Fintech’s New Frontier: Money20/20 Middle East To Stage The Industry’s Largest Ever Gathering In The Region In Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has made fintech a national priority—and the Kingdom is pulling no punches to become a hub where capital, innovation, and policy meet.

Fintech Saudi, a national platform created by the Saudi Central Bank in partnership with the Capital Market Authority to accelerate the development of the Kingdom’s fintech ecosystem, is aiming for the sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product to become SAR13.3 billion ($3.54 billion) by 2030, with it already having reached SAR3.075 billion (US$0.82 billion) in 2023.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s National Fintech Strategy is aiming for 525 firms in the domain by 2030, with a report by Saudi Arabia’s Financial Sector Development Program noting that the number of active fintech firms in the Kingdom rose to 261 in 2024, well above the original target of 150. Fintech has also proven to be a significant job creator in the Kingdom, with it known to have employed more than 11,000 people by the end of 2024, and the 2030 goal is for it to create 18,000 jobs in total.

It is at this pivotal juncture in the country’s fintech progress that Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Riyadh will play host to more than 45,000 attendees, 600 investors, and more than 350 speakers at Money20/20 Middle East in September this year. Hosted by the Financial Sector Development Program, Saudi Central Bank, Capital Market Authority, and Insurance Authority, and co-organized by Fintech Saudi and Tahaluf (the KSA-based events organizer that’s a strategic alliance between the UK-headquartered Informa, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, and the Kingdom’s Events Investment Fund), this gathering is set to define the next decade of finance.

A scene from a Money20/20 event. 

Spanning three days from 15 to 17 September, 2025, the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in Malham will witness the largest fintech gathering ever hosted in the region. The event, which has Visa, AlRajhi Bank, STC Bank, Saudi National Bank, Riyad Bank, Tamara, and Vision Bank as founding partners, has its agenda built around the theme Where Money Does Business, tackling issues ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) in finance and evolving regulation, to inclusive innovation and strategic capital.

For its organizers, Money20/20 Middle East isn’t just a gathering of fintech trailblazers—it’s a platform built to advance the ambitions of Vision 2030. “We are proud to be a catalyst for Vision 2030,” says Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President at Tahaluf. “Money20/20 Middle East directly impacts Saudi Arabia’s fintech ambitions by creating a platform where the global ecosystem converges. Our event accelerates this national objective by fostering the innovation, investment, and partnerships critical for growth. We bring global leaders, investors, and regulators to Riyadh to spark collaborations that help drive digital financial services forward. Through our startup programs, we empower local entrepreneurs, while our agenda tackles the key pillars of Vision 2030: enabling a diversified economy, increasing foreign direct investment, and fostering a vibrant society.”

According to Mander, every element of Money20/20 Middle East, be it its investor-only briefings or the AI-powered matchmaking it offers for attendees, has been carefully designed to meet the needs of their audience in Saudi Arabia. “The result is not just another fintech conference,” Mander adds. “It’s a purpose-built marketplace: one where capital meets opportunity, where policy meets innovation, and where Saudi Arabia positions itself as a central hub driving the future of digital financial services at scale.” That positioning is also reflected in the themes being addressed at the event, which have been deliberately mapped onto the Kingdom’s long-term agenda. “Our agenda is laser-focused on the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 priorities, such as financial inclusion, digital banking, and SME empowerment,” Mander says. “We’ve woven these national ambitions into the global fintech conversation, featuring world-class speakers who will tackle universal trends like AI, innovation, and embedded finance through a regional lens.”

Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President at Tahaluf.

Saudi Arabia’s Rise As A Fintech Hub

Driven by Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s fintech sector is evolving at a pace that has caught the attention of the global stage. “Saudi Arabia has gone from being a promising market to being the market to watch,” Mander declares. “You have a young, digital-first population, an ambitious Vision 2030 roadmap, and a government that’s backing fintech at every level. Add to that global visibility and a regulatory ecosystem that’s progressive and collaborative, through partners such as the Financial Sector Development Program, Saudi Central Bank, Capital Market Authority, Insurance Authority, and Fintech Saudi.”

Riyadh, in particular, has been positioning itself as a fintech capital, and certainly, with the Kingdom offering regulatory support paired with a surge in investor interest and a digitally literate population, there’s a lot to look forward to. “Riyadh is at the heart of Vision 2030’s financial transformation, and the fintech ecosystem here is primed for this event,” says Steve Durning, Portfolio Director, Tahaluf. “We’re seeing unprecedented regulatory support, massive investment, and a surge of local talent and ambition. By locating Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh, we place ourselves at the epicenter of this seismic shift—facilitating the connections that will help define the next decade of fintech.”

According to Durning, Money20/20 Middle East will do more than spotlight the Kingdom’s progress—it will accelerate it. “Money20/20 Middle East will be a place where international leaders convene to forge partnerships, witness groundbreaking innovation, and facilitate direct investment,” he explains. “By connecting Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 with global capital and expertise, we are showcasing the Kingdom’s rapid transformation and its powerful potential to the world. We’re not just talking about the future of finance; Money20/20 Middle East is helping build it, solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position as a new global fintech hub.”

