Riyadh

The activities of the “Seamless Saudi Arabia” conference and exhibition were launched in the city of Riyadh at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the slogan “The Future of Digital Commerce”, under the auspices of the League of Arab States and with the support of the National Payments Network (Mada), the Saudi Central Bank, the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, and organized by Terrapinn International Company for Organizing Exhibitions and Conferences.

The opening was attended by His Excellency Abdulaziz Abanmi, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank for Payments, who said in his opening speech that the payments sector in the Kingdom has witnessed several turning points, recording unprecedented performance in various digital payment products, and that digital payment systems, specifically national payment systems, witnessed a 16% increase in the number of transactions by the end of the third quarter of this year, and the value of transactions achieved the same increase in the same period, which reflects the extent of wide acceptance of digital payments.

The Central Bank’s Undersecretary for Payments praised the “Seamless” exhibition, saying that it is a scientific and global platform that aims to exchange expertise and present experiences and ideas for technologies related to digital payments and financial technology. It is also an opportunity to exchange the best global practices and experiences in this field, the importance of which is increasing day by day.

The Arab Federation for Digital Economy participated in the conference with a high-level delegation headed by His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al Darmaki, Deputy Secretary-General of the Federation, who delivered a keynote speech in which he indicated that digital transformation is no longer just a tool to help, but has now become the driving force for achieving economic competitiveness. He noted that the global digital economy will reach more than $24 trillion by 2025, and that these figures reflect the great opportunities that Arab countries can seize if they are properly invested in digital transformation.

Dr. Al Darmaki also referred in his speech to the initiatives launched by the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, including the “Arab Vision for Digital Economy” initiative, approved by the Council of Arab Leaders in 2022, which represents a roadmap for digital transformation in Arab countries, in addition to the Arab Digital Economy Index to measure the progress of Arab countries in the field of digital economy, and help governments assess their level of digital readiness and identify gaps that need improvement. He also reviewed other initiatives of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, such as the “Arab Digital University” and the “One Million Arab Entrepreneurs” initiative, which focus on empowering youth and developing their digital skills, as well as the “E-Commerce Platform” initiative, which is operating in its first phase within the scope of food security and seeks to support Arab economic integration.

The conference includes several sessions, including a keynote panel discussion on Digitizing Payments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Evolution and Future Prospects, a keynote panel discussion on Pushing the Boundaries of Possibility: Reshaping How Marketers Communicate with Today’s Audiences and Setting New Standards for Marketing Success, and a panel discussion on The Kingdom of Digital Commerce and Retail: Enabling Dynamic and Innovative Online Experiences in the Region Through Transformative Leadership and Disruptive Technologies.

Over the course of three days, Seamless is expected to attract more than 25,000 visitors, over 350 speakers, and over 600 exhibitors. The event is aimed at merchants, institutions, and small and medium-sized companies in the field of digital commerce.