Day two of Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh continued the momentum, bringing together global leaders in fintech, banking, and financial services. The agenda focused on transformative themes including the role of artificial intelligence in finance, regulatory developments, inclusive innovation, and strategic capital.
Discussions across the venue explored digital transformation, data governance, cybersecurity, and the evolving landscape of payments and treasury services, with insights from industry leaders at Standard Chartered Bank, JP Morgan Payments, Revolut, Wio Bank, Abdul Latif Jameel Finance, Citi Group, Mastercard and Swift.
A focus on global regulation
The second day featured a strong presence from international regulators, signaling a global conversation on the future of financial oversight. High-profile speakers included Hon. Caroline D. Pham, acting chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Mario Nobile, director general of the Agency for Digital Italy, and Colin Payne, head of innovation at the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Their participation underscored the eventās role as a platform for dialogue between innovators and policymakers on a global scale.
Spotlight on new launches and partnerships
The day was marked by a series of significant announcements, from new payment capabilities by global giants to the launch of new platforms and investment vehicles aimed at transforming the regional market.
Visaās new acceptance capability in Saudi Arabia
Visa announced a groundbreaking acceptance capability being launched locally in Saudi Arabia, a first-of-its-kind deployment for the company. The initiative is aligned with national infrastructure and regulatory frameworks and is designed to accelerate digital commerce enablement for merchants across the Kingdom. The announcement also highlighted new product features that enhance how merchants accept and manage payments, with a focus on flexibility, compliance, and interoperability.
Limitless Payments launches with $100 million fund
A new global fintech investment vehicle, Limitless Payments, was announced with plans to transform how businesses manage payments, foreign exchange, and financial operations across high-growth and underserved markets. Headquartered in Riyadh, Limitless will be established as a joint stock company with an initial fund of $100 million and more than $15 billion in existing gross transaction volume. The initiative brings together three fintech businesses: Xpence, a B2B spend management platform; GC Partners, a financial services firm specializing in international payments and FX; and Numito, a multi-bank FX trading platform.
SILQFi launches āOmniā platform for SMEs
Following its acquisition of OXO, a key player in the Saudi POS market, SILQFi announced the launch of Omni. The new platform is designed to embed finance directly into the everyday operations of small and medium-sized businesses by integrating point-of-sale, procurement, payments, and real-time credit access into a single interface.
The future of banking and asset management
Discussions on day two moved beyond infrastructure to the application of new technologies in banking and investment. Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank, highlighted the pivotal role digital banks play in enabling the growth of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the region, offering digital-first platforms that integrate business banking, personal finance, and investment tools.
A fireside chat titled āAsset Management Reinvented: The Dynamic Dance of Human Insight and Algorithmic Precisionā examined how the industry is evolving. The panel featured Roger Rouhana, founder & CEO of Alpheya; Ziad Mabsout, co-founder & CEO of Vennre; and Petr Stransky, founding partner at IDAP Global LLP.
When asked about the future of human relationship managers, Mabsout replied, āFive years from now, a major portion of the market will be getting their financial advice from machines. For Gen Z, itās not about asset allocation or hitting a number in a bank account; itās about values, purpose, and ethical investment. Machine learning will be essential in understanding and empowering those goals.ā
Investor momentum and international interest
The eventās organizers highlighted the significant international attention on the regionās fintech ecosystem. Annabelle Mander, executive vice president at Tahaluf, commented: āMoney20/20 Middle East has witnessed unprecedented momentum over the past two days in Riyadh. With more than 1,000 investors attending ā split evenly between local and global ā a surge of international interest has increased in Saudi and the wider region. Our international audience has grown by 63%, with major VCs and angel investors eager to enter Saudi Arabia.ā
Also on the agenda
The buzz of the conference extended beyond the main stages. The Fintech Times conducted a series of interviews at its media booth, sitting down with representatives from Bupa Arabia, Vanquour Wealth Management, and Vennre. A video interview was also held with Onur Kursun, EVP commercial and new payment flows, EMEA, at Mastercard, capturing further insights from key industry leaders.
The post Money20/20 Middle East 2025: Regulation, New Platforms, and a $100M Investment Vehicle on Day Two appeared first on The Fintech Times.
