Riyadh’s Fintech Takeover, Free Parking Permits And A 3AM Community Cleanup

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Hala guys! 👋🏼

This weekend’s lineup is packed. Riyadh is preparing for one of the region’s biggest fintech gatherings, the Lovin Riyadh Awards are putting Saudi culture in the spotlight, and Al Nakheel’s parking system is changing. There’s also a 3AM desert cleanup, one seriously powerful comeback.

Let’s get into it! 🌟👇🏼

LOVIN COMMUNITY

Money20/20 Middle East is bringing the biggest names in banking, fintech, investment and technology to the capital.

  • 📅 When and where: The event runs from 14 to 16 September 2026 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Centre in Malham.

  • 🌍 More than 38,000 attendees are expected alongside 350 exhibiting brands, 350+ speakers, 600+ investors and 150 startups.

  • 🎤 Confirmed speakers include leaders from Citi, State Street, BlackRock, Deutsche Bank and Tabby.

  • 🤖 The programme covers AI, digital payments, autonomous finance, digital assets, financial trust and the future of capital.

  • 🎟️ The Expo Pass: Registration is free before 14 September. From the opening day, the pass will cost $50, or approximately SAR 188.

💡 Summary:

Money20/20 Middle East will bring the people launching companies, funding ideas and transforming how money moves together under one roof in Riyadh.

LOVIN COMMUNITY

🏛️ Saudi’s Cultural Voices Are Ready For The Vote

The first-ever Lovin Riyadh Awards are celebrating the people, places and homegrown names shaping the capital.

  • 📚 Pillar of Culture: This category honours the writers, filmmakers, educators and storytellers carrying Saudi culture forward.

  • 🎬 Why they were nominated: Their work preserves Saudi identity through literature, cinema, science, education and long-form conversations.

  • 🌍 More than preserving the past: These cultural figures are also documenting Saudi’s transformation and changing how the Kingdom’s story is understood around the world.

  • 🗳️ Voting is open: All nominees are ready for the public vote, which closes on 28 September.

LOVIN NEWS

Riyadh Parking is expanding into Al Nakheel, with the new system beginning on Sunday, 13 September.

  • 🅿️ Al Nakheel residents can receive free residential permits valid for one year.

  • 🚘 There is no limit on the number of vehicles a resident can register.

  • 📱 Where to apply: Permits are issued through the Riyadh Parking app after confirming the National Address and adding the correct vehicle plate details.

  • 👥 Visitors are included: General visitor invitations last up to 24 hours, while private invitations can cover 20 vehicles for up to three days.

  • 📷 Parking cameras will read licence plates and confirm whether each vehicle has a valid permit.

💡 Summary:

The system is designed to reduce parking spillover from nearby commercial streets and keep residential spaces available for Al Nakheel residents and their guests.

Download Riyadh Parking through the App Store or Google Play.

LOVIN NEWS

While most of Riyadh was asleep, more than 120 volunteers were preparing to clean an entire stretch of desert.

  • ⏰ The volunteers gathered at 3AM and headed to Wadi Sulay before sunrise.

  • 🗑️ By the end of the mission, they had collected 172 bags of waste.

  • ♻️ This was the team’s 88th weekend desert cleanup, not a one-time effort.

  • 🌍 Saudis and residents representing an average of 15 nationalities regularly join the cleanups.

  • 🇸🇦🇵🇭 Filipino expat and environmental volunteer Jimrey Dapin says volunteering is his way of thanking the Kingdom for the opportunities it gave him and his family.

💡 Summary:

More than 120 people from different nationalities came together before sunrise and left Wadi Sulay with 172 fewer bags of waste. That is what community looks like.

LOVIN COMMUNITY

Saudi fitness trainer Manal Abualula refused to let years of pain and physical challenges define the rest of her life.

  • 🩺 Manal was born with clubfoot, a congenital condition affecting the alignment of the foot.

  • 🏥  She underwent 18 complex surgeries and later found herself using a wheelchair.

  • ❤️ Seeing her children affected by her pain gave her a new determination to keep fighting.

  • 🏋️ Through rehabilitation, consistent training and enormous persistence, Manal regained her ability to stand and walk.

  • 🦾 She is now a certified master fitness trainer and international inspirational speaker, using her experience to empower others.

💡 Summary:

Manal transformed one of the most painful periods of her life into a story of resilience, rebuilding and purpose. Her message is simple: the hardest chapter does not have to be the final one.

You're Invited: Investing Moves to Boost After-Tax Returns

You've worked hard to fund your portfolio — your investment strategy should work just as hard to maximize your after-tax returns.

On September 17, join Range's CFPs and CPAs live for the practical moves that put more of your returns back in your pocket.

What we'll cover:

  • Investment moves to maximize your after-tax returns

  • How tax-loss harvesting can lower the taxes you owe

  • When direct indexing works (and when it doesn't)

  • How to build a diversified portfolio that reduces tax drag.

Range is all-in-one AI wealth management — tax, investments, retirement, and estate in one place. Bring your questions for the live Q&A. Free to attend, and seats are limited.

This webinar is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Range defines "high earners" as households with income over $300k.

 🍿 Sharable bits and tips!

REGIONAL FAVORITES

Lekhwiya, Qatar’s Internal Security Force, has introduced Badr, a solar-powered system that extracts clean drinking water directly from air humidity.

  • ☀️ Powered by the sun: The system can operate away from traditional water and electricity networks.

  • 💨 It pulls moisture from the air, cools it into condensation and then filters and purifies the collected water.

  • 🏠 The indoor unit can produce up to 200 litres per day, equal to more than 600 standard water bottles.

  • 🚨 The larger version can produce up to 5,000 litres daily, making it suitable for camps, emergencies and remote security operations.

  • 🎖️ Badr was named in memory of Second Lieutenant Badr Saad Mohammed Al-Humaidi Al-Dosari, who was killed during the Doha attack in September 2025.

💡 Summary:

The solar-powered Badr system turns humidity into safe drinking water, offering a sustainable supply for emergency teams and remote operations where ordinary infrastructure may not be available.

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