The Financial Bridge | $150M Private Credit Push & Saudi's $56B Digital Lending Future

📌 Hassana x Franklin Templeton

Hassana, managing over $320 billion in assets, has signed a $150 million MoU with Franklin Templeton to bolster Saudi Arabia’s private credit market. This partnership aims to provide alternative financing solutions to high-growth companies that are underserved by traditional lenders.

→ Takeaway: This initiative could unlock significant funding opportunities for SMEs, diversifying the financial landscape and reducing reliance on conventional banking channels.

📌 Amex KSA x Tarabut

Launched an open banking-powered credit solution for underserved customers. New data-driven models could redefine credit accessibility for millions in Saudi.

→ Takeaway: By leveraging Open Banking, this collaboration simplifies credit access, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals to foster financial inclusion through technological innovation.

📌 Saudi Awwal Bank x SBG

Extended SAR 2B credit facility to fund King Fahd Sports City. A major sign of lender confidence in Saudi’s mega-project momentum.

→ Takeaway: This substantial investment reflects growing confidence in large-scale infrastructure projects, signaling robust opportunities for lenders in the Kingdom’s development initiatives.

📌 Lending Surge

Private bank lending in KSA jumped 15.2% YoY as of April 2025. With credit appetite growing, lenders are stepping up their game.

→ Takeaway: The significant uptick in lending indicates a vibrant credit market, presenting fertile ground for fintech partnerships and innovative lending solutions.

📌 DiveHood | Dammam

Banks said “no collateral, no credit.” The dive-booking platform founded by Haitham Khayat flipped the script by tapping the Tourism Development Fund’s Kafalah guarantee in late 2024. The 80% guarantee unlocked a SAR 3 m working capital loan from a partner bank in just four weeks. Cash in hand, the startup hired 12 staff, onboarded 60+ dive centres and launched a slick mobile app; by Q2 2025 monthly bookings are up 3× and the company is eyeing Red Sea giga-resorts next.

Read the back-story › | Kafalah programme ›

📌 Saudi Digital Lending Outlook 2025–30:

A recent report forecasts the Saudi digital lending market to grow from USD 42.45 billion in 2024 to USD 56.23 billion by 2030, driven by fintech adoption, smartphone proliferation, and government digitalization efforts.

→ Takeaway: The expanding digital lending landscape offers vast opportunities for fintech companies to serve underserved populations, leveraging AI and mobile technology to enhance credit accessibility.

📌 PayTabs launches Saudi AI payments platform:

PayTabs has unveiled an AI-powered payment orchestration platform, developed in Saudi Arabia, capable of processing over SAR 325 billion in transactions. The platform offers real-time data tools, fraud reduction, and plug-and-play APIs for financial institutions.

→ Takeaway: This innovation enhances payment efficiency and security, providing businesses with scalable solutions to streamline financial operations and support growth.

📌 SAMA's new AI credit-risk rules:

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has issued new regulations to strengthen credit risk management frameworks, emphasizing the integration of AI in underwriting processes.

→ Takeaway: Financial institutions must adapt to these regulations by enhancing their AI-driven credit assessment models, ensuring compliance while leveraging technology to improve risk evaluation.

Wathq Integration

Auto-fetch CR data (ownership, capital, management) using just a Business Unified Number. Instant borrower profile creation.

Loan origination

Request missing docs via a secure, lender-branded page.

Open Banking

Pull transaction-level data from SME accounts (with consent) for deeper financial insights.

Reporting Dashboard

Track loan performance, borrower health, and portfolio growth — all in one place.

“Abwab.ai has become a core part of our growth engine. We've massively accelerated KYC and due diligence, which lets us focus more on the client; not just the paperwork. It's given us the confidence to scale smarter. Pure fintech innovation.”

— Rayan F. Alzamil, Co-Founder & CEO @ SalesFine