Saudi Central Bank grants Tarabut Gateway open banking certification

Abdullah Almoayed, CEO and founder of the fintech company, said that consumers in Saudi Arabia can now expect a wide range of innovative and personalized financial services. (Supplied)
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Updated 30 May 2023
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Saudi Central Bank grants Tarabut Gateway open banking certification

CAIRO: As part of its efforts to become a global fintech hub, Saudi Arabia has granted open banking certification to Dubai-based Tarabut Gateway. 

Following the approval from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, the fintech company aims to intensify its operations in the Kingdom. 

Tarabut Gateway, the region’s leading regulated open banking platform, has become one of the early recipients of SAMA’s permit to carry out its operations in Saudi Arabia.

Talking to Arab News, Abdullah Almoayed, CEO and founder of the fintech company, said that consumers in Saudi Arabia can now expect a wide range of innovative and personalized financial services.  

“We are aware of the unique challenges faced by small and medium enterprises in Saudi Arabia, particularly regarding cash-flow management and access to funding. We will address this issue head-on by assisting SMEs to access the funding they need, via open banking-enabled financial services and products,” Almoayed said.  

He said: “The new era of financial services we stand for is user-centric and contributes to customers’ financial well-being.”  

Tarabut Gateway is crafting its strategies to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s financial transformation, aligning its objectives with the Vision 2030 blueprint, Almoayed added.  

“To become one of the first entities to receive this certification, we had to prove our capabilities and commitment to Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving financial landscape which aligns perfectly with key objectives of our strategic growth plan,” Almoayed stated.  

He further added that, since its inception, TG’s role has been to anticipate and proactively adapt to regulatory innovation.  

“We were always working closely with regulators to foster sector innovation. We want to streamline financial operations on an industrial scale and facilitate economic growth in the process,” he said.  

With its focus on energizing the fintech ecosystem, the fintech company is set to provide a dynamic platform that enables banks, SMEs, lenders, and large corporations to tap into data, facilitate payments and devise groundbreaking financial solutions.  

“Demand for innovative financial solutions in the Kingdom is strong and consumer-driven,” Almoayed said.  

“In building the pipelines for financial data to flow freely between players in the finance industry, we provide organizations with the tools to innovate and think of novel solutions. This will improve consumers’ overall financial experiences and is part of our mission to contribute to a financially savvy and inclusive society,” he added.  

The company recently secured $32 million in funding in an effort to catalyze its open banking operations within the Kingdom.  


Saudi Arabia, Japan trade rises 38% between 2016 and 2024, minister says

Updated 11 January 2026
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Saudi Arabia, Japan trade rises 38% between 2016 and 2024, minister says

RIYADH: Trade between Saudi Arabia and Japan has increased by 38 percent between 2016 and 2024 to reach SR138 billion ($36 billion), the Kingdom’s investment minister revealed.

Speaking at the Saudi-Japanese Ministerial Investment Forum 2026, Khalid Al-Falih explained that this makes the Asian country the Kingdom’s third-largest trading partner, according to Asharq Bloomberg.

This falls in line with the fact that Saudi Arabia has been a very important country for Japan from the viewpoint of its energy security, having been a stable supplier of crude oil for many years.

It also aligns well with how Japan is fully committed to supporting Vision 2030 by sharing its knowledge and advanced technologies.

“This trade is dominated by the Kingdom's exports of energy products, specifically oil, gas, and their derivatives. We certainly look forward to the Saudi private sector increasing trade with Japan, particularly in high-tech Japanese products,” Al-Falih said.

He added: “As for investment, Japanese investment in the Kingdom is good and strong, but we look forward to raising the level of Japanese investments in the Kingdom. Today, the Kingdom offers promising opportunities for Japanese companies in several fields, including the traditional sector that links the two economies: energy.”

The minister went on to note that additional sectors that both countries can also collaborate in include green and blue hydrogen, investments in advanced industries, health, food security, innovation, entrepreneurship, among others.

During his speech, Al-Falih shed light on how the Kingdom’s pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka achieved remarkable success, with the exhibition receiving more than 3 million visitors, reflecting the Japanese public’s interest in Saudi Arabia.

“The pavilion also organized approximately 700 new business events, several each day, including 88 major investment events led by the Ministry of Investment. Today, as we prepare for the upcoming Expo 2030, we look forward to building upon Japan’s achievements,” he said.

The minister added: “During our visit to Japan, we agreed to establish a partnership to transfer the remarkable Japanese experience from Expo Osaka 2025 to Expo Riyadh 2030. I am certain that the Japanese pavilion at Expo Riyadh will rival the Saudi pavilion at Expo Osaka in terms of organization, innovation, and visitor turnout.”

Al-Falih also shed light on how Saudi-Japanese relations celebrated their 70th anniversary last year, and today marks the 71st year of these relations as well as how they have flourished over the decades, moving from one strategic level to an even higher one.