Unlocking Potential: GCC FinTech Trends, Regulations and Funding Outlook | White & Case LLP

The Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”) region, particularly the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (“KSA”), is experiencing a dynamic transformation in its financial sector driven by the rapid rise of financial technology (“FinTech”) companies. From Buy Now, Pay Later (“BNPL”) solutions to personal finance platforms and virtual asset offerings, FinTech companies are leading a new era of financial innovation, meeting the diverse needs of the market. The surge in demand for alternative financial solutions, coupled with an increasingly supportive regulatory environment, is fueling the demand for external financing and fundraising opportunities by FinTech companies.

In this alert, we highlight the key market trends driving the growth in the GCC FinTech sector and recent regulatory initiatives together with alternative funding opportunities for FinTech companies seeking to finance their expansion and meet consumer demand.

Market Trends: A Demand for Innovation

Across the GCC consumers appear to increasingly embrace alternatives for delivering traditional financial services. This perceived shift in consumer behavior is spurred by product offerings emerging from the growth of regional FinTech companies, including innovative BNPL solutions, provided by Tamara and Tabby. Personal finance platforms such as Sarwa, Yaala and stc pay are enabling users to manage their finances effectively. Moreover, there is growing interest in virtual assets and blockchain technology across the GCC, with regional exchanges like Rain and Bybit growing a significant market share. Established global exchanges such as Binance and eToro are also strategically expanding their presence in the region.

Open banking initiatives, spearheaded by the likes of Tarabut Gateway and Lean Technologies in the UAE, are providing a more connected alternative financial ecosystem, allowing FinTech companies to offer innovative services built around data sharing. Another growth sector is in digital payments and mobile banking. This growth is fueled by changing consumer preferences and widespread smartphone adoption. FinTech solutions facilitating small efforts, seamless and secure digital transactions, including peer-to-peer (“P2P“) payments and mobile wallets, offered by industry players like Telr in the UAE and Geidea in the KSA, are growing their customer base.

The above market trends across the GCC underscores the increasing significance in opening a broader customer base (often described as “financial inclusion”) and offering innovative products tailored to the evolving needs of the market. Additionally, the demographics of the GCC, with a significant population of digital natives, further provides a rich source of demand for innovative financial services.

Regulatory Landscape: Balancing Innovation and Stability

Recognizing the potential of FinTech, several GCC regulators are separately working to establish a supportive regulatory environment that fosters innovation while maintaining financial stability. Our view of key regulatory developments includes:

Targeted Laws and Regulations

Targeted regulations have been issued in recent years to address the evolving landscape of the FinTech sector. Notably, in the UAE, a new regulatory framework for the previously non-regulated BNPL industry was introduced in 2023, while several regulations have been issued by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM“), the Dubai International Financial Centre (“DIFC“) and the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority in recent years that govern virtual asset service providers. Similarly, in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Central Bank (“SAMA“) issued more detailed BNPL Guidelines in December 2023 that establish licensing requirements, minimum capital thresholds and consumer protection measures for BNPL companies operating in Saudi Arabia. Bahrain, a long-standing hub for financial innovation in the GCC, has also introduced a regulatory framework for Open Banking, fostering data-driven financial services. These targeted regulations underscore the commitment of GCC regulators to adapt to industry developments while ensuring regulatory compliance and consumer protection.

Sandbox Initiatives

Several regulatory authorities across the GCC have adopted progressive approaches by establishing regulatory sandboxes that allow FinTech companies to test and develop innovative solutions in a controlled environment. These initiatives include the DIFC FinTech Hive, the ADGM RegLab and the SAMA regulatory sandbox.

Enhanced Data Protection and AML

GCC regulators are actively implementing measures to promote innovation while ensuring consumer protection. For instance, the UAE’s Personal Data Protection Law (“PDPL“) and Saudi Arabia’s Data Protection Law provide a comprehensive framework for data protection and privacy rights. Additionally, several regulators, including the UAE Central Bank, SAMA and the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority mandate strict anti-money laundering (“AML“) measures for financial institutions. KYC compliance regulations have also been reinforced across the GCC in recent years. These efforts appear to demonstrate regulators’ commitment to fostering innovation while safeguarding consumer interests and financial integrity.

Financing the Future: Traditional and Innovative Funding Options for GCC FinTechs

As FinTech companies continue to alter and add to the financial services landscape in the GCC, there is a growing need for strategic financing and investment for their growth and expansion. The surge in demand for alternative financial products has led to new opportunities for FinTech companies in the Middle East, necessitating external funding to meet consumer demand and expand the relevant FinTech businesses.

Traditionally, FinTech companies seeking funding have turned to conventional methods such as angel investing and venture capital. However, despite the region’s prosperity, traditional funding opportunities for FinTech companies in the GCC remain underutilized.

This gap in traditional funding avenues has prompted the exploration of innovative approaches, such as limited recourse receivables-backed financing, commonly known as securitization. This method enables FinTech companies to leverage the cash-flows generated from their operating activities (e.g., transaction fees, consumer receivables and subscriptions) to secure funding for further growth. Such transactions require navigating legal complexities, including ensuring a “true sale” for legal and effective asset transfer to a special purpose vehicle (“SPV“) and achieving “bankruptcy remoteness” to protect investments by minimizing the SPV’s bankruptcy risk. White & Case LLP has been a leader in structuring and advising on such transactions in the UAE and KSA.

The introduction of clearer regulations in the GCC FinTech space has created attractive funding opportunities for investors, particularly in receivables-backed financing. Fintech companies already capitalize on such opportunities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, demonstrating the viability and potential of this alternative financing approach.

Commentary: A Thriving Ecosystem

The GCC’s FinTech landscape is flourishing, driven by a surge in demand for innovative financial solutions. With supportive regulations emerging alongside a growing pool of consumers, exciting opportunities await FinTech companies seeking to scale their businesses.

Alternative financing solutions such as receivables-backed financing offer compelling options to bridge the gap between traditional funding and the needs of a burgeoning industry. FinTech companies seeking to navigate the evolving funding landscape are encouraged to seek legal advice from experienced professionals.