What Fintech Saudi does

Fintech Saudi (فينتك السعودية) is a non-profit government initiative launched in April 2018 by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) jointly with the Capital Market Authority (CMA) under the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) of Saudi Vision 2030. It is headquartered in Riyadh and is not a commercial company; its mandate is to coordinate and accelerate the development of Saudi Arabia's fintech ecosystem into a thriving, responsible, globally competitive hub, with Riyadh positioned as a regional fintech center.

The initiative delivers a portfolio of ecosystem-enabling services rather than a commercial software product. Core offerings include the Ecosystem Directory and Fintech Map (a registry of 261 fintech companies), a Regulatory Assessment Tool that maps fintech activities to applicable Saudi regulators, structured 30-minute Office Hours with fintech experts, and Legislator Meetings with SAMA, CMA, and the Insurance Authority. Programmatic offerings include the Fintech Accelerator, the Jeel Sandbox (launched in October 2025 with Jeel/Riyadh Bank and Mambu on Google Cloud — Saudi Arabia's first fintech sandbox accelerator), annual Summer Programs (2022–2025), a developer registration portal, a fintech speaker database, discounted partner services, and a Resource Library. The underlying technology is minimal: standard web platforms (fintechsaudi.sa), Microsoft Forms and Outlook-based booking flows, Jotform registrations, and partner-hosted sandbox infrastructure on Mambu/Google Cloud — Fintech Saudi itself does not build proprietary core technology.

The business model is non-commercial. All services to fintech entrepreneurs, developers, and financial institutions are provided free of charge, with operating costs covered by the Saudi government through SAMA and CMA as part of Vision 2030. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven — combining digital content (website, X, LinkedIn, YouTube), structured office hours and accelerator cohorts, and flagship partnerships such as Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh. Customers are Saudi fintech startups and entrepreneurs (primary) and financial institutions (secondary), with no traditional revenue, pricing, or sales motion.

Name

Fintech Saudi

Legal name

Fintech Saudi (فنتك السعودية)

Website

https://fintechsaudi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fintech Saudi (فينتك السعودية) is a non-profit government initiative, co-launched by SAMA and CMA in 2018 under Vision 2030, that coordinates Saudi Arabia's fintech ecosystem through a directory, regulatory tools, office hours, an accelerator, and the Jeel Sandbox.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ecosystem Development Services: Fintech Saudi operates as a non-profit government initiative under the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) and Vision 2030. It provides services to the fintech ecosystem including guidance, regulatory assessment tools, office hours with experts, and connections to potential partners. The initiative does not generate commercial revenue but supports the growth of the Saudi fintech sector.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fintech Saudi is a government-backed ecosystem initiative co-launched by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Capital Market Authority (CMA) under the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) of Saudi Vision 2030. It provides fintech companies with regulatory guidance, an Ecosystem Directory, a Regulatory Assessment Tool, 30-minute Office Hours with experts, Legislator Meetings with SAMA/CMA/Insurance Authority, a FinTech Accelerator program, and a FinTech Sandbox (Jeel) in collaboration with Riyadh Bank and Mambu. The initiative does not sell products or generate commercial revenue; it operates as a non-profit ecosystem builder supporting Saudi Arabia's fintech sector.

