The Hong Kong Monetary Authority reported that the Hong Kong Academy of Finance (AoF) Financial Leaders Programme (FLP) concluded a field trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 20 to 23 October, with 35 participants spanning the 2025 cohort and 12 alumni. The visit was positioned as a platform to deepen understanding of Saudi Arabia’s financial market ecosystem and strategic priorities, support knowledge exchange with Saudi market practitioners and regulators, and identify opportunities for deeper Hong Kong–Saudi financial and business collaboration. Engagements included meetings with the Saudi Central Bank, the Public Investment Fund, the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Tadawul Group, Fintech Saudi, and the Middle East and North Africa Fintech Association. Discussions covered Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation, fintech innovation, digitalisation, green and sustainable finance, and financial infrastructure development, alongside exchanges on recent developments in Hong Kong as an international financial centre, particularly in fintech; the delegation also met Chinese corporates operating in the Kingdom. The AoF noted that applications for the FLP 2026 intake will open in November 2025.