Why Everyone Is Betting Big on Saudi Arabia’s Fintech Surge
The Issuer Academy: Innovate. Scale. Impact · 2025-10-21 · 32 min
Episode notes
In this episode of The Issuer Academy podcast, host Merusha Naidu is joined by Birce Arslan, the VP of Fintech and Business Development for EEMEA at Mastercard, and Jeff Parker, CEO of Paymentology. Together, they explore Saudi Arabia’s emerging fintech ecosystem, the key factors driving its explosive growth, and how Vision 2030 is creating unprecedented opportunities for payment solutions. What You’ll Learn: How Saudi Arabia's regulatory framework creates a structured environment for fintech innovation Why building long-term partnerships and stakeholder relationships is crucial for success in the Saudi market The critical role of MADA in shaping fintech strategy and product development How to leverage dual-badge card capabilities to serve both domestic and international payment needs Why on-soil infrastructure and data residency requirements are reshaping technology deployment strategies How Vision 2030's clear objectives are accelerating digital payment adoption Birce Arslan is the VP of Fintech and Business Development for EEMEA at Mastercard, specializing in fintech partnerships and digital payment innovation.