Registration for the Princess Nourah University Retail Sector Challenge Camp
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University the opening of registration for the "Next Generation Retail Challenge" camp, a strategic initiative aimed at fostering a culture of innovation and aligning academic outcomes with the evolving needs of the job market. This camp is offered in strategic partnership with the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monsha'at) and the Retail Leaders Circle (RLC), providing participants with a unique and enriching experience.
Strategic partnerships to support Vision 2030
This initiative is particularly important given the economic transformations underway in Saudi Arabia as part of Vision 2030, where the retail sector is a key pillar for diversifying the non-oil economy. The partnership between the university and Monshaat underscores the vital role of educational institutions in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the backbone of the modern economy, by providing them with qualified national talent capable of understanding market dynamics and delivering innovative solutions.
Training and qualification pathways
The university clarified that registration is open until Wednesday, December 31, 2025, targeting a wide range of participants including university students, faculty members, and those interested in the retail sector both within and outside the university. The program focuses on bridging the gap between theoretical education and practical application, as the bootcamp is designed to equip participants with the tools for strategic analysis of current challenges and the design of commercially viable solutions.
The training program, which will take place from January 18 to 22, 2026, at the university campus, includes an intensive set of practical activities. These activities begin with a deep understanding of the retail sector and its logistical and marketing challenges, progress through the stages of generating creative ideas, and culminate in prototyping and developing a business model canvas. The program concludes with a judging process for the projects, selecting the best ones and opening up broad opportunities for participants to network with industry experts.
Developing future skills
The camp aims to equip participants with the 21st-century skills necessary for success in a competitive business environment. These skills include entrepreneurial thinking, rigorous field research, and formulating hypotheses based on real-world data. Through this initiative, the university seeks to graduate a generation that not only seeks employment but actively contributes to job creation through innovative entrepreneurial projects that serve the retail sector and keep pace with global technological advancements in this field.
