Lean Technologies, Synapse launch AI credit platform in MENA

By Vriti Gothi

Lean Technologies has partnered with Synapse Analytics to launch a next-generation Credit Decisioning and Analytics platform for lenders across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the wider GCC.

The collaboration introduces a unified decisioning stack that integrates Lean’s Open Banking data infrastructure with Synapse’s AI-powered credit decisioning engine, enabling banks, FinTechs, and lenders to access and enrich real-time financial data, combine bureau data with cashflow-based insights to underwrite previously underserved segments, deploy Auto-AI/ML models alongside existing credit policies, and build, test, and monitor risk strategies with transparency, efficiency, and speed.

Traditional lending in MENA has long been constrained by fragmented data, manual processes, and slow decision cycles. By delivering granular, transaction-level visibility through Open Banking and powering it with AI-driven risk models, Lean and Synapse are enabling instant, personalised, and scalable credit decisioning for the first time in the region.

Synapse Analytics already underpins decisioning frameworks across Egypt, LATAM, and MENA bureau integrations, while Lean operates the largest regulated Open Banking network in KSA and the UAE. Together, they are setting a new benchmark for credit infrastructure across the Middle East.

“This partnership marks a defining step in the evolution of credit infrastructure in MENA,” said Hisham Al-Falih, CEO of Lean Technologies. “By combining the data backbone of Open Banking with Synapse’s AI-native decisioning environment, we are giving lenders the tools to responsibly expand access to credit, accelerate decisioning, and power financial innovation at scale.”

Ahmed Abaza, CEO of Synapse Analytics, added, “For too long, lenders in our region have faced a frustrating choice between outdated legacy systems, fragmented databases, or foreign solutions not suited to local market realities. Our partnership with Lean fundamentally transforms this landscape. By combining Synapse’s AI-powered decisioning with Lean’s unrivalled data access, we are building a new, generational financial infrastructure that surpasses global standards and is specifically engineered for local lenders.”

The launch aligns with ongoing regulatory advancements in Open Banking and Open Finance across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the broader MENA region. With consumer permission, the Lean-Synapse platform enables lenders to responsibly leverage alternative data sources while remaining fully compliant with local regulations.