Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – As part of an ongoing commitment to advancing female entrepreneurship and enabling Saudi women to fulfil their potential, Mastercard partnered with Saudia and  Blossom Accelerator — for the third season of Mastercard’s ‘Her Voice’— to empower female entrepreneurs to attain lasting success.

The entities hosted three workshops across Jeddah, Riyadh, and Khobar, with more than 100 participants across all the cities. Each workshop enabled the opportunity to foster connections among women from around the Kingdom, offering participants access to all-important learning and networking. The competition held at each workshop also provided the opportunity for one winner form each city to be granted the mentorship program.

Reima Sras, founder of Buthoor Tech, Munirah Alkadi, founder of Mawsim, and Sarah Albaiz, founder of Qantara Studio were selected as the competition’s three winners, each being enrolled on the innovative ‘Her Voice’ mentorship program facilitated by Blossom Accelerator.

Each participant was evaluated based on leadership, product viability in the market, business model strength, and other key criteria. 

“As more Saudi women take the reins of leadership and drive the future of the Kingdom’s SME space, we must work to ensure that we continue pioneering innovative programs that bridge the entrepreneurship gender gap,” said Maria Medvedeva, Country Manager, Saudi Arabia, Mastercard. “At Mastercard, we believe collaboration is crucial to launching the effective platforms required to accomplish this goal, and we are pleased to have partnered with Saudia and Blossom Accelerator to empower even more women for season three of ‘Her Voice’. We look forward to seeing our mentees grow, flourish and thrive, realizing their considerable potential and serving as champions of Saudi female excellence.”

Essam Akhonbay, Vice President of Marketing at Saudia, stated: “As Saudi Arabia's national flag carrier, we are deeply invested in the nation's future and believe women are central to its success. Through 'Her Voice,' we empower female entrepreneurs to thrive, inspiring future generations and creating pathways for small businesses to prosper. By showcasing their remarkable stories on our in-flight entertainment system, we not only highlight their achievements but also reinforce Saudia's commitment to promoting local content that fuels economic growth and social progress."

“At Blossom Accelerator, we are proud to be a global leader in driving inclusive innovation, recognizing that diverse perspectives are key to unlocking economic potential and maximizing investment returns. Our mission is to empower female-led startups across the globe, equipping them with the essential tools and resources to excel in the competitive digital economy,” said Emon Shakoor, CEO & Founder. “We are thrilled to partner with Mastercard for the third season of ‘Her Voice,’ a strategic initiative aimed at amplifying the impact of women-led startups and SMEs. Through our comprehensive mentorship program, we provide participants with critical insights, invaluable experiences, and powerful connections to enhance their growth and attract investment.”

‘Her Voice’ season three shed an informative light on the stories of five guests — five inspiring women — showcasing how their love for their respective passions drove them to overcome the various hurdles they faced and attain unprecedented success.

The season focused on connecting people to their passions, with each episode exploring a different passion point, namely: “Gaming,” “Tech,” “Sustainability,” “Culinary,” and “Sport”. Over the course of each interview, guests recounted their personal and professional journeys in their own voices in conversation with the host, renowned Saudi actress and broadcaster, Danyah Shafei.

To tune into ‘Her Voice’ seasons, please click here: https://www.priceless.com/m/hervoice

About Saudia

Saudia (Saudia Airlines) is the national flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Established in 1945, the company has grown to become one of the Middle East’s largest airlines.  

Saudia has invested significantly in upgrading its aircraft and currently operates one of the youngest fleet. The airline serves an extensive global route network covering around 100 destinations across four continents, including all 28 domestic airports in Saudi Arabia. 

A member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), Saudia has also been a member airline in SkyTeam, the second largest alliance, since 2012.  

Saudia was recently recognized as the World’s Most Improved Airline 2024 by Skytrax, marking the third time it has received this accolade, alongside 14 other distinguished awards. Saudia has also been awarded the "World Class Airline 2024" for the third consecutive year at The APEX Official Airline Ratings™ awards. Additionally, also ranked top among global airlines for best on-time performance (OTP) according to a report by Cirium.  

For more information on Saudia, please visit www.saudia.com 

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

About Blossom Accelerator

Blossom Accelerator is a leading global accelerator dedicated to fueling innovation, investment, and economic growth. With established impact in nine countries and counting, Blossom connects startups, corporations, and governments to drive transformative change worldwide.