Day two of Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh brought together leaders from fintech, banking, and financial services to discuss the future of money and finance in the region.
The agenda focused on key themes such as artificial intelligence in finance, regulatory developments, inclusive innovation, and strategic capital.
Speakers included Hon. Caroline D. Pham, Acting Chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Mario Nobile, Director General of the Agency for Digital Italy; and Colin Payne, Head of Innovation at the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Sessions covered digital transformation, data governance, cybersecurity, and developments in payments and treasury services, with insights from representatives of Standard Chartered Bank, JP Morgan Payments, Revolut, Wio Bank, Abdul Latif Jameel Finance, Citi Group, Mastercard, and Swift.
Visa announced a new acceptance capability to be deployed locally in Saudi Arabia, marking a first for the company.
The initiative aligns with national infrastructure and regulatory frameworks and aims to support digital commerce for merchants across the Kingdom.
The announcement also included new features to enhance merchant payment acceptance and management, with a focus on flexibility, compliance, and interoperability.
Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President at Tahaluf, noted:
“With more than 1,000 investors attending, split evenly between local and global, a surge of international interest has increased in Saudi and the wider region. Our international audience has grown by 63%, with major VCs and angel investors eager to enter Saudi Arabia. Money20/20 remains the only platform that brings the entire ecosystem under one roof, a true one-stop shop for innovation, capital, and opportunity.”
SILQFi unveiled Omni, a platform designed to embed finance into the daily operations of small and medium-sized businesses following its acquisition of OXO, a Saudi POS company.
Omni integrates point-of-sale, procurement, payments, and real-time credit access into a single interface, aiming to streamline workflows while improving access to capital.
The Lending Hub launched a mobile app to connect finance applicants with investors.
The platform provides secure, fast, and transparent access to funding and investment opportunities, supporting individuals seeking capital while offering avenues for wealth growth.
Limitless Payments was introduced as a global fintech investment vehicle to transform business payments, foreign exchange, and financial operations across high-growth and underserved markets.
Headquartered in Riyadh, Limitless will operate as a joint-stock company with an initial fund of US$100 million and a current gross transaction volume exceeding US$15 billion.
It combines three fintech companies: Xpence, a B2B spend management platform and strategic Visa partner; GC Partners, a UK, UAE, and Hong Kong-regulated financial services firm; and Numito, a multi-bank FX trading platform.
Australian futurist and author Brett King announced a new book, Branch Tomorrow, co-authored with Jim Marous, Efi Pylarinou, Paolo Sironi, and Richard Turrin.
The work examines the decline and redefinition of the bank branch, analysing how technology, customer behaviour, and fintech innovation are reshaping banking.
Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank, highlighted the role of digital banks in supporting small and medium-sized businesses in the region.
He described Wio Bank’s digital-first platform, which integrates business banking, personal finance, and investment tools to help customers manage, grow, and build wealth more efficiently.
Money20/20 Middle East hosted over 450 fintech brands and more than 1,050 investors, making it the largest fintech gathering in the region.
The event is held under the patronage of H.E. Mohammed Aljadaan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Financial Sector Development Program Committee.
Founding partners of the event include AlRajhi Bank, Riyad Bank, STC Bank, Saudi National Bank, Tamara, Visa, and Vision Bank, supported by a network of strategic sponsors such as 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.
Under the theme “Where Money Does Business,” the event featured partnership pavilions, executive networking lounges, and curated meeting programmes to facilitate connections between attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors.
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