The symposium on small and medium-sized enterprises, which is being organized by King Khalid University, has, on its first day, included a number of scientific sessions. The first session handled a research on the role of the entities that support and run small and medium-sized enterprises, and the role of the Industrial Chamber of Commerce in Abha, in spreading the concept of entrepreneurship, in addition to how to support small and medium-sized enterprises within the Vision 2030. This research was submitted by Mr. Abdullah bin Saad Al Zahrani.

Engineer Osama Bin Abdurrahman Al-Mubarak presented a research paper on the role of supporters and sponsors of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kingdom, and the vision of the Kingdom in 2030 to support and to develop small and medium-sized enterprises sector, in addition to the reasons for the establishment of secure funding for small and medium-sized enterprises programs, as well as the most important financing sources of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kingdom. He also talked about the establishment of a program to ensure financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, its mechanism of action, and the performance of the program since its inception in 2006 until the end of November 2016.

For his part, Mr. Nasser Mohammed Qar'awi, participated with a paper which dealt with the important role of small and medium-sized enterprises in the economies of the countries. This role is characterized in development and innovation, in technology localization and in encouraging applications, in promoting competitiveness, in addition to the investment of available resources and the development of families' and individuals' savings. Also the roles include creating job opportunities to reduce unemployment problem and to improve the standard of living. The research also included the diversification of the economic structure of the state to promote foreign exports, and the localization and apprenticeship for a number of segments of society like shepherds, craftsmen and owners of services, and the possibility of the development of rural areas and the localization of their children.

The second session showed a number of success stories and different variety of projects, such as that of Lizran Center for Dr. Ahmed Ali Al-Qahtani. The session also included a research paper on the support of owners of small enterprises submitted by the Human Resources Development Fund program (Hadaf), presented by Prof. Ali Mohamed Al Shehri. The research dealt with the program's goal, beneficiaries, the level of support, program's controls, procedures for support submission, procedures for support exchange, and sponsors and their roles.

For his part, Khaled Mohammed Al-Maliki, submitted a paper on the role of Social Development Bank in sustainable development for small and emerging businesses. On his part, Mr. Yousef Bin Abdullah Al-Harbi, introduced the concept of the franchise and its impact on small and medium-sized enterprises and the Vision 2030.