Princess Nourah University: Registration for the Retail Sector Challenge Camp 2026
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University ’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center has announced the opening of registration for the “Next Generation Retail Challenge” camp, a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the innovation ecosystem and supporting national talent. This camp is a fruitful collaboration with the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha’at) and the Retail Leaders Circle (RLC), designed to equip participants with the tools and skills necessary for the future.
Strategic partnerships to support Vision 2030
This camp comes in the context of the economic movement witnessed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where the retail sector is one of the main pillars in the National Transformation Program and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. This partnership between the academic sector, represented by Princess Nourah University, and enabling entities such as “Monshaat”, aims to bridge the gap between educational outputs and the evolving needs of the labor market, especially in light of the digital transformation and the rapid changes in consumer behavior witnessed by the local and regional market.
Registration details and target groups
The university clarified that registration is open until Wednesday, December 31, 2025, targeting a wide range of participants including university students, faculty members, and interested individuals and aspiring entrepreneurs in the retail sector, both within and outside the university. The program aims to motivate these participants to analyze current market challenges and develop innovative, commercially viable solutions, thereby contributing to increased efficiency in the sector.
Training and skills development pathways
The training program is designed to provide an intensive practical experience, including a series of activities covering the entire lifecycle of a retail entrepreneurial project. These activities include:
- A deep understanding of the dynamics of the retail sector and its contemporary challenges.
- Sessions to generate ideas and define the paths for innovative projects.
- Testing ideas in the field to verify their feasibility.
- Developing prototypes (prototyping).
- Building a business model canvas.
The importance of the camp and its expected outcomes
The camp's role extends beyond theoretical training, focusing on equipping participants with entrepreneurial thinking skills, field research capabilities, and the ability to formulate hypotheses supported by real-world data. The camp is scheduled to take place from January 18th to 22nd, 2026, at the university campus. The program will culminate in presentations of promising projects to a select group of industry experts, providing participants with a golden opportunity for direct professional guidance and the development of a professional network to support their future careers in the world of finance and business.
