VRG Receives Global Recognition in Riyadh
Virtual Remittance Gateway (VRG) has earned international recognition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, receiving an Honorary Award at the Global Image Award (GIA) Middle East ceremony in Riyadh. VRG CEO Muhammad Salman Ali accepted the honour in the Global Digital Revolution Award category at Holiday Inn Al-Qasr, Al-Olaya, on August 29, 2026, in recognition of the organisation’s work in developing digital financial solutions and expanding access to formal financial services. The recognition in Saudi Arabia represents an important acknowledgement of the growing relevance of technology-driven financial innovation emerging from Pakistan.
The award is particularly significant in the context of VRG’s focus on extending digital financial services to underserved segments of society. Its work seeks to address the needs of communities that have traditionally remained outside formal financial systems, including women, merchants and other underserved groups. By using technology to facilitate access to financial services, VRG aims to contribute to a more inclusive digital financial environment.
The recognition in Riyadh also highlights the potential for Pakistani technology and innovation to establish relevance beyond the domestic market. The growing integration of digital financial systems across the Gulf and other regions creates opportunities for Pakistani companies to contribute technology, expertise and scalable solutions to emerging financial ecosystems.
VRG’s recognition comes within a broader effort to build an inclusive, interoperable and increasingly borderless digital financial ecosystem. Its engagement with international institutions and organisations reflects an emphasis on taking solutions developed in Pakistan to wider markets while addressing the practical requirements of financial inclusion.
For Pakistan, such recognition provides an encouraging example of how technology-based enterprises can develop solutions with international relevance. It also underlines the importance of innovation, digital transformation and financial inclusion in creating new avenues for economic participation and connectivity between Pakistan, the Gulf and other international markets.
Muhammad Salman Ali Joins DCO Global Expert Community
Muhammad Salman Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Remittance Gateway, has joined the Global Expert Community (GEC) of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), a platform intended to bring together expertise in support of digital cooperation and transformation. His participation in the community provides an opportunity to contribute practical experience from the fields of digital transformation, fintech, digital payments, financial inclusion and ecosystem development.
The Global Expert Community is presented as a mechanism for connecting global expertise with DCO member states and supporting cooperation in areas related to digital development.
For professionals working in emerging technology and financial services, such platforms provide an avenue for sharing practical experiences and exploring solutions that can be adapted across different markets. Muhammad Salman Ali’s stated areas of contribution are closely connected with the broader transformation taking place in financial services. Digital payments and fintech are increasingly reshaping how individuals and businesses access financial services, while financial inclusion remains an important consideration for communities that have historically had limited access to formal financial systems. His experience through VRG provides a practical perspective on these issues, particularly in relation to digital financial services and ecosystem development.
His participation in the GEC also reflects the importance of cooperation between technology practitioners, institutions and policymakers.
Digital transformation requires not only technological solutions but also partnerships, regulatory coordination and the exchange of knowledge between countries.
The community can therefore serve as a platform for sharing practical insights and developing partnerships that can translate broader digital objectives into implementable initiatives. For Pakistan, participation in such international expert networks also creates opportunities for its technology sector to contribute to discussions on inclusive digital economies and responsible innovation.
Muhammad Salman Ali has expressed his intention to contribute practical insights, partnerships, and scalable solutions to the community, with the objective of supporting measurable digital impact across DCO member states.
Pathfinder CITADEL Engages OIC General Secretariat in Jeddah on Innovation and Startup Cooperation
Pathfinder CITADEL engaged with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) General Secretariat in Jeddah, where a delegation led by AVM (Retd) Asad Ikram, President & CEO Pathfinder CITADEL, discussed opportunities for strengthening innovation, entrepreneurship and economic cooperation across OIC member states. The OIC delegation included Amb. Aftab Ahmad Khokher, Assistant Secretary-General for Science and Technology, Amb. Dr. Ahmad Sengendo, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, Director General Science and Technology Abdunur M. Sekindi, and other officials.
The Pathfinder delegation included Air Cdre (Retd) Farhan Ahmed, Director & COO, Pathfinder CITADEL, Imran Jattala, VP & Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Pathfinder CITADEL, and Muhammad Salman Ali, CEO, Virtual Remittance Gateway (VRG). The discussions highlighted economic cooperation as a central priority for the OIC, with innovation viewed as an important enabler. The Secretariat identified research-to commercialization as a continuing challenge across member states and welcomed private sector-led approaches that could translate research and innovation into practical economic opportunities.
The discussions also emphasised jobs, trade and startup formation, with technology positioned as a means of achieving these broader objectives.
Five potential areas of cooperation emerged from the engagement. These included an OICwide call for startups through OIC-COMSTECH, with finalists potentially showcased at Davos 2027; a reserved quota for startups from least developed OIC member states; participation by CITADEL startups at the OIC Trade Fair in Karachi from 23–26 November 2026; a sector-specific Startup Pavilion concept under the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT); and, as a longer term exploratory possibility, an OIC Startup Fund.
OIC-COMSTECH was identified as the preferred institutional vehicle for taking the initiative forward, building on the existing CITADEL MoU and the OIC university network. The proposed model would allow CITADEL to design and operate the startup call and accelerator programme, while OIC-COMSTECH would provide institutional ownership and access to the wider OIC network. The proposed pipeline would connect the October 2026 startup call with a Karachi showcase in November and a potential Davos 2027 finalist cohort.
The engagement also identified a possible Escape Velocity Accelerator OIC track, combining CITADEL’s programme delivery with an OIC-COMSTECH institutional home. However, the brief makes clear that no formal commitments or agreements were concluded during the meeting. The identified opportunity areas remain subject to further development and institutional approval.
VRG Team Members Recognised at ITCN Asia – Future Leaders Awards 2026
Three members of the Virtual Remittance Gateway (VRG) team were recognised with Future Leader Awards at ITCN Asia 2026, one of the region’s leading technology events. The awardees were Hassham Mansoor, Chief Operating Officer, VRG; Salman Ahmed, Assistant Product and Research Manager; and S M Ghazanfar Ali, Manager Networks. The Product and Design category was among the honours received.
Each recipient credited the team behind them. Mr. Hassham Mansoor said the recognition belongs entirely to the VRG team, noting that leadership is never a solo effort. He thanked colleagues for trusting the vision, pushing boundaries, enduring long hours and holding each other to higher standards. Every milestone, he said, reflects their hard work, dedication, and unwavering support. Mr. Salman Ahmed & Mr. Ghazanfar Ali expressed heartfelt gratitude to CEO Muhammad Salman Ali and the COO for believing in him and allowing him to step forward and contribute in the Product and Design category. He described the leadership’s trust and support as a great source of motivation, and the award as a proud milestone in his professional journey, shaped by the opportunities, challenges and learning experiences along the way.
The awards highlight VRG’s culture of backing young talent and encouraging people to take ownership of products that matter. Design and product thinking sit at the centre of the company’s mission to make digital financial services simple, accessible and inclusive, and this recognition shows that effort is being noticed at the national and regional level.
The ITCN Asia Future Leaders Award 2026 platform, now in its 28th edition, brought together industry leaders, innovators and technology professionals, making the recognition especially meaningful for the whole VRG team.
For the three winners, the honour is a reason to keep learning, keep innovating, and continue creating meaningful products with real impact. As one of them put it, the team is excited for what lies ahead, and it will keep designing with purpose and shaping the future together
