Global Banking Monitor

Monday, September 25, 2023

ADIB: Best New Digital Feature 2023

We'd like to congratulate the digital banking...

Riding the Digital Wave: Fintech Trends Reshaping Kazakhstan’s Finance Landscape

Explore the fintech trends reshaping Kazakhstan's financial landscape, from the rise of digital payments and open banking to the growth of super-app ecosystems and the democratisation of capital markets.
HomeNewsSeamless Saudi Arabia 2023:...

Seamless Saudi Arabia 2023: Highlights and Key Insights

Saudi Arabia is in the midst of a digital transformation, positioning itself as a prominent global investment hub. Seamless was Saudi Arabia’s event dedicated to e-commerce, retail, fintech, digital marketing, logistics and payments. It was hosted at the Riyadh Front Exhibition Centre from 4 to 5 September 2023. The event managed to attract over 20,000 delegates.

This initiative was led by Ayman Mohammed Al-Sayari, who is the governor of the Saudi Central Bank.

Seamless Saudi Arabia a stepping stone in Saudi Vision 2030

The Seamless Saudi Arabia 2023 falls under the Saudi Vision 2030 which is a strategic framework to reduce Saudi’s dependency on oil. The main incentive behind it is to diversify the nations economy and create job opportunities. With Seamless attracting global attention, many of the key points of the vision 2030 will be achieved. In particular this includes promoting non-oil international trade and friendly ties with other countries.

Seamless Saudi Arabia

One of the most important for the event was GFK.

Consumer Insights Revealed at Seamless Saudi Arabia 2023

GFK, a renowned global leader in the market and consumer intelligence discussed insights into the preferences, concerns, and behaviors of Saudi Arabian consumers at the Seamless Saudi Arabia 2023 event.

The study conducted by GFK also emphasised on the transformations happening under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative.

Sustainability and Consumer Behavior

Prachi Satoskar, Commercial Director at GFK, emphasised the need for brands and leaders to recognize that sustainability doesn’t always translate to premium pricing. With the right partner, strategic planning under market and ecological pressures can be achieved. Satoskar also stressed the importance of using data science, business intelligence expertise, and AI-backed technology to meet sustainability targets.

The GFK report also highlighted the evolving role of women consumers in Saudi Arabia. It suggested that while maintaining traditional values appeared important to women, these consumers aspire to actively participate in society. They also stressed the importance of inclusivity in brand campaigns and strategies. Brands were encouraged to integrate women’s stories into their campaigns to resonate with this audience effectively.

Green Motivations and Consumer Decisions

GFK further discussed the sustainability aspect of business. It was suggested that combining green measures with economic considerations would drive consumer adoption of businesses.

Conclusion

In summary, Saudi Arabia’s efforts to bring about a digital transformation and its emergence as a global investment hub are reflected well in the Seamless Saudi Arabia 2023. With thousands of attendees, including influential speakers, the event showcased the nation’s commitment to fostering innovation. 

Latest Featured Post

Riding the Digital Wave: Fintech Trends Reshaping Kazakhstan’s Finance Landscape

Explore the fintech trends reshaping Kazakhstan's financial landscape, from the rise of digital payments and open banking to the growth of super-app ecosystems and the democratisation of capital markets.

Latest Award

ADIB: Best New Digital Feature 2023

We'd like to congratulate the digital banking team at ADIB (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank) for enhancing their international payments capability in both their mobile...

Recently published

More from Author

Riding the Digital Wave: Fintech Trends Reshaping Kazakhstan’s Finance Landscape

Explore the fintech trends reshaping Kazakhstan's financial landscape, from the rise of digital payments and open banking to the growth of super-app ecosystems and the democratisation of capital markets.

Scalapay’s $10,000 Scholarship Boosts Abbl’s Startup Journey

How Scalapay, the Australian FinTech unicorn, is nurturing startups with its $10,000 Scale Up Scholarship program

FinTech Boom in MENA: Top FinTech Investments of August 2023

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are witnessing a...

Strengthening Fintech Ties: Israel and Bahrain Regulators Sign Cooperation

Context of the partnership In a noteworthy development focused on fostering innovation...

ADIB: Best New Digital Feature 2023

We'd like to congratulate the digital banking team at ADIB (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank) for enhancing their international payments capability in both their mobile app and internet banking services. Their LinkedIn announcement a little while ago caught our attention: It highlighted that the team have added a new...

Recognizing the Technological Success of Sohar International Bank’s Merger with HSBC Oman

It gives us immense delight to announce that Sohar International has earned our Technology Excellence Award for its successful merger with HSBC Oman completed earlier this month.  The commitment, efficiency, and teamwork exhibited by every member involved in this merger is worthy of immense admiration and we are...

Riding the Digital Wave: Fintech Trends Reshaping Kazakhstan’s Finance Landscape

Explore the fintech trends reshaping Kazakhstan's financial landscape, from the rise of digital payments and open banking to the growth of super-app ecosystems and the democratisation of capital markets.

Scalapay’s $10,000 Scholarship Boosts Abbl’s Startup Journey

How Scalapay, the Australian FinTech unicorn, is nurturing startups with its $10,000 Scale Up Scholarship program

FinTech Boom in MENA: Top FinTech Investments of August 2023

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are witnessing a surge in FinTech activity. Many believe this is fueled by the emergence of new startups and an expanding population of individuals new to banking. August 2023 has proven to be a particularly fruitful month, with significant investments...

Strengthening Fintech Ties: Israel and Bahrain Regulators Sign Cooperation

Context of the partnership In a noteworthy development focused on fostering innovation and offering essential regulatory support to the burgeoning fintech sector, the Israel Securities Authority and the Central Bank of Bahrain have formalized a partnership through a recently signed agreement as reported by Times of Israel. Bahrain's Foreign...

UK House-Building Declines Again Amidst Impact of Rate Hikes: PMI

Britain’s construction sector returned to growth in July but house-builders suffered another sharp contraction due to higher interest rates and fears about the outlook for the economy, a survey showed on Friday. The S&P Global/CIPS construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) recovered to 51.7, its highest level since February...

Boosting the Private Economy: China’s Strategies and Initiatives

High-rises dominate the skyline on both sides of the Huangpu River in Shanghai. China unveiled 28 detailed measures to boost the private economy on Tuesday, including promoting fair market access, offering stronger financial support, boosting legal guarantees, optimizing services and creating a sound atmosphere for private companies. Read More...

Indonesia’s Q2 GDP Growth Likely to Moderate as Exports Weaken, Reuters Poll Shows

Indonesia’s economy likely grew 4.93% from a year earlier in the April-June quarter, the slowest since the third quarter of 2021, due to weakening global demand for its exports, according to the median forecast of 22 economists polled by Reuters. On quarter-on-quarter basis, the economy was expected to...

World Gold Council Explores the Determinants of Gold’s Price Movement

During periods of turmoil, gold tends to make headlines as fans of the precious metal argue it can act as a safe haven. But is it also an inflation hedge? Is it considered a risk asset? Joe Cavatoni, market strategist and head of Americas at the World Gold...

US Inflation Data to Offer Relief for the Fed

A closely watched measure of US inflation will probably illustrate more of the moderate price growth that the Federal Reserve wants to see sustained. The consumer price index is projected to rise 0.2% in July for a second month after excluding food and energy costs, marking the smallest...

China Misses Out on Global Funds as Investors Chase Returns in Japan Stocks

Japan is leaving China behind as Asia’s two largest stock markets compete for investor capital, with the latter’s prospects clouded by long-running concerns about economic growth and geopolitical tensions with the West. Foreign buying of Japanese equities has exceeded that of Chinese peers for the first time since...