The inaugural 24 Fintech Conference (September 3-5) in Riyadh, hosted 10,000 foreign delegates, 350 speakers, including 252 international experts, where several agreements were also signed, a report said.
The event also hosted 500 investors as part of the Venturescape initiative, aimed at empowering local startups in Saudi Arabia. 24 Fintech is recognized as one of the world's largest fintech conferences, Saudi Press Agency, SPA, said.
Several agreements were announced during the conference's final day. Notably, 1957 Ventures investment fund surpassed SAR800 million. Additionally, SAMA announced a partnership with Samsung to introduce the "Samsung Pay" service in the kingdom during the fourth quarter of 2024, further bolstering the country's digital payments infrastructure.
Tabby also acquired Tweeq, expanding its range of financial services.
Hosted by the Financial Sector Development Program, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), the Capital Market Authority (CMA), and the Insurance Authority (IA), it was co-organised by ‘Fintech Saudi’ and ‘Tahaluf’, a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) and the Events Investment Fund (NDF) – the conference drew over 37,000 attendees.
SAMA Vice Governor for Supervision and Technology Dr Khaled Al-Dhaher underscored the conference's significance as a platform for dialogue among policymakers, industry leaders, international talent, and regulators.
He highlighted the kingdom's role as a regional financial-technology (fintech) hub and the conference's contribution to enhancing the fintech ecosystem.