Sandbox-as-a-service platform NayaOne has entered the Saudi Arabian market for the first time by launching the Kingdom’s first fully Saudi-hosted platform in partnership with AstroLabs, a local business expansion platform.
Supported by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT), this NayOne launch enables Saudi banks, insurers, and fintechs to design, test, and launch products in weeks, directly contributing to Vision 2030’s goal of creating a digitally advanced, inclusive financial ecosystem.
This launch also plans to provide Saudi institutions access to the local tech ecosystem as well as the wider NayaOne ecosystem globally, rich synthetic data assets, and modular test environments that cut proof-of-concept cycles from months to days, without compromising on security or compliance.
“Hosting our platform inside the Kingdom removes data-sovereignty friction and lets institutions move from idea to execution in weeks,” explained NayaOne CEO Karan Jain.
Several Saudi banks and fintechs are already live on NayaOne’s sandbox environment, testing solutions in areas like embedded finance, cybersecurity, SME lending journeys, cross-border remittance, and AI adoption.
Additional institutions are expected to join in the coming months, further strengthening the vendor delivery infrastructure’s (VDI) role as the foundational layer for secure, repeatable vendor delivery across the financial ecosystem.
“We are grateful to have flagship clients, partners like AstroLabs, support from the KSA ecosystem, and encouragement from the UK Government to grow our impact globally,” added Jain. “At NayaOne, we look forward to helping other UK businesses who are interested in operating in KSA.”
Most recently, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also selected NayaOne to provide infrastructure for a supercharged sandbox, in collaboration with Nvidia, to help financial institutions in the UK to safely experiment with AI to accelerate innovation.
UK-Saudi collaboration
This expansion marks a key moment in UK-Saudi fintech collaboration, bridging British innovation with Saudi market momentum. Headquartered in the UK, NayaOne says its entry into the Kingdom underscores its leadership role in shaping the future of localised fintech innovation within this high-growth market.
UK Minister for Investment Baroness Gustafsson CBE, also commented on the launch: “The UK is home to some of the best tech businesses in the world, so I’m delighted that NayaOne will help boost financial innovation in KSA, reflecting the strength of UK-Saudi collaboration in digital and financial innovation. Our upcoming modern Industrial Strategy will be international from the start, working and deepening our partnerships with countries like Saudi Arabia to support our economic growth.”
Saudi Arabia’s fintech market has witnessed sustained growth over recent years thanks to a strategic blend of government initiatives, regulatory support, and growing appetite for financial services. As a result, fintech is expected to reach a market value of $87billion in 2029, up from $64billion in 2024.
With Saudi Arabia aiming to establish 525 fintechs by 2030, NayaOne’s early entry puts it at the core of this growth. As one of the first fully Saudi-hosted VDI platforms, it’s also positioned to equip the next wave of fintechs with the tools to build, test, and launch faster.
“NayaOne’s expansion will accelerate the development of a new subset of products that meet the demands of a fast-moving market and support financial inclusion,” Alex Nicholls, director of expansion at AstroLabs, also commented. “With its newly launched hub in Riyadh, NayaOne is uniquely positioned to deliver a greater impact by fostering closer partnerships with leading FIs and fintech innovators in Saudi Arabia, making it a powerful catalyst for innovation within the local financial services and banking sector.”
