# Disrupting Traditional Payments: Abdulaziz Al Jouf on the Future of Fintech in the Middle East Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fintech-files-insights-on-tech-by-bcg-platinion-6678850/disrupting-traditional-payments-abdulaziz-al-jouf-on-the-future-of-fintech-in-the-middle-east Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fintech-files-insights-on-tech-by-bcg-platinion-6678850/disrupting-traditional-payments-abdulaziz-al-jouf-on-the-future-of-fintech-in-the-middle-east.md Podcast: [Fintech Files: Insights on TECH by BCG Platinion](https://stenobird.com/podcast/fintech-files-insights-on-tech-by-bcg-platinion-6678850) Published: 2025-12-02T17:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://bcgplatinion.com Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/c4e3e05a-a854-4855-9563-92a9d4d4cb5c.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/fintech-files-insights-on-tech-by-bcg-platinion-6678850/episodes/disrupting-traditional-payments-abdulaziz-al-jouf-on-the-future-of-fintech-in-the-middle-east Duration seconds: 1175 ## Resource What does it take to create payment infrastructure from the ground up in one of the world’s fastest-growing fintech regions? Recorded at Money 20/20 in Riyadh, PayTabs CEO and Founder, Abdulaziz Al Jouf, reflects on how the company helped establish one of the Middle East’s earliest fintechs. We explore the challenges of launching in a cash-reliant market, the role of cultural understanding in earning trust, and how partnerships with banks and regulators created the foundation for secure growth. From embedded finance to cross-border expansion, this conversation looks at how PayTabs is shaping the next chapter of digital payments in the Middle East.  Discussion Highlights: Building in a Cash-First Region: How PayTabs addressed the behavioral, infrastructural, and trust challenges of early digital payments in the Middle East.  Cultural Insight as Strategy: How understanding merchants, consumers, and local dynamics became a competitive advantage.  Partnerships and Regulation: The role of banks, regulators, and ecosystem players in enabling secure, sustainable fintech growth.  Cross-Market Expansion: Lessons from scaling across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India, and Morocco — and what it takes to serve diverse markets.  The Future of Middle East Payments: Emerging trends including embedded finance, cross-border commerce, and new digital payment experiences.  Advice for Entrepreneurs: Abdulaziz shares grounded guidance on market entry, resilience, and developing trust.  About Fintech Files: Join us on Fintech Files from BCG Platinion as we explore the cutting-edge trends disrupting Fintech today.  From NeoBanks to cryptocurrency, we delve into the dynamic landscape of financial technology through insightful conversations with global disrupt… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/fintech-files-insights-on-tech-by-bcg-platinion-6678850/episodes/disrupting-traditional-payments-abdulaziz-al-jouf-on-the-future-of-fintech-in-the-middle-east/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/fintech-files-insights-on-tech-by-bcg-platinion-6678850/disrupting-traditional-payments-abdulaziz-al-jouf-on-the-future-of-fintech-in-the-middle-east.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.