Vision 2030 in motion: leading change in Saudi banking with BSF’s Abdullah Alwabel

In the first episode of this two-part series, host Tim Rutten sits down with Abdullah Alwabel, Head of Digital Banking and Innovation at BSF, to unpack one of the most ambitious digital transformations in the region.

From core modernization to platform replacement, BSF's journey reflects a bold, urgent, customer-first strategy grounded in Saudi’s Vision 2030, a strategic framework for societal transformation. Together, they discuss trade-offs, delivery speed, the leadership mindset, and the shifting expectations of consumers throughout the region.

Tune in to find out how BSF is balancing urgency with execution to meet the demands of a new era — and how your bank can do the same.

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Timestamps

(00:00) – Welcome to the “Banking Reinvented” podcast

(00:48) – Introduction to Abdullah

(02:42) – Vision 2030 and the urgency to digitize

(05:55) – Public sector pressure and shifting customer expectations

(09:16) – Competition moving from customer acquisition to transaction-level

(12:23) – BSF’s approach to building flexibility and infrastructure

(15:29) – Core and platform transformation explained

(22:30) – Managing trade-offs during platform implementation

(24:30) – Platform timeline and the decision to go big

(25:42) – Why BSF took full ownership of its transformation

(33:06) – Episode wrap-up