The inaugural Money20/20 Center East concluded on September 17, 2025, cementing Riyadh’s place as a central hub within the international monetary expertise panorama. The three-day occasion drew greater than 38,500 attendees, making it the biggest fintech gathering ever staged within the area. Organizers reported participation from over 450 international manufacturers and greater than 1,050 buyers, with worldwide model involvement surging 207% in comparison with the earlier yr’s 24Fintech occasion.
Throughout the three days, the convention was the backdrop for a sequence of main business bulletins. These included Tamara‘s landmark $2.4 billion asset-backed financing facility, Visa’s unveiling of a first-of-its-kind acceptance functionality in Saudi Arabia, and the market debuts of Google Pay, Google Pockets, and Alipay+, signaling important international confidence within the Kingdom’s market.
The occasion facilitated over 2,288 pre-scheduled conferences between buyers and startups, underscoring its theme, “The place Cash Does Enterprise.” Annabelle Mander, Govt Vice President at Tahaluf, said: “Money20/20 Center East has redefined what a fintech occasion can obtain. Internet hosting greater than 38,500 attendees, together with international leaders, that is the place the way forward for finance is being constructed. This occasion has confirmed that Saudi Arabia is just not solely a serious fintech hub within the Center East, however a driving pressure shaping the way forward for international finance.”
Steve Durning, Portfolio Director at Tahaluf, added: “With greater than 1,050 international buyers and over 150 startups on website, the return on funding for members is obvious. That is the place main partnerships are cast and the place new entrants achieve the visibility to scale.”
Day three highlights: identification and innovation
The ultimate day’s agenda turned to key conversations round stablecoin resilience, AI-driven infrastructure, and digital belief, with headline audio system together with Dr. Mohammed Rahim of Normal Chartered Financial institution and Tony Ashraf of BlackRock. Central to the day’s discussions have been two panels moderated by Mark Walker, Editorial Director and CEO of The Fintech Occasions, which explored the evolving ideas of economic identification and the digital way forward for Islamic finance.
Creditworthiness redefined: the facility of economic identification
One of many key periods of the day explored how monetary identification is transferring past conventional credit score scores. The panel, that includes Alaa AlMashhadi, Chief Enterprise Growth Officer of SIMAH (Saudi Credit score Bureau) and Dr. Khalid AlSharif, CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel United Finance, mentioned the shift in the direction of a extra holistic view of creditworthiness.
The dialog centered on leveraging various knowledge and open banking to construct a complete monetary identification for people and SMEs. Panelists examined how this new strategy can unlock monetary entry for underserved populations who might lack a traditional credit score historical past however show monetary reliability by different knowledge factors. The dialogue highlighted the function of expertise in creating extra inclusive and correct danger evaluation fashions.
Islamic finance reimagined: digital-first, customer-centric
One other vital panel addressed the digital transformation of Islamic finance. Walker led a dialogue with Fernando Plaza Lopez, Chief Digital Officer of Abu Dhabi Islamic Financial institution (ADIB)
The session targeted on how expertise is making Sharia-compliant monetary merchandise extra accessible, environment friendly, and interesting to a youthful, digital-native technology. The panelists explored the challenges and alternatives in designing digital-first Islamic finance options that stay true to their moral ideas whereas providing a seamless, fashionable person expertise. The dialog coated the significance of innovation in a sector historically seen as conservative, and the way fintech is driving a brand new period of development and relevance for Islamic finance within the international market.
Insights from the bottom: The Fintech Occasions interviews
On the Money20/20 Center East occasion in Riyadh, The Fintech Occasions performed interviews with a number of key figures within the fintech and monetary companies business. Amongst these interviewed have been Lu Zhou, CEO of Vanquour Wealth Administration, who mentioned wealth administration methods and alternatives within the Center East; Muhammad Nana from Mastercard, who elaborated on Mastercard’s alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Imaginative and prescient 2030; and Ziad Mabsout, CEO of Vennre, who shared insights on wealth creation platforms for prime earners within the area. The conversations revolved round themes of financial diversification, digital transformation, and the evolving monetary panorama within the Center East, highlighting the area’s fast development and innovation in fintech.
To learn extra about these conversations, [click here].
