Money20/20 Middle East launches RiseUp for women in fintech

Money20/20 Middle East will bring its RiseUp program to Riyadh for the first time during the Sept. 14-16, 2026 conference at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre. The regional debut is meant to boost access, visibility and career opportunities for senior women leaders in finance and fintech across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.

Why it matters: - RiseUp’s Middle East debut puts a global women-in-fintech program into one of the region’s fastest-growing innovation markets. - Money20/20 is using the launch to spotlight women leaders and expand career pathways in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf. - The program is tied to broader shifts in digital finance, including AI, payments and financial inclusion.

What happened: - Money20/20 Middle East will launch RiseUp in Riyadh for the first time during the Sept. 14-16, 2026 event at the Riyadh Exhibition & Convention Centre in Malham. - The launch brings Money20/20’s global program for women in fintech and financial services to the Middle East. - The inaugural regional cohort will include 30 senior women leaders invited to join the program. - Participants come from organizations including Verto, Network Global, Visa, Sharaka Capital, Safqah, Samsung Electronics and TikTok.

The details: - RiseUp launched in 2018 and has supported more than 600 women globally. - Program results cited by Money20/20 include 85% of participants feeling more prepared for promotion, more than 70% moving into more senior roles, 95% saying the community helped them progress and 99% recommending the program to peers. - RiseUp alumni include women from Visa, Deutsche Bank, Adyen, Revolut, Uber, JPMorgan Chase, EY, Accenture, Booking.com and Standard Bank. - Money20/20 said the Middle East edition will feature a curated agenda in Riyadh focused on access, confidence, capability building and leadership. - The program’s themes align with Money20/20 Middle East 2026 topics including digital financial inclusion, AI-driven transformation, cross-border collaboration and the future of payments. - Planned sessions include “Women Who Are Driving AI Innovation in the Middle East,” “The Compass Within: Women Driven Leadership for the Middle East,” and “Empowered by Design: Women Leading the Fintech Revolution.” - Mary Ann Francis will moderate “The Compass Within: Women Driven Leadership for the Middle East.” - Joy Adams, COO, Digital Assets at Deutsche Bank and a RiseUp alumna, will moderate “Empowered by Design: Women Leading the Fintech Revolution.” - Haifa Al Obaid, Senior Expert in the Credit Relationship Department at the Saudi Industrial Development Fund, will speak on “The Compass Within: Women-Driven Leadership for the Middle East.” - Al Obaid said Saudi women are seeing stronger government support, but workplace consistency remains a challenge if leadership does not prioritize empowerment.

Between the lines: - The launch signals that Riyadh is becoming a convening point for global fintech collaboration. - Money20/20 is positioning the program as more than networking, with a focus on long-term access and relationships that can extend beyond the conference. - The regional rollout also suggests Money20/20 wants to build a pipeline of women leaders across the GCC, not just one event-based cohort.

What’s next: - Money20/20 said it aims to scale RiseUp across the GCC. - The company also plans to deepen partnerships with regional organizations and expand the pipeline of women leaders in fintech. - The inaugural cohort will meet in Riyadh across two days during the conference. - Money20/20 said the launch is the first step in a long-term regional strategy.

The bottom line: - RiseUp’s arrival in the Middle East gives Saudi Arabia a new platform for advancing women in financial services while tying the region more closely to Money20/20’s global fintech network.