Tahaluf's Annabelle Mander On The Record-Setting 2025 Edition Of Money20/20 Middle East
The event, which ran in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September 15-17, 2025, has set a new benchmark as the largest fintech gathering ever staged in the region, and the second largest worldwide.
Having drawn in more than 38,500 attendees, which included global leaders in fintech, banking, investment, and digital innovation, Money20/20 Middle East, which ran in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from September 15-17, 2025, has set a new benchmark as the largest fintech gathering ever staged in the region, and the second largest worldwide.
In an interview with Inc. Arabia, Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President at Tahaluf, one of the organizers of the event, noted how Money20/20 Middle East had managed to bring together the entire ecosystem, including everyone from the banks and the regulators, to the startups and the investors.
“What we've actually seen at this event is significant growth from what we achieved last year,” Mander said. “We’ve had double-digit growth in our exhibitors, and over 50 percent of them have flown in internationally. So, what we're really seeing is a huge increase in appetite for international companies to set up and do business in Saudi Arabia. And this is a trend across all of the event actually—our investor program has grown by 300 percent, and it's a very similar split. 50 percent of those investors are coming in internationally, which is again showing the appetite to engage with the local market, and potentially invest in fintech based here in Saudi Arabia. Similar [figures] for our speaker faculty—65 percent are flying in from all around the world. So, we're bringing together all of the right individuals—we’ve got the fintech experts, the policy makers, the government, the regulators. So, it really enables a platform for facilitation of change [and] innovation, and it's also the place where actual business gets done.”
Staged under the theme “Where Money Does Business,” this year’s edition of Money20/20 Middle East featured partnership pavilions, executive lounges, and curated networking spaces, offering a backdrop for billions of dollars committed to new platforms, infrastructure, and cross-border collaborations.
With over 450 international fintech brands and more than 1,050 investors present at the event, global brand participation in Money20/20 Middle East rose by 207 percent when compared to its edition last year, while investor turnout tripled, underscoring the surge of international capital toward Saudi Arabia’s financial sector.
Saudi Arabia’s fintech industry now counts more than 280 active firms and anchors a capital market valued at US$640 billion, positioning the Kingdom as the gateway for global investors into the wider Middle East.
“If you want to win Saudi Arabia, you need to be active in Saudi Arabia,” Mander told Inc. Arabia. “You need to be looking at setting up an office here, potentially having your head office here for the Middle East, and you need to be engaging with the community and the right ecosystem, which is why Money 2020 Middle East is perfect because the ecosystem is here. You need to engage with the regulators, you need to understand the government here, and you need to be constantly looking to ensure that you're stepping forward in the right way. The opportunity is massive, but you have to be in it to win it.”
A scene from this year's Money20/20 Middle East. Image courtesy Money20/20 Middle East.
Announcements made during Money20/20 Middle East this year reflected this momentum. International tech giants like Google and Alipay made their Saudi market debuts, with Google Pay and Google Wallet launching through Al Rajhi Bank and Riyad Bank. Global payments network Visa unveiled a first-of-its-kind acceptance capability in Saudi Arabia, designed to accelerate digital commerce enablement and enhance how merchants accept and manage payments.
Closer to home, Saudi venture capital firm STV and Wamid, the innovation arm of the Saudi Tadawul Group, introduced the Kingdom’s first private asset trading platform. Meanwhile, Riyadh-based buy now, pay later platform Tamara announced a US$2.4 billion asset-backed facility with Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, both headquartered in New York.
Money20/20 Middle East’s agenda this year was as ambitious as the announcements. Opening remarks were delivered by HE Mohammed Aljadaan, Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Financial Sector Development Program Committee, HE Ayman M. Al-Sayari, Governor of the Saudi Central Bank, and HE Mohammed A. Elkuwaiz, Chairman of the Capital Market Authority.
The second day turned the spotlight on regulation, inclusive innovation, and capital strategies, with speakers including Hon. Caroline D. Pham, Acting Chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Mario Nobile of Italy’s Digital Agency, and Colin Payne of the UK Financial Conduct Authority.
The final day delved into stablecoin resilience, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered infrastructure, and digital trust, with participation from Standard Chartered Bank, BlackRock, the MENA Fintech Association, and the Global Blockchain Business Council.
The record-setting 2025 edition of Money20/20 Middle East was supported by founding partners AlRajhi Bank, Riyad Bank, STC Bank, Saudi National Bank, Tamara, Visa, and Vision Bank, alongside a wide roster of sponsors including Abdul Latif Jameel, Barq, Banque Saudi Fransi, BIM Ventures, Elm, Ejada, Enjaz, MasterCard, Neo Leap, Saudi Tadawul Group, SCCC by STC, SIMAH, Tamam, and Tiqmo.
The next edition of Money20/20 Middle East is set to take place September 14-16, 2026, at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, and it promises even more innovation, insight, and deal-making. "We're expecting more growth, more impact, but most importantly, more business and deals to get done,” Mander said. “That is a priority for us for next year. We're looking into growing the event further. We really want to ensure that it's a full Saudi fintech week. So, we're going to ensure that the entire city of Riyadh is activated across the seven days--so, more content, more stakeholders involved, more internationals coming in.”
Pictured in the lead image is Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President at Tahaluf. Image courtesy Tahaluf.
