Mahesh Paolini-Subramanya, CTO at BKN301, has described Google Pay being made available in Saudi Arabia last month as a ‘big deal’ for the MENA region, and outlines what he believes this will mean for the growth of its digital payments infrastructure going forward.
On 15 September 2025, the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) officially announced the launch of Google Pay through the national payments system.
This decision was formalised after an earlier agreement in January 2025) between SAMA and Google LLC to bring Google Pay to the Kingdom during 2025.
The launch was officially announced at the fintech event Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh.
CNME got the perspective of Mahesh Paolini-Subramanya from BKN301.
He said that the decision which came hot on the heels of Revolut expanding their services across the UAE, shows that the tide is changing across the Middle East region when it comes to the fintech ecosystem across the region.
“The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) launching Google Pay via the national payment system is a big deal for the MENA region. And the fact that it landed days after Revolut announced its roll out across the UAE, shows that this is the digital payments ecosystem getting serious. Here’s the thing: many traditional banks and neobanks across MENA, are still tied to legacy systems, but now is the time to wake up and take action! The digital payments revolution is well underway, and if they don’t innovate now, customer will act with their feet, and head to banks where they can get digital first services,” said Paolini-Subramanya.
He believes that the announcements in both the UAE and KSA represent an opportunity to final transform the banking industry, and abandon the legacy systems that has dogged it for far too long.
“This is fintechs’ moment to shine and close the gap – yes, even when legacy systems are involved. Cloud-native platforms with API-first infrastructure, are one-way fintechs can lead in integrating everything from core banking and payment processing to digital wallets, card issuance, and cross-border payments, all without overhauling existing systems. Modular, plug and play, fast to market. Less operational risk. And finally, freedom from the rigid legacy chains that have kept real transformation at bay. Speed is now king. Markets are moving fast, competition is getting hotter, and if you can’t access new technologies in a flash, you’re already behind,” said Paolini-Subramanya.
