Global Financial Community Optimistic to Overcome Market Challenges and Build Stronger, Tech-Driven, Sustainable Future Economy
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
NIQ and Displayce Collaborate to Bring Sales Lift Measurement to Europe’s DOOH Advertising Market16.9.2025 19:00:00 EEST | Press release
NIQ, a leading consumer intelligence company, and Displayce, a pioneering specialist technology suite for Out-of-Home advertising, are collaborating to bring advanced measurement capabilities to the European DOOH market. By combining NIQ’s trusted consumer intelligence with data from Displayce’s media activation platform, advertisers can link DOOH campaigns to in-store sales performance — driving transparency and accountability across the DOOH ecosystem. NIQ has long been a trusted source of consumer purchase insights for manufacturers and retailers, capturing the buying behavior of millions of households across more than 90 countries. Now, NIQ is extending its expertise and insights into the media ecosystem, empowering advertisers and agencies with new data assets and measurement solutions to improve their understanding of consumers and drive better ROI. Through the collaboration, NIQ and Displayce are driving the DOOH ecosystem toward more addressable, transparent, and results-driven
Andersen Consulting Expands Cybersecurity and Technology Offering with Addition of Move16.9.2025 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Andersen Consulting has entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Move, a leader in IT infrastructure, managed services, and enterprise digital solutions with a presence in Norway and Sweden. Founded in 1989, Move provides consulting services, IT solutions, and managed services. The firm’s expertise spans cybersecurity, cloud solutions, server and storage solutions, network communications, and AI adoption. Move works with medium- and large-sized companies to design, implement, and operate secure, scalable, and future-ready IT environments. "This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to create even greater value for our clients," said Roald Sannæs, managing director of Move. "With our capabilities and Andersen Consulting’s global reach and expertise, we can deliver more holistic solutions, helping organizations solve today’s challenges and anticipate tomorrow’s opportunities." "Move has earned a strong reputation in Norway for its technical excellence and commitment to clie
Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem , the Latest Title in the Series, Also Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on February 27, 2026!16.9.2025 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Capcom Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:9697) today announced that Resident Evil Requiem, the latest title in the Resident Evil series scheduled for release on February 27, 2026, for PlayStation®5 system, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, will also be released for Nintendo Switch™ 2 at launch. In addition, Resident Evil 7 biohazard and Resident Evil Village, two other titles in the series, will also be released for Nintendo Switch 2 on the same date. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250916064724/en/ Resident Evil Requiem Key Art Resident Evil Requiem is a survival horror game that serves as the ninth main installment in the series. The title is being developed using RE ENGINE, Capcom’s proprietary game engine, and leverages Capcom’s extensive development experience cultivated over numerous hit titles. Also, at Gamescom 2025, Europe’s largest gaming trade show held in Germany in August, the title already garnered significant acclaim pri
Aker BP Leverages Cognite Atlas AI™ to Pioneer an AI-First Future in Exploration and Production16.9.2025 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Aker BP, one of Europe's largest independent oil companies, and Cognite, the global leader in industrial AI, deepen their strategic partnership through the expanded adoption of Cognite Atlas AI™,harnessing the power of AI agents to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and elevate productivity. This enhanced collaboration puts Aker BP at the forefront of leveraging agentic AI to drive significant value and transform its operations. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250903134233/en/ Aker BP Leverages Cognite Atlas AI™ to Pioneer an AI-First Future in Exploration and Production Aker BP's "AI-first strategy" was developed to help lead the energy sector into a data-driven future by seamlessly integrating AI applications within industrial settings and business objectives to innovate and deliver results across the business. This includes automating complex processes and allowing engineers to easily access industrial exper
GlobalPlatform to Drive Next Phase of Growth for PSA Certified, Accelerating Security Adoption16.9.2025 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
GlobalPlatform announced today it will assume governance of PSA Certified, the global security certification scheme launched by Arm and key partners in 2019. In this next phase of growth, GlobalPlatform—the global standards organization for secure digital services and devices—will drive further collaboration, broader industry participation, and greater regulatory alignment for PSA Certified. Since its launch, PSA Certified has become a globally adopted framework that helps manufacturers and developers build secure connected products based on a Root of Trust. It aligns key security components—such as device identity, cryptography, attestation, and secure boot—with certification needs, regulatory requirements, and global best practices. To date, more than 250 products — spanning silicon, software, and devices—have been certified under the scheme. Under the terms of the agreement, PSA Certified will continue to evolve under the direction of a new Working Group within GlobalPlatform, which
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