The award-winning initiative for women in fintech makes its regional premiere with Money20/20
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, September 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 13 Sept, 2026: Money20/20 Middle East, scheduled for 14–16 September 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre (RECC) in Malham, will introduce RiseUp to the Middle East for the first time, marking the regional debut of Money20/20’s celebrated global initiative dedicated to women in fintech and financial services. This introduction coincides with Saudi Arabia’s accelerating digital transformation and its rising status as a worldwide centre for financial innovation, convening leaders, innovators, regulators, and investors who are defining finance’s future.
The RiseUp launch at Money20/20 Middle East represents a significant achievement for Money20/20’s worldwide effort focused on advancing women in fintech and financial services. This first regional group brings RiseUp’s core principles of access, visibility, and opportunity to Saudi Arabia, supporting senior women executives in one of the fastest-growing innovation markets globally.
Since its inception in 2018, RiseUp has aided over 600 women worldwide, with 85% feeling more ready for promotion, more than 70% advancing into higher-level positions, 95% noting that the RiseUp community boosted their career progression, and an outstanding 99% recommending the programme to colleagues. RiseUp graduates represent major global firms such as Visa, Deutsche Bank, Adyen, Revolut, Uber, JPMorgan Chase, EY, Accenture, Booking.com, Standard Bank, and others, creating one of the most powerful women-in-fintech networks anywhere.
This debut Middle East RiseUp edition will welcome 30 senior women executives selected for the regional cohort. Participants come from leading organisations including Verto, Network Global, Visa, Sharaka Capital, Safqah, Samsung Electronics, TikTok, and more.
“Launching RiseUp in Saudi Arabia is more than a program milestone, it’s a powerful demonstration of what becomes possible when women are given real access, real visibility, and real support to lead,” said Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer of Money20/20. “The Middle East is one of the most exciting innovation markets in the world, with momentum that is reshaping the global fintech landscape. This region is undergoing extraordinary transformation, and we’re creating pathways for women who are building, scaling, and redefining the future of finance to accelerate their impact in this dynamic ecosystem. I look forward to meeting these extraordinary women in person in Riyadh.”
“Money20/20 Middle East is about creating a platform that reflects both the scale of change taking place across the region’s financial ecosystem and the people driving that change. Launching RiseUp as part of this year’s edition gives us an important opportunity to recognise and strengthen the role of women who are already helping shape the future of finance across Saudi Arabia and the wider region. By connecting this cohort with an international community of leaders, investors and innovators, we want to create relationships and opportunities that extend well beyond the three days of the show,” said Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President, Tahaluf.
RiseUp closely mirrors the key themes of Money20/20 Middle East 2026; including digital financial inclusion, AI driven transformation, cross border collaboration, and the future of payments, ensuring participants engage with the most urgent discussions shaping finance’s future.
As part of Money20/20 Middle East, RiseUp will deliver a tailored schedule of sessions in Riyadh, designed around the distinct opportunities and obstacles facing women in the region. The initiative goes beyond curated content or networking; it centres on transformation, confidence, capability building and securing a place at the table where decisions are made.
Over two days, the cohort will join a worldwide community of women leaders across continents who are rewriting the rules, challenging the status quo, and proving that when women rise, entire industries rise with them.
Program Highlights
• Women Who Are Driving AI Innovation in the Middle East: A session highlighting women shaping the region’s AI landscape and spearheading technological change.
• The Compass Within: Women Driven Leadership for the Middle East: Moderated by Mary Ann Francis, Executive Consultant, Global Payments & Strategic Initiatives. This session assembles inspiring women leaders who are redefining leadership on their own terms, navigating cultural expectations, forging new paths, and leading with authenticity and purpose.
• Empowered by Design: Women Leading the Fintech Revolution: Moderated by Joy Adams, COO, Digital Assets, Deutsche Bank and RiseUp alumna. This session showcases real stories of impact: women achieving financial independence, entrepreneurs accessing capital, and communities transformed through digital financial inclusion. This is not just about technology, it is about dignity, opportunity, and the power of financial access to change lives.
As part of the RiseUp programme at Money20/20 Middle East, Haifa Al Obaid, Senior Expert at the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), will address the session ‘The Compass Within: Women-Driven Leadership for the Middle East,’ contributing a vital regional viewpoint to the discussion.
Haifa Al Obaid, Senior Expert, Credit Relationship Department, SIDF, “Saudi women are receiving strong support from the government, with continued commitment from HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which has helped expand leadership and career opportunities across sectors. The key challenge is organisational consistency: if workplace leadership doesn’t prioritise women’s empowerment, women may not receive the resources and support they need to succeed. RiseUp is a wonderful opportunity to connect with top women leaders from inside and outside the region. It highlights why increasing the presence and visibility of women leaders is so important.”
The RiseUp launch at Money20/20 Middle East marks the initial phase of a long-term regional strategy. As Riyadh continues to grow as a hub for global fintech collaboration, Money20/20 intends to expand RiseUp throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), strengthen alliances with regional organisations, and cultivate a pipeline of women leaders shaping fintech’s future.
Susan Elmesslamy, Founder of ZTS, RiseUp Asia Alumni 2024, and workshop leader at RiseUp Middle East 2026, offers her viewpoint on the programme’s growth: “RiseUp didn’t just expand my network, it gave me confidence that changed how I show up in my career. The RiseUp Network is a fallback family—you know they’re there when you need them, and that support is everything. Bringing RiseUp to the Middle East is going to be transformative, not just for the women in the program, but for how the world sees this region. It brings visibility and enhances collaboration on a scale we haven’t seen before.”
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About Money20/20
Founded by industry insiders in 2012, Money20/20 has quickly become the core of the global fintech ecosystem. Over the past decade, the most innovative, fast-moving ideas and companies have driven their growth on our platform. Mastercard, Airwallex, J.P. Morgan, SHIELD, GCash, Stripe, Google, Visa, Adyen, and more make transformational deals and raise their global profile with us. Money20/20 attracts leaders from the world’s greatest banks, payments companies, VC firms, regulators, and media platforms — convening to cut industry shaping deals, build world changing partnerships, and unlock future defining opportunities in Riyadh (September 14–16, 2026), Las Vegas (October 18–21, 2026), Amsterdam (June 8–10, 2027), Miami (March 16-18, 2027), Bangkok (April 27–29, 2027) and Melbourne (February 15 – 17, 2028). Money20/20 is where the world’s fintech leaders convene to grow their brands. Money20/20 is part of Informa PLC. Follow[LT1.1] Money20/20 on X and LinkedIn for show developments and updates.
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