Social Innovation Forum

The Social Innovation Forum is an annual forum organized by Asbar Center for Research and Studies. Its first edition was held in 2022 in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, while its second edition was held in Riyadh City in 2023. The forum featured scientific sessions, lectures, and training workshops, bringing together leaders of social organizations and projects worldwide.

The Social Innovation Forum aims to bring leaders from government entities, social enterprises, and practitioners worldwide together under one roof to foster a global scientific atmosphere in social entrepreneurship by supporting their objectives including creating opportunities for networking and exchanging ideas among professionals and stakeholders in this field.

Over its two editions (2022-2023), the Social Innovation Forum addressed several topics, including spreading the culture of social innovation, a paper on social innovation in education, youth engagement in innovation, social innovation in education, enhancing creativity and innovation in diverse environments, challenges, sustainability, innovative initiatives, supporting them within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, the role of the private sector in implementation, and their relation to digitalization.

The forum included several workshops, notably on the culture of social innovation culture in awareness and application, its presence in various sectors, its social and cultural impact, and successful experiences in the field. It also featured a session on (Impact Tech), another on the humanization of the private sector, and a workshop discussing social innovation and financing through opportunities and challenges.

The forum allocated incentive awards for creative initiatives that positively impact people's lives, help meet their needs, and address societal demands in innovative ways characterized by sustainability and development. The number of applicants for the award in its second edition reached approximately 370 initiatives, marking a significant increase compared to the first edition, with a growth rate of about 80 percent.

The winning initiatives of the Sendian Award for Social Innovation were announced, including the initiative of Voluntary Consulting Clinics affiliated with Enaya Medical Clinics Complex, the initiative of Basta Development Project under Ali Bin Ibrahim Almajdouie Foundation, the initiative of Jaleesa Company, the initiative of Fab Lab AlAhsa under Abdulmonem al-Rashed Humanitarian Foundation, and the initiative of Nabatak Digital Afforestation Platform affiliated with Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University.

The selection of the winners was based on the originality and creativity of the idea, institutional maturity, governance and sustainability, outreach and inclusivity, and social and economic impact, with all these criteria grounded in specific and precise standards.