The latest SR5 billion financing initiative is expected to further strengthen SME access to capital, supporting entrepreneurship, job creation, and Saudi Arabia’s long-term economic diversification goals under Vision 2030.