Steve Durning, Portfolio Director, Tahaluf. 

That spirit of acceleration is not limited to Saudi Arabia’s fintech sector—it extends to the event itself. As Saudi Arabia has grown into an economic powerhouse in its own right, Money20/20 Middle East has grown too. In just one year, the event has doubled its international exhibitor base, which clearly marks an increase in a desire from global firms to engage directly with the Saudi market. “Since we first launched as 24Fintech one year ago, Money20/20 Middle East has scaled exceptionally,” Mander reveals. “We’ve seen a 100 percent year-on-year increase in international exhibitors, showing the sheer momentum of the Saudi market. The event is scaling in size—but also in quality. That’s why the world is looking to Riyadh.”

Community Matters

Community is at the heart of the Money20/ 20 Middle East agenda—this has been made evident with its focus on topics that matter the most to the fintech ecosystem, both globally and within Saudi Arabia. Women in the tech workforce, for example, is an important consideration for the industry. According to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia, women’s participation in the country’s tech sector stood at 28 percent in the third quarter of 2021, above the European average rate of 17.5 percent.

“Women are not just participating in Saudi Arabia’s fintech growth; they are helping build it,” Mander points out. “Their leadership is critical to realizing Vision 2030, bringing transformative perspectives in digital banking, investment, and financial inclusion. At Money20/20 Middle East, this isn’t a sidebar conversation—it’s central to our mainstage agenda. We proudly feature women leaders from across the ecosystem, from central bank officials to unicorn founders and venture capitalists. Our programming is intentionally designed to platform their insights through keynotes and dedicated panels, which will amplify the next generation of female talent. Their representation is essential for shaping a truly innovative and inclusive financial future for the region.”

A scene from a Money20/20 event.

Fintech startups are also getting their due at Money20/20 Middle East. A report by Wamda has noted that Saudi Arabia saw a surge in startup investment in the first half of 2025, with fintech drawing $969 million across 20 deals. No wonder then that Money20/20 Middle East is ensuring that startups from across the region and beyond are getting to showcase their offerings at the event. Fintech founders are also being invited to participate in the Money-Surge20/20 Pitch Competition with $400,000 equity-free funding as the prize, as well as to take advantage of the event to connect with global investors. Besides that, the event will also feature content zones built on themes like sustainability, regulatory technology (regtech), and embedded finance that entrepreneurs can learn from. The underlying aim behind all of these efforts is clear: position the event as not just a marketplace of ideas, but a genuine platform for growth—as Mander puts it, “At Money20/20 Middle East, we’ve fundamentally redesigned the conference model to be a true launchpad for startups.”

It’s not just about the entrepreneurs, though—Durning points out that investors from around the world will also be playing a vital role at Money20/20 Middle East. “They are catalysts, bringing capital, global expertise, and market access that can supercharge the region’s fintech ecosystem,” Durning explains. “Our curated Investor Program and dedicated meeting platforms ensure high-quality, pre-vetted engagements between global capital and the most promising Saudi fintech innovators, turning potential into powerful partnerships.” Here, Mander points out that this program has scaled exceptionally. “Our investor program has increased by 220 percent, with over 600 investors confirmed from J.P. Morgan, UBS, Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Morgan Stanley,” she reveals.

What makes Money20/20 Middle East especially noteworthy is its collaboration with industry policymakers. “At Tahaluf, we don’t just invite regulators to attend Money20/20 Middle East; we’ve engaged them as partners from the beginning of our event planning,” Durning says. “And this proactive collaboration is fundamental to Money20/20 Middle East’s DNA. We work closely with entities like the Financial Sector Development Program, Saudi Central Bank, Capital Market Authority, Insurance Authority, and Fintech Saudi to co-create dedicated stages and forums. This ensures Money20/20 Middle East’s content directly addresses the region’s most pressing opportunities and regulatory challenges, transforming the exhibition floor into a unique platform for public-private sector dialogue. The result is tangible progress, from shaping sandbox frameworks to launching initiatives that directly connect innovators with policymakers.”

A scene from a Money20/20 event.

Looking To The Future

For the organizers of Money 20/20 Middle East, the event has been designed to be more than a yearly gathering—it’s a long-term catalyst for the Kingdom’s fintech ambitions. After all, according to a report by consulting firm IMARC Group, the Saudi fintech market was valued at $1.9 billion in 2024, with projections to reach $4.5 billion by 2033.

And as the market continues on this trajectory, Money20/20 Middle East is positioning itself as an active player in shaping that growth. “By fostering crucial partnerships and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and investment, we are directly contributing to the development of a robust, innovative, and inclusive financial services sector,” Durning says. “We are here to help materialize the ambitious goals of Vision 2030, ensuring the Kingdom is not just participating in the future of finance, but leading it.”

It is a sentiment that Mander echoes. “Our evolution is intrinsically linked to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030,” she declares. “We will deepen our role as the ecosystem’s catalyst, moving beyond scaling, to enabling tangible progress.”

All images courtesy Money20/20 Middle East. 

This article first appeared in a special edition of Inc. Arabia created for Money20/20 Middle East in September 2025. To read the full issue online, click here.