Kholoud Hussein
Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia has managed to take the lead and take advanced steps to boost the fintech sector and develop it into a flourishing industry marked by rapid growth, diversifying services, and increasing contribution to its national economy. Yet, the kingdom is facing challenges to become a leading global fintech hub.
Key players
In April 2018, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), in collaboration with the Saudi Capital Markets Authority (CMA), kickstarted the nation’s fintech growth journey with the launch of Fintech Saudi, an initiative aimed at cementing KSA’s position as the leading fintech hub in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Fintech Saudi continuously strives to boost, support, and represent the fintech industry in KSA through initiatives such as its Accelerator program, Career Fair, Fintech Tour, and the Summer Sessions. Since the launch of Fintech Saudi, there has been a 20-fold increase in the number of fintechs operating in the kingdom. Over SAR 4 billion ($1 billion) has been invested into fintech companies in KSA, and over 100,000 people have engaged in fintech-related events, training courses, and internships organized by Fintech Saudi.
According to a recent report by Arthur D. Little, the development and approval of the national fintech strategy in May 2022 marked the next stage of fintech development for KSA. The strategy was based on six pillars:
- Developing KSA as the fintech hub for the Middle East
- Creating a regulatory environment supportive of growth and innovation
- Funding for start-ups
- Training and skill enhancement
- Accelerating support infrastructure
- Driving local and international collaboration
KSA’s Vision 2030 plan for fintech has four key objectives, constituting clear milestones toward its aspirations of being a global fintech leader:
- Establish at least 525 fintech companies (versus 200 in 2023)
- Open 18,000 fintech job opportunities (versus around 5,400 in 2023)
- Account for $13.3 billion in direct GDP (versus around $1 billion in 2023)
- Achieve $12.2 billion in direct venture capital (VC) contributions (versus $1.4 billion in 2023)
The number of fintech companies in KSA more than doubled in one year, from 89 in 2022 to ~200 in 2023. This impressive growth has been catalyzed by a range of measures to stimulate innovation, with three in particular standing out:
- Fintech Saudi: The establishment of Fintech Saudi was a catalyst for change, leading to such measures as the Fintech Accelerator program, the Fintech Saudi Innovation Hub, an online fintech directory, regulatory enhancements in collaboration with SAMA, and various flagship events (e.g., Fintech Tour and hackathon)
- Fintech Regulatory Sandbox: The SAMA-established sandbox allowed controlled live testing of fintech innovations, facilitating a smooth transition to the open market
- Start-up funding: Various financial-support mechanisms have been deployed in the Saudi fintech ecosystem, some of which are industry-agnostic. For example, the Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), supported by CMA and the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP), launched a SAR 300 million fund focused on fintech start-ups and plans to invest SAR 6 billion more into start-ups and SMEs across other sectors.
So far, SVC has invested in 35 VC funds, which have facilitated over 900 deals and SAR 1.9 billion in investments. The Saudi National Technology Development Program (NTDP) has launched the Technology Development Financing initiative that supports start-ups with debt funding.
Key progress areas
The report pointed out that the three key areas illustrate the major progress already made in KSA fintech: digital payments, alternative financing, and financial product aggregation.
For digital payment, the kingdom embarked on a journey to transform society to be less dependent on cash transactions. A cornerstone was the FSDP, which played a pivotal role in introducing new players to the financial services landscape. According to the Saudi Vision 2030, there is a plan to escalate the proportion of non-cash transactions to 80% by 2030, a significant leap from its 18% baseline in 2016.
The fintech landscape has been enriched through collaborative synergies between Saudi Payments and fintech companies. Among the various developments, digital wallets, local transfers, QR code payments, and SADAD system bill payments stand out as the most prominent. According to data released by SAMA, digital wallet usage has seen an exponential rise from 315,000 in 2018 to 17 million by 2022, representing over half of KSA’s population. In 2018, bank transfers were the primary method for topping up these wallets, accounting for approximately 70% of all top-ups. However, by 2022 around 80% of top-ups were being made via debit or credit cards.
On the other hand, the alternative financing sector, particularly “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) and debt crowdfunding, has emerged as the second-largest fintech subsector in Saudi Arabia, trailing only behind Saudi Payments. This growth reflects a shift in consumer and business financing preferences, increasingly leaning toward more flexible and accessible options than traditional banking models.
Debt crowdfunding has become a vital avenue for financing, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) facing challenges in securing traditional bank loans. The platforms operating now in KSA offer a streamlined digital process for businesses to sell invoices and secure funding, alleviating cash flow issues and aiding growth.
As reported by SAMA, the investor base in the KSA crowdfunding market has seen significant growth, from 302 in 2019 to over 92,000 in 2022. These investors have collectively issued over 1,800 loans worth more than SAR 1.1 billion since 2019, with about SAR 770 million in loans disbursed in 2022 alone.
Challenges
Saudi Arabia’s fintech landscape is still young and nascent. It does not have the deal flow we see in Egypt, the advantage of Bahrain’s long experience in financial markets, nor the pull of the UAE’s ecosystem, whose financial landscape is also further ahead in terms of crypto and blockchain regulations.
Talent is also a big issue. A report from Fintech Saudi shows that hiring qualified talent was the main obstacle for 40% of fintech startups, followed by regulations at 37%, then access to customers/customers testing at 28%.
In addition, there is a gap in Saudi Arabia, like most of the other countries in the region, between the education system and work requirements. Universities need to bridge this gap by preparing students for the labor market in different tech spaces.
Further, the kingdom’s startup ecosystem is still young, and attracting talent requires hefty salaries that most startups cannot afford. It still lags behind Dubai as a hub for global companies and talent, while processes tend to be more laborious and time-consuming. Riyadh and Jeddah both lack the quality of life that has proven to be so crucial for attracting talent and that is visible in the makeup of the fintech sector in the country. According to recent data, 80% of the fintech startups operating in Saudi Arabia are headquartered in the kingdom and are founded primarily by Saudi entrepreneurs.
However, the Saudi government has made its intentions very clear – it wants a diversified economy where entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators should be able to flourish. If it continues to progress in its current trajectory, Saudi Arabia certainly has the potential and capacity to become the best market for fintech for many reasons, including the spending capabilities of the population, the advancement of the financial sector, and the progression of the regulator.