Osama Ben Saleh

Redefining the International Fintech Landscape

‘Timing is everything’ is a term used often by business analysts and professionals, especially in the ever evolving field of Fintech. Osama Ben Saleh experienced it personally in the year 2001, when he was the program manager of a B2B exchange (marketplace) initiative led by the banking industry in Saudi Arabia named Samba. 

After spending about a year of research and analysis led by two different consulting companies, they came to realize that the concept was way ahead of its time. However now we see various such initiatives taking the world to new levels, Osama’s among them. He is currently investing in a new B2B Marketplace termed – Indeal.sa.

A seasoned entrepreneur, Osama is also the Co-Owner of Alfaris International, which is a leading Saudi IT Business Solutions & Services company specializing in providing mission critical technology solutions to enterprises in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Alfaris is a leader in Banking Solutions, Marketplaces, Big Data, Data Analytics, Application and Network Management Solutions, Digital Campaigns, and Education / E-learning Solutions. They offer a diversified product suite to address the growing needs of clients in the fields of IT and AI.

“Witnessing the transformative impact of technology on traditional finance has fueled my desire to innovate and enhance financial accessibility. My goal is to pioneer solutions that bridge gaps, fostering financial inclusion globally. I aspire to create a fintech ecosystem that empowers individuals and businesses. Ultimately, I envision Alfaris International as a catalyst for positive change in shaping the future of technology-driven business success,” says Osama.

Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Osama completed BS-Computer Science from the prestigious King Saud University (KSU), following which he worked across various banks such as Banque Saudi Fransi, Arab National Bank, and National Commercial Bank. 

In 2004, he co-founded Alfaris International to great success. Following are some of his achievements:

• Awarded KSA Excellent Award 2022.
• Recognized by Arabian Business as one of ‘50 People You Need to Know in KSA’. 
• Enabled the first digital bank in Saudi Arabia and took them live.
• Developed an e-banking platform for Central Bank of Saudi Arabia, SAMA.
• INDEAL B2B Marketplace with the Ministry of Industry.

As talk turns to success and the role of luck vs hard work, Osama opines, “In my humble opinion, it’s a blend of both. For many business owners, it’s about optimizing bad breaks and understanding that setbacks can provide invaluable lessons to reinvent and refine strategies. By complementing hard work with personal rituals – like wearing a lucky tie – entrepreneurs can shape a mindset for seizing opportunity. With a combination of intuition, preparedness, networking, and resilience, they can create and recognize serendipitous encounters, and capitalize on them.”

The constant evolution of digital finance motivates Osama to lead a team that pioneers cutting-edge solutions. This is the reason he has been chosen as a member of the Executive Committee of the Saudi Uzbek Business Council. Since 2012, he is also the Head of the Banking Committee under the International Chamber of Commerce, wherein he represents ICC Saudi Arabia at global events and regularly appears on CNBC Arabia to address financial developments.

A veritable Thought Leader, Osama believes the greatest leaders are those who don’t look for followers. A team leader is someone who provides direction, instructions, and guidance to a group of individuals for the purpose of achieving a certain goal. Team leaders serve various roles in an organization, foremost of which is developing strategies.

We ask him how to best the rat race, and he adds, “To me the rat race is everyone chasing a carrot on a stick that they will never catch. Everyone’s the same – they all dress the same, think the same, have the same values, believe the same things, and have the same symbols of their race (car, home, etc). Yet no matter how far you believe you’ve gotten in the race, the truth is you’re always finding yourself at the starting line.”

Real peace, joy, and love do not come by blindly following the majority.

Status, instagram beauty, popularity, large impressive homes and cars may look important and worthy, but they turn out to not have much meaning in the end. 

Osama thus suggests a different fulfillment. “Believe in yourself and your abilities, but listen and learn from others too. It’s absolutely fine to make mistakes and wrong decisions as long as you learn from them. Success has many factors, do not underestimate the X factor. Be patient and success will come along as long as you have done all that is required of you without negligence.”