RIYADH: Sanabil Investments, a Riyadh-based investment firm wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has entered into partnership with Californian venture capital firm 500 Startups to launch an early stage accelerator program for Saudi startups looking to expand across the Middle East and beyond. The Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator Program will be based in Riyadh and follows the recent announcement that 500 Startups is planning to establish its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional headquarters in the Saudi capital. Saudi Arabia last week announced it will stop signing contracts with foreign companies from 2024 unless their regional headquarters are based in the Kingdom.