Fintech Supporting Infrastructure in KSA

Fintech Supporting Infrastructure in KSA

04 June 2022

Fintech Supporting Infrastructure in KSA

There are strong market forces pushing for the creation of a robust fintech ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. So who are the key players that make up the supporting infrastructure for Fintechs in Saudi Arabia, and what are they doing to propel Fintech forwards in the Kingdom?

Who’s Supporting Fintech in Saudi?

The Power of Top-Down Government Support for Fintechs in Saudi Arabia

Though there were several Fintech players active in the Saudi Market prior to 2016, activities were largely unregulated and unsupported by a wider economic infrastructure. Upon the unveiling of the Saudi Vision 2030, several organizations and initiatives were birthed specifically to support the cultivation of the Fintech Industry, including the launch of SAMA’s Regulatory Sandbox and CMA’s FinTech Lab, the establishment of Fintech Saudi, a government-backed organization directly mandated to monitor and actively support the development of the Fintech Sector. In 2019, the Saudi Central Bank also spun-off its digital payments infrastructure unit to become a stand-alone company, named Saudi Payments Company. 

 

Author

Erika Masako Welch

Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer of Lucidity Insights

Erika is Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer at Lucidity Insights. Having spent 15 years advising Fortune 500 companies and multinational conglomerates from around the world on how to grow businesses in emerging markets, Erika found that data and knowledge underpinned and empowered strategic decision-making. The creation of Lucidity Insights was inspired by the idea that strategic C-suite level data and insights could empower startups and Venture Capitalists in the MENAPT region, elevating the entire regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. Data is not just for the Chief Executive, or the data analyst after-all. Democratizing access to quality data across the tech ecosystem will elevate every startup and every investors’ decision-making, and thus, benefit the economy, overall. Erika has worked with data to develop comprehensive business success stories and strategies for her entire professional career. She is a thought leader in growth strategies in fast-moving emerging markets, with a focus on Middle Eastern and Asian Markets. She is an expert on the startup ecosystems in the Middle East, and a thought leader on entrepreneurship, disruptive technologies and sustainability. She has worked with both government and corporates clients, across over 30 different industry verticals and in over 40 countries. She is best described as a data-curious strategic thinker and advisor, who also happens to be an enthusiastic storyteller and writer. Erika graduated from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business with an Executive MBA (MSx), and also holds degrees from McGill University (B.Sc Neuroscience) and the University of Cambridge (Sustainability in Business). She speaks English and Japanese, is conversational in French, and speaks survival Arabic. In her spare time, she is an avid globe trotter, having travelled to over 70 countries, and counts scuba-diving, free-diving and yoga among her favourite activities. She is a self-described wellness-junkie and adventure enthusiast. She is also a dog mum.

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