Saudi Arabia boosts fintech drive with UAE and Bahrain talks

Saudi Arabia boosts fintech drive with UAE and Bahrain talks:

Saudi Arabia is discussing a coordinated approach to the regulation and nurturing of fintech startups with the UAE and Bahrain.

Such discussions form part of the Kingdom’s attempts to boost its nascent fintech ecosystem and to encourage the increased adoption of technology by incumbent lenders.

Discussions with central banks in the UAE and Bahrain would help to coordinate the fintech activities of financial centers around the Gulf region, all of whom are seeking to attract international and domestic entrepreneurs, said Mishari Al-Assailan, the acting head of Fintech Saudi, the division of the Saudi central bank charged with growing the sector in the Kingdom.

Rouhani says U.S. isolated on Iran sanctions, even among allies

Rouhani says U.S. isolated on Iran sanctions, even among allies:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday the United States was more isolated than ever over sanctions against Iran, even among its allies, in remarks carried live on state television.

“Today, we are in conditions in which the United States is more isolated than ever over the sanctions issue. America’s illegal actions ... have even isolated it among its own allies as we just saw,” Rouhani said, referring to protests held in Britain against the visit of President Donald Trump.