Finance Middle East is compiling a definitive list of top fintech founders across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), recognising individuals who are actively shaping the region’s financial technology landscape. The initiative will highlight founders whose ventures are delivering measurable impact in areas such as payments, lending, digital banking, regtech, wealthtech, blockchain infrastructure, and financial inclusion.
The list will focus on founders who are not only building scalable fintech companies but are also contributing to broader market development through local innovation, regulatory engagement, and cross-border expansion. Priority will be given to companies operating in high-impact verticals and those that have achieved market traction, product maturity, or strategic partnerships within and beyond the GCC.
Founders will be assessed based on factors including business performance, capital raised, user base growth, regulatory licensing, ecosystem participation, and contribution to talent development in fintech. The editorial team will also examine how these founders are responding to evolving challenges around digital identity, financial literacy, cybersecurity, and embedded finance.
The GCC is home to a fast-evolving fintech ecosystem, driven by proactive regulators, high mobile penetration, and strong sovereign investment support. The UAE and Saudi Arabia lead the region in terms of deal volume, but emerging hubs such as Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait are also producing startups with global aspirations. As regulators roll out open banking frameworks and central banks develop real-time payment infrastructure, the need for innovative and compliant financial technology solutions is on the rise.
This list aims to spotlight the founders building those solutions—and to provide investors, partners, and policy stakeholders with a benchmark for fintech entrepreneurship in the region.
Submissions are now open. Founders and companies can nominate themselves or others. The final list will be published in Q3 2025 across digital and print platforms.
For more information or to request nomination guidelines, contact the editorial team at nivetha.dayanand@itp.com. For commercial opportunities, reach out to ines.benrejeb@itp.com.
