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
Rigaku Launches CT Lab HR160 High-Resolution X-ray CT System1.9.2026 18:00:00 EEST | Press release
Rigaku Corporation, a global solutions partner in X-ray analytical systems and a group company of Rigaku Holdings Corporation (Headquarters: Akishima, Tokyo; President and CEO: Jun Kawakami; “Rigaku”), today announced the launch of the CT Lab HR160, a high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) system for battery, semiconductor devices, electronic components, and advanced materials analysis. The system is developed in collaboration with Excillum AB, the global source for X-ray innovation (Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden; CEO: David Lindblom; “Excillum”). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260901074099/en/ Photo: CT Lab HR160 High-Resolution X-ray CT System CT Lab HR160 combines Rigaku’s X-ray CT imaging expertise with Excillum’s NanoTube N3 X-ray source. Operating at up to 160 kV to support a wide range of sample types, the system achieves true 250 nm spatial resolution — an industry-leading level for CT syste
Vivax-Metrotech Partners with Oaktree to Accelerate Strategic Growth1.9.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
Vivax-Metrotech Corporation (“Vivax-Metrotech”), a leading manufacturer of precision locating and inspection devices for utility infrastructure, and Oaktree’s Power Opportunities strategy, today announced a partnership to accelerate Vivax-Metrotech’s growth trajectory and strengthen its leading position. For more than 60 years, Vivax-Metrotech has delivered best-in-class solutions for the utility industry with a focus on underground infrastructure. From its origins in California, the company has expanded across the United States and internationally, developing and supplying locator systems, inspection cameras, and associated digital solutions that help utilities, municipalities, and service providers safely build, maintain, and manage their assets. Today, Vivax-Metrotech is firmly established as a leading player in the U.S. and Global utility locator equipment and inspection device markets. The partnership with Oaktree’s Power Opportunities group will support Vivax-Metrotech’s continue
GigaDevice Joins the Zephyr® Project to Foster Global Open-Source Ecosystem1.9.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
GigaDevice, a leading semiconductor company specializing in Flash memory, 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), sensors, and analog products, has officially joined the Zephyr® Project, one of the world’s leading open-source real-time operating systems (RTOS). Hosted by the Linux Foundation®, the Zephyr® Project welcomes GigaDevice as a Silver Member, making GigaDevice a dual Silver Member of both the Zephyr® Project and the Linux Foundation. Leveraging its comprehensive GD32 MCU portfolio, GigaDevice will actively participate in the Zephyr® community, promoting deeper integration between its MCU technologies and the global open-source RTOS ecosystem. This will provide customers and developers in industrial, IoT, consumer electronics, and other fields with a more open, standardized, and efficient embedded development environment, while continuing to contribute to the growth of the global embedded open ecosystem and broader access to technology. With the continued evolution of the Internet of
Mary Kay Unveils New Global Brand Platform – Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™ – Reclaiming Beauty as a Shared Experience1.9.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Today, Mary Kay Inc., the iconic beauty and entrepreneurship brand founded by the bold visionary Mary Kay Ash, announced Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™, its largest-ever global consumer-facing campaign and a long-term brand strategy designed to drive its next era of growth. Launching across 40 markets worldwide, the campaign reintroduces Mary Kay to a new generation of consumers by celebrating a timeless truth at the heart of the brand: Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™ and bridging the love for Mary Kay across generations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260901735460/en/ Mary Kay announces Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™, its largest-ever global consumer-facing campaign and a long-term brand strategy designed to drive its next era of growth. (Image Courtesy: Mary Kay Inc.) “Beauty Is More Beautiful Shared™ is a reflection of who we are and what we have always stood for: women supporting women,” said Ryan Ro
Visa Launches Enhanced A2A Protect Innovations to Help Financial Institutions Stop Fraud Before Money Leaves Accounts1.9.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Visa (NYSE: V), a world leader in digital payments, today announced an enhanced version of A2A Protect, delivering real-time risk insights that help banks stop account-to-account fraud before money leaves customer accounts. The expanded solution introduces a new unified fraud score—Visa’s first in-market integration of Featurespace technology—giving financial institutions faster, clearer signals to detect more fraud while reducing unnecessary alerts. As account-to-account (A2A) payments accelerate globally, A2A transactions are projected to surpass 5.8 trillion by 2028, a 160% increase from 20241. A2A Protect leverages advanced AI and sophisticated transfer learning and gives banks immediate access to critical global risk insights on A2A transactions, without waiting months for models to develop intelligence from a bank’s own transaction data, and without having to wait for other banks to join a consortium, delivering results and value from day one. Banks that opt in can incorporate ad
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