Qualcomm Launches a New Round of “Design in Saudi Arabia with AI” Program to Support 10 Startups in 2026

Qualcomm continues to strengthen its role in supporting Saudi Arabia’s innovation ecosystem by announcing a new round of the “Design in Saudi Arabia with AI” program in 2026, aiming to incubate up to ten promising startups.

This new round follows the success of the program’s first cohort, launched in partnership with Aramco and the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA), with the objective of accelerating the growth of Saudi startups operating in artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and wireless technologies.

Wassim Chourbaji, President of Qualcomm Middle East and Africa, stated:

"Empowering startups remains a top priority for Qualcomm, particularly in developing advanced AI solutions for mobile devices, edge computing, augmented reality, and smart industries."

He explained that the program goes beyond financial support, offering technical and commercial mentorship, intellectual property protection training, and product development support through market readiness.

Chourbaji also revealed Qualcomm’s intention to expand its engagement with Saudi universities, aiming to build a broader pool of technical talent and strengthen the local innovation environment.

Selected startups will benefit from the expertise of Qualcomm and Aramco engineers, as well as access to the latest AI and communications platforms and advanced infrastructure at the Saudi Accelerated Innovation Lab.

He emphasized that the next phase will focus on enabling startups to register patents and establish new collaboration channels with industrial and technology sectors within the Kingdom, noting that the quality of solutions and applications will remain the key criterion for future partnerships.

Chourbaji added that the 2025 cohort reflects the vitality of Saudi Arabia’s innovation sector, particularly through leveraging Qualcomm’s advanced technologies in smart communications and IoT.