SIDELINES
FORBES MIDDLE EAST
6
Money Movers Hands up, who always carries cash anymore? And when was the last time you went to an ATM? I can tell you my answers: not me, and I have no idea. I’m not a massive fan of online shopping, but I have a home screen full of apps that I regularly purchase items, services, and food through without ever needing to get my debit card out of my wallet. I even make investments via an app, which I top up from my bank account without needing to liaise with my bank. I haven’t succumbed to Apply Pay yet, but it’s only a matter of time. This makes spending money and generally paying for stuff quick, easy, and almost dangerously convenient—most people I know were receiving daily deliveries during lockdown that they barely remembered ordering. This is the day-to-day experience for us today as consumers, thanks to a network of largely-invisible Fintech companies working behind the scenes to move our money around with minimal input from us. Investments in building this level of convenience have boomed in recent years as we take to tech faster than ever before. As reported in Forbes’ Fintech 50 list this year, venture capitalists (VCs) poured $133 billion into Fintech startups globally in 2021, nearly three times more than the $49 billion they invested in 2020, according to CB Insights. VC investments in Fintech companies in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa hit $30 billion in 2021, according to a report by KPMG —again, nearly three times more than $9.9 billion in 2020. This growth may level out following the pandemic push to digital over the last two years, but there’s no sign of us returning to cash payments anytime soon. Digital payments are here to stay, and they are evolving more every year. It’s not just fueling a startup ecosystem; banks, exchange houses, and governments are also recognizing the need to progress and are investing vast amounts into developing their own Fintech capabilities. And it’s not hurting their own finances. The top 30 listed banks in the region saw their combined assets grow to hit $2.5 trillion by the end of 2021, compared to $2.3 trillion in 2020. Our lists this month highlight both the entrepreneurial enterprises embracing financial technology in the Middle East and the big banks reporting record results and investing in innovation for the future. You might be surprised to see how far they’re involved in making your day-to-day lives easier. I hope you enjoy finding out more. —Claudine Coletti, Managing Editor
F O R B E S M I D D L E E A S T.C O M
AUGUST 2022
