The Economic Cities Authority (ECA) participated in the MIT Technology Review Arab Edition Conference, which was held in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) on the sidelines of the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition.

Jointly organized by the MIT Technology Review Arab Edition and the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab, the conference titled Time to Invest in Arab Youth and Their Innovations, addressed the tremendous opportunities for regional and global players to invest in an increasingly innovative Arab youth.

Representing ECA, Wassim Khashoggi, vice secretary general of operations, said in his speech: “It is time to invest in Arab youth and their innovation, time to showcase talent and creativity, and time to pay attention to a very critical and important segment of our society.”

Khashoggi drew the attention of the audience to the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which literally means “a reason for being,” which is about finding the purpose of life through “what you love, what the world needs, what you can be paid for and what you are good at.”

He addressed all young entrepreneurs by highlighting the importance of combining passion with mission, profession and vocation, by saying “Everyone has Ikigai; founding it requires deep and lengthy search of one self. However, as entrepreneurs, I believe you have found your Ikigai, you have found your reason for being.”

He then joined a panel discussion titled Accelerating Growth through Entrepreneurship & Innovation, where he stated that ECA is at the forefront of a new way of thinking in Saudi Arabia, thinking that places a new emphasis on private investment and entrepreneurial development that will lead the Kingdom into the future.

Khashoggi talked about the facilitations ECA is providing to investors in the Economic Cities, highlighting ECA’s main focus, which is creating an environment that attracts investors and entrepreneurs.