HIGHLIGHTS
to financial institutions. The Fintech Start-Up Zone will provide a platform to early stage startups from across the MENA region to exhibit and present their ideas or products to potential investors, government officials and industry experts.
Ziyad Al-Yousef, managing director, Saudi Payments, said: “The Kingdom, through the fintech Saudi initiative aims to transform into an innovative fintech hub with a thriving ecosystem driven by local and international stakeholders. Furthermore, the government has implemented multiple reforms to promote the digitalization of financial services and drive toward a cashless society which is a game- changing initiative within the Financial Sector Development Program ( FSDP) under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”
Ahmed Alenazi, vice president of business, STC Pay — a digital financial services company in the Kingdom and sponsor of MEFTECH 2019 — said: “It is essential for the Kingdom to steadily shift toward a cashless society as it enables transparency within the financial sector and supports modernization of payments infra- structure which are key catalysts for economic development. STC Pay is a significant step toward digitizing and building a secure, seamless payments service across the Kingdom. At STC Pay, we aim to provide new and innovative technologies and digital experiences to our customers and empower individuals to take full control of their finances.”
Over the years, the event has brought together more than 8,000 financial industry executives and over 1,000 technology providers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.