Ripple Secures Riyad Bank Deal to Boost Middle East Expansión

TL;DR

• Ripple has signed a partnership with Jeel, a subsidiary of Riyad Bank, to explore blockchain applications that strengthen financial services across Saudi Arabia.
• The collaboration focuses on tokenization, crypto custody, and digital infrastructuredesigned to support remittances and trade corridorsacross the Gulf.
• The announcement adds to Ripples recent momentum after receiving preliminary approval for an EMI license in Luxembourg, reinforcing its strategy of working with regulated institutions.

Ripplesecures riyad bank deal to boost middle east expansion as the San Francisco-based blockchainpayments firm deepens its footprint across the Gulf. The agreement centers on Jeel, a Riyad Bank subsidiary, and aims to explore blockchain use cases that can modernize parts of Saudi Arabias financial infrastructurewhile maintaining a strong compliancefocus.

More big news from the Middle East! @Ripple is partnering with @Jeelmovement, the innovation arm of @RiyadBank, to advance Saudi Arabias financial future through blockchain innovation ????????

The Kingdoms visionary leadership has established Saudi Arabia as a forward-thinking… pic.twitter.com/KhQ7giluhE

— Reece Merrick (@reece_merrick) January 26, 2026

Reece Merrick, Ripple‘sManaging Director for the Middle East and Africa, shared the update on X and linked the move to Saudi Arabia’s broader digital transformation goals. While neither company disclosed financial terms, the partnership signals that major regional banksare increasingly open to testing tokenized systemswith established crypto-native providers.

Jeel And Ripple Target Tokenization And Custody

Ripple and Jeel plan to evaluate tokenization frameworksand institutional-grade custody toolsthat can support regulated digital asset activity. Tokenization is becoming a key topic for banks seeking to represent real-world assets on-chain, including trade-related instruments and settlement workflows.

Saudi Arabia plays a central role in regional remittance flowsand global trade routes, and blockchain-based settlementis now being explored as a way to reduce friction, improve transparency, and speed up processing times. Across the wider Middle East, regulatory progress in hubs such as the UAEhas also helped create a clearer environment for institutional adoption.

Ripple Builds Middle East Expansion With Regulated Momentum

The Jeel deal comes as Ripple adds traction in other markets. Ripple recently expanded its stablecoin push as RLUSDgained visibility following a listing on Binance, giving the asset broader exchange access and liquidity. RLUSD currently runs on Ethereum, while XRPLsupport has been positioned as part of the next rollout.

Ripple has also extended its collaboration with Garanti BBVAin Türkiye, where the bank continues using Ripples custody technologyto secure major crypto assets such as BTCand ETH. In parallel, Ripple received preliminary approvalfor an Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg, supporting its longer-term European roadmap.

Taken together, the Jeel partnership reflects a wider trend: institutions are moving from crypto awareness to targeted deployment, and Ripple is positioning itself as a bridge between traditional financeand blockchain-based settlement.