Product overview

Fintech Saudi (فنتك السعودية) is a government initiative launched by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) in partnership with the Capital Market Authority (CMA) in April 2018 under the Financial Sector Development Program of Saudi Vision 2030. It is not a fintech product company but rather an ecosystem-enabling platform that provides a portfolio of services including a fintech Ecosystem Directory, a Regulatory Assessment Tool, Office Hours with fintech experts, Legislator Meetings with SAMA/CMA/Insurance Authority, a FinTech Accelerator program, a FinTech Sandbox (Jeel) in collaboration with Riyadh Bank and Mambu, discounted service offerings, annual Summer Programs, a FinTech Map, and a Resource Library. The initiative aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a global fintech innovation destination by supporting entrepreneurs at every stage of development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ecosystem Directory (دليل القطاع) An online directory and registry where fintech companies operating in Saudi Arabia can register and be discovered by the broader ecosystem, partners, and stakeholders.
• Regulatory Assessment Tool (أداة التقييم التنظيمي) A self-assessment tool that helps fintech companies gain a clearer understanding of the regulatory pathway for their specific fintech activity under Saudi regulations (SAMA, CMA, Insurance Authority).
• Office Hours (الساعات المكتبية) 30-minute mentorship sessions with fintech experts offered to entrepreneurs and fintech companies at various stages of development, booked via Outlook.
• Legislator Meetings (لقاء مع المشرعين) 30-minute guidance sessions with Saudi regulatory bodies — Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), Capital Market Authority (CMA), and the Insurance Authority — to provide direction on fintech regulations, booked via Microsoft Forms.
• FinTech Accelerator (مسرعة التقنية المالية) A structured accelerator program supporting fintech startups and financial institutions in testing and deploying digital financial solutions within the Saudi ecosystem.
• FinTech Sandbox — Jeel

Quantifiable outcome

• 261 fintech companies operating in Saudi Arabia, surpassing 2025 target a year early
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• MambuflagshipTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2025Mambu, a global cloud-native core banking platform, partnered with Jeel (Riyadh Bank's innovation subsidiary) to launch the Jeel Sandbox — Saudi Arabia's first fintech sandbox accelerator developed in collaboration with Fintech Saudi. Built on Mambu's composable banking architecture and hosted on Google Cloud Platform, the platform provides a secure, scalable environment for fintechs to test and deploy digital financial solutions in compliance with SAMA regulations.
• Saudi Central Bank (SAMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) co-launched Fintech Saudi as a government initiative under the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) to develop the fintech ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
• Capital Market Authority (CMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2018The Capital Market Authority (CMA) co-launched Fintech Saudi with SAMA to support fintech innovation and provide regulatory guidance through initiatives like the Fintech Lab.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bahrain FinTech Bay: Bahrain's flagship fintech ecosystem builder and accelerator, operating a similar community-and-sandbox model under the Bahrain Central Bank's regulatory framework. Most directly comparable to Fintech Saudi in mission, structure, and Gulf-region focus.
• DIFC Fintech Hive: Dubai International Financial Centre's fintech accelerator. Operates a regulator-anchored ecosystem platform within a Gulf financial free zone, comparable to Fintech Saudi in serving regional fintech startups with regulator access.
• Level39: London's long-running fintech and cybersecurity accelerator housed in Canary Wharf. Comparable as a community-and-accelerator platform serving early- and growth-stage fintechs with regulator and corporate partner access.
• Qatar FinTech Hub: QFC Authority-backed fintech ecosystem platform and accelerator. Most direct comparable as a Gulf-state, central-bank-sponsored fintech community builder.

Regional players

• ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market): Abu Dhabi's international financial free zone with its own fintech licensing framework and Regulatory Laboratory. Functions as a regional alternative hub competing for the same Gulf fintech founders.
• FinTech Scotland: Scotland's national fintech cluster body backed by government, universities, and industry. Comparable as a public-private fintech ecosystem enabler in a single geography, though operating at much smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Fintech: Singapore's central bank drives one of the world's most developed fintech ecosystem programs (sandbox, FAST, SkillsFuture). Comparable as a regulator-led fintech enablement platform, though far larger in scope and global reach.
• Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Fintech: HKMA's fintech initiatives include the Fintech Supervisory Sandbox and a network of ecosystem partnerships. Comparable in providing regulator-anchored fintech enablement, though for a more mature market.

Emerging players

• Plug and Play Fintech: Global corporate-backed accelerator with a dedicated fintech vertical. Comparable as a fintech-specific accelerator and ecosystem connector, though commercial rather than government-led.
• Elevandi: MAS-founded non-profit that builds global fintech communities and runs the Singapore FinTech Festival. Comparable as a non-profit, ecosystem-focused platform; complementary rather than directly competitive to Fintech Saudi.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FintechSaudi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FintechSaudi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fintech-saudi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fintech Saudi