Saudi Arabia Strengthens Position as Regional Fintech Hub with 68 Experimental Permits and 50 Fintech Companies in the CMA Fintech Lab

The Capital Market Authority (CMA) of Saudi Arabia has continued to strengthen the regulatory foundations for fintech growth, announcing that a total of 68 fintech experimental permits have been granted by the end of Q2 2025, with 50 fintech companies currently registered under the CMA’s Fintech Lab, 36 of which are actively operational.

This progress reflects the Kingdom’s evolution to a fintech environment that is ready and attractive for innovation, investment, and growth, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the CMA Strategy 2024–2026.

The CMA’s Fintech Lab was launched as a controlled environment for testing innovative financial products and services. The Lab enables both domestic and international fintech firms to pilot solutions under clear regulatory supervision, with a particular focus on securities crowdfunding, robo-advisory, digital trading platforms, and emerging technologies such as social trading and AI-driven advisory services.

Out of the 68 fintech companies admitted into the Lab, 36 have commenced operations, 14 are completing requirements to launch, five have graduated from the Lab, and others have concluded their permit period

Abdullah Binghannam, Deputy for Finance and Investment, CMA, commented: "The environment we are creating supports a safe path from experimentation to market entry, empowering entrepreneurs with access to regulatory guidance, technical support, and a clear framework for responsible innovation. As we highlighted at Money20/20 Middle East, this clarity is essential for scaling fintech safely and attracting global innovators to the Saudi market."

The fintech ecosystem overseen by the CMA has significantly contributed to diversifying financial products and establishing new channels for economic financing. This includes platforms for distributing investment and real estate funds, systems for issuing and investing in debt instruments, automated advisory services such as robo-advisors, social trading models, and crowdfunding platforms. Efforts have also encouraged the establishment of venture capital funds within the fintech sector, ensuring compliance with the CMA's regulatory standards.

CMA’s evolving fintech framework aims to attract regional and global innovators to the Saudi market. Through sandbox mechanisms, fintech companies receive a structured, time-bound space to validate their business models while gaining feedback and supervision. With a mature ecosystem, Saudi Arabia is not only open to fintech innovation but is also building the infrastructure to lead it.