Global Financial Community Optimistic to Overcome Market Challenges and Build Stronger, Tech-Driven, Sustainable Future Economy
18.3.2023 12:23:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
The second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023) has concluded in Riyadh, with a mood of optimism and energy to overcome market challenges to build a stronger, technology driven and sustainable economy of the future.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005086/en/
Courtney Powell, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner, 500 Global (Photo: AETOSWire)
Over 3200 participants from 82 countries, and 180 media, assembled in the Saudi capital to discuss the way ahead for the global financial community under the conference theme of “Promising Financial Prospects.”
Representatives from some of the biggest global financial institutions joined Government Finance Ministers met to identify the most effective road map for future growth and prosperity for the sector – enabling greater use of technology, diversification, cross border cooperation and embracing the green economy.
The conference also saw multiple MOUs and agreements signed to support real estate development; FinTech development and digital financing solutions worth billions of dollars and the National Bank of Iraq announced the start of operations in Saudi Arabia.
Concluding the conference, Saudi Central Bank Governor HE Ayman Mohammed Alsayari highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to provide an attractive environment for FinTech companies in line with the goals of Vision 2030 goals, and the vital role they play to support the growth of the private sector, to diversify the economy, and to stimulate saving, financing and investment.
Debating the important role of Venture Capital, Courtney Powell, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner, 500 Global, said: “Since we made our first investment in the Middle East in 2012, we have seen incredible growth and we have 14 companies today valued at over $100 million. The willingness of the government to support entrepreneurs combined with the opening up of the Kingdom shows it has the potential of becoming a leading global hub for entrepreneurship.”
In discussion about the future of global money flows, HE Giancarlo Giorgetti, Italian Minister of Economy and Finance stated: “In the financial sector, fragmentation induced by geopolitical tension will have strong implications by affecting global and financial stability, the cross-border allocation of capital, international payment systems, and asset prices.”
Financing for the SME sector was a key debating point on the final day of the conference with the enormous growth of the sector both in the Middle East and internationally. Tala Al Jabri, Board Member, Middle East VC Association (MEVCA) identified a major financing gap for the sector. He said: “95% of enterprises in the region are SMEs and the loan profile that goes to them is only 7% – which is the lowest in the world, indicating a massive gap.”
The FinTech sector in Saudi Arabia meanwhile is flourishing as Ziad Alyousef, Deputy Governor for Development and Technology, Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) explained: “In 2018, there were less than 10 companies operating in the FinTech community. Now, there are over 155 companies operating in the space in Saudi Arabia and this has led to increased investments and job creation."
*Source: AETOSWire
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005086/en/
Contact information
Nawied Jabarkhyl
njabarkhyl@apcoworldwide.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Forrester Reveals The Top 10 Highest-Performing Brands In Its 2026 Global Total Experience Score Rankings At Its CX Events9.6.2026 10:30:00 EEST | Press release
According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) 2026 global Total Experience Score rankings of 375 brands evaluated across Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America in 2025 and 2026, 41% improved their scores while only 3% declined. A compelling total experience — calculated by combining Forrester’s Customer Experience Index (CX Index™), Brand Experience Index (BX Index™), and, for the first time, the new Employee Experience Index (EX Index™) into a unified view of performance — can drive outsized growth for brands. While brand experience and customer experience can each drive revenue independently, the impact multiplies when they are orchestrated together as a unified total experience. In the US, for example, companies delivering a strong total experience see significantly higher returns from retention and enrichment: Automotive firms achieve a 2.6x revenue lift and retailers see a 3.8x increase. The new research finds that CX scores improved in North America, European brands remained mostly st
IQM Announces Novel Quantum Error Correction Approach Toward Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing9.6.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
IQM Quantum Computers, the global leader in superconducting quantum computers, has developed a novel quantum error-correcting code that achieves up to three orders of magnitude lower logical error rates than the surface code, also requiring up to eight times fewer physical qubits. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260609533201/en/ IQM´s breakthrough technology, called barbell codes. Unlike many alternative high-performance quantum error-correction approaches, the new code also maintains a comparatively low hardware complexity, marking a significant advancement toward scalable fault-tolerant quantum computing. Quantum error correction remains one of the defining challenges in the race toward practical quantum computing. Errors introduced by noise must be corrected faster than they accumulate, a requirement that previous approaches demanded either complex hardware or significant performance trade-offs, which IQM's
Longpoint Expands into Germany and the Netherlands, Targeting €400 Million of Infill Logistics Investment9.6.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Longpoint Partners today announced its expansion into Germany and the Netherlands, extending its infill industrial strategy into two of Europe’s most supply-constrained logistics markets. The firm is establishing a presence in high-demand locations, including Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and the Randstad, and plans to deploy approximately €400 million into logistics assets near major population centers and transportation corridors. “We are excited to expand Longpoint’s infill industrial strategy into Germany and the Netherlands,” said Dwight Angelini, Founding and Managing Partner of Longpoint Partners. “These are highly attractive logistics markets with strong fundamentals, limited supply, and a clear need for high-quality light industrial and logistics space. With Gijs and Benedict leading our local efforts, we have the market knowledge, relationships, and discipline to identify attractive opportunities and execute with conviction.” The expansion extends Longpoint’s focus on infill logisti
ISO/TC 251 Recognizes Ampowr as the Only BESS Operator With a Fully Integrated ISO Stack9.6.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
ISO/TC 251, the international technical committee that authors the ISO 55000 family of asset management standards, has published a case study profiling Ampowr's integrated certification methodology. Authored by NEN, the Dutch national standards body, the study is now publicly available in the ISO/TC 251 case studies library alongside profiles of Rijkswaterstaat, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Novo Nordisk, and Veolia. ISO/TC 251 approached Ampowr directly. NEN subsequently conducted an in-depth interview with Executive Director Andrew Elwell, examining how Ampowr operates its five certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001 and ISO 55001), as a single integrated system rather than separate compliance silos. "To our knowledge we are the only provider globally with this complete value stack visible in the market," said Andrew Elwell, Executive Director of Ampowr. "We have actively sought a peer that holds BESS hardware, energy management software, energy trading and asset
Estonia Raises the Bar for Secure Digital Identity in Europe With New eID Cards Developed With Thales9.6.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
With increasing cyber risks and the rapid evolution of digital public services, Estonia is reinforcing the security, durability and adaptability of the documents that underpin its digital society: identity cards, residence permit cards, e-resident digital identity cards, diplomatic identity cards, certificates of AIP (Applicant for International Protection). Backed by Thales’ decades of expertise in secure identity technologies, the new programme introduces stronger protection against fraud, upgraded electronic features and the ability to respond quickly to emerging cybersecurity threats. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260608624209/en/ © Reelika Riimand - Estonian Police and Border Guard Board At the heart of the programme is Estonia’s new national eID card, designed by Thales to blend strong physical protectionwith robust digital security. Its materials, visual features and advanced security techniques make
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom