Money 20/20 Middle East Key Takeaways: Embracing AI and Strategic Partnerships September 23, 2025
Saudi Arabia’s fintech sector is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the nation’s Vision 2030 initiative. With over 260 licensed fintech firms and $860 million in venture capital funding in the first half of 2025, the Kingdom is positioning itself as a regional leader in financial technology.
It’s no surprise that Money20/20 Middle East 2025 drew thousands of innovators, investors, and financial leaders, sparking three days of collaboration. The event buzzed with new ideas, partnerships, and strategies that are shaping the future of finance in the region.
Here’s what stood out.
- Saudi Arabia: A Fintech Powerhouse
Unlike other editions, this year’s conference was centered on the Saudi market, where cross-border payments are becoming a major focus. Global names like Visa, Amex, Worldpay, and Habib Bank Limited were present, signalling strong international interest.
With robust investor backing and government support, fintechs in Saudi Arabia are driving change across payments, regtech, governance, and risk. This momentum cements the Kingdom as one of the most exciting and fast-moving fintech ecosystems worldwide.
- AI Integration: Transforming Financial Services
Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a core topic of many panels. The financial sector is projected to invest $28.3 million in AI technologies, contributing $135.2 billion to Saudi Arabia’s economy by 2030.
Agentic AI was also highlighted as a technology revolutionising how financial institutions operate. A common challenge for many Money Service Businesses (MSBs) is upgrading systems to adopt AI without disrupting existing operations. We’ve resolved this issue with our new AI bolt-on tools, including Agentic AI, designed to grow revenue without system migration.
👉 Explore how RemitONE’s AI bolt-ons can transform your operations.
- Strategic Partnerships: Accelerating Growth
Key partnerships are playing a huge role in accelerating fintech adoption in Saudi Arabia. This was clear at the event with several major collaborations: Visa expanded digital acceptance, Google Pay and Alipay teamed up with Saudi banks, and alliances like MoneyGram & D360 Bank and Thunes & Barq were taking cross-border payments to the next level.
These collaborations are streamlining digital payments, expanding access to global wallets, and enabling real-time cross-border transactions across hundreds of corridors. For MSBs, these partnerships are golden opportunities to scale faster and reach new markets.
Unlock the future of fintech in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s fintech sector is set for strong growth, fuelled by AI integration and strategic partnerships. With the market projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2033, MSBs must embrace innovation, leverage AI, and forge strategic partnerships.
Our AI-powered tools make it simple to tap into Saudi Arabia’s fintech boom—unlock new revenue streams, scale your business, and stay ahead without operational disruption.
👉 See how AI can fuel your growth – book a free call to find out how
Related Posts
-

How MTOs Can Improve Margins: 3 Practical Strategies | Webinar
Growing transaction volumes doesn’t always mean growing profits. In this webinar, we explore three practical strategies that help MTOs recover hidden margin, increase…
July 21, 2026 -

Episode 9: Why Remittance Growth Is No Longer About Moving Money
For years, the playbook was simple: offer competitive rates, move money quickly, stay compliant and grow. Today, that’s no longer enough. Customer…
July 21, 2026 -

Travel eSIMs: unlock more revenue from your existing customers
The customer relationship is changing For years, remittance businesses have measured their customer relationship in a single moment: the transfer. Most other customer spending has…
July 21, 2026 -

Episode 8: 5 Ways Money Transfer Operators Can Reduce Costs and Scale Smarter
As money transfer operators grow, costs can quickly build across compliance, agent management, payout partners, and market expansion. In this…
July 16, 2026 -

Introducing RemitONE Business Payments: Helping MTOs Access Better FX and Reduce Settlement Costs
RemitONE has introduced Business Payments, a new service that helps Money Transfer Operators (MTOs), fintechs and payment institutions bring settlement volume…
May 28, 2026 -

RemitONE partners with Volume to expand open banking payment capabilities
Integration gives RemitONE clients faster, lower-cost customer funding through secure account-to-account payments London, 28th May 2026 — RemitONE, a leading…
April 24, 2026