Financial Inclusion & Access to Services Award

Evaluation

100% automatic, from the data and evidence you submit

Minimum score to win

70 / 100

Measurement period

The full financial year 2025 (or the latest financial year completed before nominations open); growth is measured against financial year 2024

Who can apply

• A licensed financial institution, payment provider or microfinance provider, or a financial inclusion initiative run by a licensed or public body
• Operating for at least 2 years before the start of the measurement period
• No material regulatory sanction related to customer protection or responsible lending during the measurement period

Indicators and weights

1. First-time formal financial customers

   Customers who opened their first account or obtained their first formal financial product in the year (per credit bureau no-hit or KYC declaration) as a percentage of all active customers

   20%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 10 – < 100 % 100
   • 5 – < 10 % 80
   • 2 – < 5 % 50
   • 0 – < 2 % 20

   Evidence

   Core system report with the method used to confirm the customer is new to the formal financial system

2. Activity of inclusion accounts

   Share of accounts opened under inclusion programmes in the last 24 months with at least one transaction in the last 90 days of the year

   15%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 70 – < 100 % 100
   • 50 – < 70 % 80
   • 30 – < 50 % 50
   • 0 – < 30 % 20

   Evidence

   Account activity report from the core system

3. Share of MSME financing

   Outstanding financing to micro, small and medium enterprises (per the country’s official definition) as a percentage of the total financing portfolio at year end; a provider licensed only for payments enters the value of payments processed for MSME merchants as a percentage of all payments processed

   15%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 20 – < 100 % 100
   • 10 – < 20 % 80
   • 5 – < 10 % 50
   • 0 – < 5 % 20

   Evidence

   Regulatory MSME return or the sector note in the financial statements, or for payment providers the payments by merchant segment report

4. Women’s share of customers

   Women as a percentage of all active individual customers at year end

   15%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 40 – < 100 % 100
   • 30 – < 40 % 80
   • 20 – < 30 % 50
   • 0 – < 20 % 20

   Evidence

   Customers by gender report from the core system

5. Access points in underserved areas

   Share of access points (branches, agents, ATMs) located in rural or underserved areas as classified by the regulator or statistics office

   15%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 40 – < 100 % 100
   • 25 – < 40 % 80
   • 15 – < 25 % 50
   • 0 – < 15 % 20

   Evidence

   List of access points with their locations and the official area classification

6. Low-cost basic account

   The basic account offered to individuals

   10%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • No monthly fee or minimum balance, with free domestic digital transfers100
   • Reduced fees or a low minimum balance60
   • No basic account0

   Evidence

   Published tariff and account terms

7. Access points adapted for persons with disabilities

   Share of branches and ATMs adapted for persons with disabilities (accessible entrances and parking, talking or lowered ATMs) out of the total

   10%
   Show points and evidenceHide

   Points

   • 70 – < 100 % 100
   • 40 – < 70 % 80
   • 20 – < 40 % 50
   • 0 – < 20 % 20

   Evidence

   Access point register with adaptation status and photos or an internal audit report

Each indicator gives 0 to 100 points; its share of the total is its weight. Ties are decided by the indicators listed first in the scorecard; payment or package never affects the score.

1. Done

   Nominations open

   26 October 2026 · 13:10

2. Upcoming

   Nominations close

   27 November 2026 · 01:10

3. Upcoming

   Judging starts

   27 November 2026 · 01:11

4. Upcoming

   Judging ends

   4 December 2026 · 13:00

5. Upcoming

   Results announced

   4 December 2026 · 13:10

Times are in Asia/Riyadh (UTC+03:00).