Money20/20 Middle East Unveils 2026 Riyadh Agenda Featuring Visa, BlackRock, and Tabby

Money20/20 Middle East has confirmed its return to Riyadh, scheduled for 14–16 September 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Malham. For fintech professionals, this massive gathering signals Saudi Arabia’s solidified position as a primary hub for global capital and regulatory innovation, providing a critical platform for cross-border partnerships and the scaling of autonomous finance technologies.

What was announced

The 2026 edition of the event is hosted by the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP), the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), the Capital Market Authority (CMA), and the Insurance Authority (IA). Co-organised by Fintech Saudi and Tahaluf, the summit is expected to welcome more than 38,000 attendees. The scale of the event is further reflected in its targets of 350 exhibiting brands, over 350 speakers, 600 investors, and 150 startups, positioning Riyadh as a central meeting point for the regional and global financial ecosystem.

The programme will focus on the technological shifts currently redefining financial services, specifically artificial intelligence, autonomous finance, open banking, embedded finance, and payments. A significant highlight is the "Next-Gen Money" programme, which includes a live demo session titled “Trust in the Age of Agentic Commerce.” This session, featuring Godfrey Sullivan at Visa, will explore the mechanics of AI agents completing transactions independently, including merchant selection and payment authorisation, while addressing the regulatory hurdles of liability and disputes.

Other confirmed speakers include Nora M. Albakr, Deputy Governor for Financial Innovation at the Saudi Central Bank; Joy Adams, Chief Operating Officer at Deutsche Bank; and Tony Ashraf, Managing Director at BlackRock. The agenda also features Mostapha Tahiri, Chief Operating Officer at State Street, and Hani Kablawi, Executive Vice Chair at BNY. Discussions will specifically examine the convergence of instant payment networks and programmable financial infrastructure, alongside the international expansion of fintech firms built within the Kingdom.

"The pace of transformation across financial services is extraordinary, and Money20/20 Middle East creates a place where the people driving that change can come together. Riyadh will bring global and regional leaders beyond dialogue to focus on building partnerships and driving investment that will shape the next chapter of fintech. We look forward to welcoming the global money ecosystem to the Kingdom for three days of meaningful connections, conversations and opportunities."

Steve Durning, Assistant Vice President at Tahaluf.

The companies involved

Tahaluf, the co-organiser of the event, is a joint venture between the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones and Informa, a major international events and digital services group. The event is heavily supported by the Kingdom’s primary financial regulators, including the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Capital Market Authority (CMA), both of which are central to the nation's "Vision 2030" goals to modernise the local banking and investment landscape through the Financial Sector Development Program.

The speaker roster includes major global institutions. Deutsche Bank, a significant player in digital asset transformation, and BNY bring substantial institutional weight to the discussions. Visa, represented by Ali Bailoun, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman, continues to drive payment innovation in the region. Local innovation is represented by firms like Lean Technologies, an open banking platform co-founded by Hisham Al-Falih, reflecting the growing maturity of the Saudi fintech ecosystem and its ability to attract global interest from firms like State Street and BlackRock.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely tracked the expansion of financial infrastructure and leadership across the Middle East. We recently covered how Alaan Secures CBUAE In-Principle Approval for Payment Licences, highlighting the regulatory momentum in the region. Additionally, the strategic focus of global asset managers was underscored when BlackRock Appoints Dixit Joshi to Lead Middle East Technology and Digital Assets Strategy, a move that aligns with the themes of programmable infrastructure and digital assets expected at the 2026 summit.

What this means

The scale of this announcement - targeting 38,000 attendees - places Riyadh in direct competition with established global fintech hubs. By moving beyond general payments into "agentic commerce" and autonomous finance, the event forces a conversation on how traditional banks must adapt to AI-driven transaction models. The heavy involvement of SAMA and the CMA suggests that regulatory frameworks in the Kingdom are being designed to lead, rather than follow, technological adoption. For the wider industry, the pressure is now on Western incumbents to prove they can match the pace of infrastructure deployment seen in the Gulf, or risk losing influence in the next phase of cross-border finance.