Money20/20 Middle East

Money20/20 Middle East is the Middle East extension of the global Money20/20 franchise, hosted in Riyadh and acting as the central trade event for the rapidly growing Gulf Cooperation Council and wider MENA fintech and digital-finance ecosystem. It sits alongside Seamless Saudi Arabia, FiNext Conference Dubai and WORLDEF Roadshow Riyadh as calendar anchors for the same audiences.

What happens at Money20/20 Middle East

Multiple stages run in parallel across multiple days: a main stage with regional and international fintech leadership, a payments stage focused on GCC and MENA infrastructure and rails, a banking stage centred on the rapidly evolving Saudi and GCC digital banking landscape, and dedicated coverage for crypto and digital assets, regulation and emerging technology. The exhibition hall combines global vendors expanding into the GCC with regional and local players from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt. Side events and government-led programming extend the conference well beyond the main agenda.

Who attends

The audience reflects the GCC's increasingly globally significant fintech position: senior leadership from Saudi and GCC banks, founders and operating teams from regional fintechs, regulators from the Saudi Central Bank, Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and adjacent authorities, government partners aligned with Vision 2030 and equivalent strategic transformation programmes, and a heavy international contingent from global fintech leadership evaluating GCC market opportunities.

Dominant themes at Money20/20 Middle East

The GCC and MENA fintech agenda dominates: the rapid evolution of Saudi digital banking and the role of fintech in supporting Vision 2030, the continuing evolution of regional instant payment networks including Sarie in Saudi Arabia and Aani in the UAE, cross-border GCC payment integration, the SAMA and CBUAE open-banking frameworks, Islamic finance innovation, the regulatory environment for crypto and stablecoins across the region, and the practical mechanics of building fintech products for diverse MENA consumer segments. AI applications in financial services and the role of embedded finance receive substantial coverage.

Planning to attend

Riyadh hotel supply has expanded substantially in recent years and the city is increasingly well-connected by direct flights from European, Asian and African hubs. Most international visitors should plan for visa requirements well in advance; Saudi Arabia has substantially liberalised business visa access. The conference language is English with significant Arabic representation. Weather considerations matter for outdoor side events. Many international visitors combine the trip with adjacent commercial meetings in Dubai or Abu Dhabi given the regional concentration of decision-makers — Seamless Middle East 2026 runs at Dubai World Trade Centre in the same September window.

Use the expense calculator below to estimate the total cost of attending - registration, flights, hotels, meals, and ground transport.