Money20/20 Middle East 2026: G+D on Why Saudi Arabia Sets the Pace

Quick Summary

Digital payments, domestic schemes, fintechs and BNPL are booming right across the Middle East, but Saudi Arabia is moving differently. Speaking at Money20/20 Middle East 2026, G+D's Hussam Nasser explains why a strong central bank with a clear direction has made the Kingdom the market the rest of the region follows, and how 170 years of global experience lets G+D act as a one-stop shop for issuers.

Why is G+D at Money20/20 Middle East?

For Hussam Nasser, Vice President, Middle East at G+D, Money20/20 Middle East is one of the largest and most important events in the region. It is one of the few places where central banks, financial institutions and banks all come together at once, which makes it the natural stage for G+D to show its commitment to Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East. That commitment goes beyond the exhibition floor: G+D has its regional headquarters in the Kingdom, and attending alongside the institutions it serves is part of offering its financial solutions and cards to customers across the market.

What makes Saudi Arabia different from the rest of the region?

The trend is visible everywhere, Nasser says. Across the region the market is booming, driven by:

• Digital payments
• Domestic payment schemes
• Fintechs entering the market
• Buy now, pay later (BNPL)

The difference in Saudi Arabia is the central bank. A really strong regulator with a very clear direction for the country's payment system gives the market what Nasser calls "the right speed, the right decision at the right level". That combination is why Saudi Arabia stands apart, and why the rest of the region is now following its lead on domestic schemes and digitisation. Nasser is clear that this is a shared success, pointing to the progress neighbouring markets have made in adopting domestic schemes and raising their own level of digitisation.

What can G+D bring to issuers in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East?

G+D's offer rests on 170 years of global experience, and Nasser frames what the company brings to the Saudi and wider Middle East market as the outcome of that journey. The practical benefit for banks is consolidation. Rather than managing several suppliers, an issuer can rely on one vendor and one partner across the full card lifecycle:

• Card issuance from the start
• Digitising cards for mobile and wallet use
• Premium and high-end cards for top-tier customers
• Mass production for the wider customer base

For institutions moving quickly under a central bank that expects fast, well-judged decisions, a single partner covering physical, digital and premium cards reduces complexity at exactly the point where speed matters most.

FF NEWS TAKE:

Nasser's point about the central bank is the one worth holding on to. Plenty of markets have fintechs, BNPL and a domestic scheme; fewer have a regulator setting a clear direction at pace, and that is what turns a busy market into a regional benchmark. For vendors, it raises the bar too: in a market that moves this fast, issuers will favour partners who can cover the whole card portfolio, from mass-market plastic to premium metal and digital, without adding friction.