Riyadh to Host the 24 Fintech Conference in September

The conference will take place from September 3 to 5 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center
The conference will take place from September 3 to 5 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center
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Riyadh to Host the 24 Fintech Conference in September

The conference will take place from September 3 to 5 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center
The conference will take place from September 3 to 5 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center

Riyadh will host next month the 24 Fintech Conference, the first edition of the international conference specialized in the financial technology sector.

The conference will take place from September 3 to 5 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center, hosted by the Financial Sector Development Program, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), the Capital Market Authority, and the Insurance Authority.

The conference is organized by Fintech Saudi and Tahaluf, a joint project between the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, Informa PLC, and the Events Investment Fund.

The 24 Fintech Conference is set to focus on supporting the thriving financial technology community and review a number of specialized topics to develop the global banking and financial services sector, which includes AI, machine learning in financial operations, integrated finance, the development of open banking services, and green finance, to inspire regulators, policymakers, investors, technology experts, entrepreneurs and academics to advance cooperation in the financial technology sector.

The 24 Fintech Conference aims to make a mark in the financial technology sector. It designates a space to support startups and investors under the "FinTech Innovation Center," which includes the best 80 modern and innovative startups and more than 200 investors.

The conference integrates with Saudi Arabia's orientations to enhance the prosperity of the entrepreneurship system and support startups and its efforts to become one of the booming financial technology centers in the Middle East and North Africa region, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in developing the sector.



Egypt’s Sovereign Wealth Fund CEO Resigns

A farmer carries a box of mangoes in Ismailia, Egypt (Reuters)
A farmer carries a box of mangoes in Ismailia, Egypt (Reuters)
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Egypt’s Sovereign Wealth Fund CEO Resigns

A farmer carries a box of mangoes in Ismailia, Egypt (Reuters)
A farmer carries a box of mangoes in Ismailia, Egypt (Reuters)

The head of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE), Ayman Soliman, has resigned, informed Egyptian sources revealed on Thursday.
They said Soliman resigned last June, around the time of the July ministerial shuffle, with his final working day set for the end of August.
A bill was already sent to the Egyptian House of Representatives to discuss transferring the Fund’s affiliation to the Prime Minister's Office.
In February 2019, Egypt formed the sovereign wealth fund to take control of some of the government's most promising assets in industries such as power and real estate, to bring in private investors to develop them.
Soliman was appointed as head of the fund in 2019 for an initial three-year term that was subsequently extended.
His resignation had been anticipated, with one government source saying the country's political leadership wanted to introduce fresh faces into key positions as part of a broader reshuffle, according to Reuters.
As of July, the Fund oversees approximately $12 billion in assets. It has attained the 48th position in the top 100 largest sovereign funds by total assets.
TSFE currently runs and operates five sub-funds: Infrastructure and Utilities Sub-Fund, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals Sub-Fund, Tourism, Real Estate and Antiquities Sub-Fund, Financial Services and Fintech Sub-Fund, and Asset Management and Restructuring Sub-Fund.

Separately, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced on Thursday that Egypt’s unemployment rate fell to 6.5% in the second quarter (Q2) of 2024, nearly a 0.2% decrease compared to Q1.
In May, government data showed that during Q1 of 2024, the labor force was estimated to consist of 31.397 million individuals, reflecting a 1.0% increase from the previous quarter's 31.101 million individuals. Of this total, 13.758 million individuals were part of the urban labor force, while 17.639 million individuals were part of the rural labor force.