MENA - The Financial Hub of the Future?

MENA - The Financial Hub of the Future? | 17 January at 11:50, Speaker Hall

SPEAKERS

Daniela Egli - CEO - Cyprus, The Trading Pit

Kokila Alagh - Founder & Managing Partner, KARM Legal Consultants

Arshad Khan - CEO, Venomex Limited

Serena Sebastiani - Director of Financial Services Advisory, PwC Middle East

Abe Karar - Chief Product Officer, Fintech Galaxy

In the past couple of years, the MENA region has become a rising star within the Fintech Ecosystem driving innovation of the financial services and attracting increasing support of investors and regulators. Join experts to discuss:

• Open banks and banking platforms. The future of digital and mobile payments in MENA.
• The role of blockchain within the MENA fintech landscape.
• Regulatory framework and concerns attached.

We have asked our speakers to give an insight of the highlights of this session!

iFX EXPO: What do you think will be the highlight of the discussion and why should the audience attend it?

Serena Sebastiani (PwC Middle East): We will be discussing how GCC countries are becoming new financial services hubs, highly specialized in the future of finance and the future of money. Open Finance, Virtual Assets, CBDC, AI and embedded financial services. All driven by strong Government support. An exciting time to enter this market and to be part of the foundations of a brilliant future for the financial sector.

Abe Karar (Fintech Galaxy): The highlight of the discussion will be centred around moving from Open Banking today to Open Finance tomorrow, and how we could leverage this type of phenomenon to boost financial inclusion, provide better access to responsible credit for individuals asd SMEs, enable informed decisions around the use and management of money, and, of course, moving towards a cashless society

Arshad Khan (Venomex): In recent years, the MENA region has made significant progress in developing its financial sector. With the establishment of regulatory frameworks, the increasing adoption of technology, and development of new financial products and services, it has attracted the attention of fintech companies, which are seeking to take advantage of the growing demand for financial services. The MENA region has been host to a record number of IPOs over the past year, and has witnessed a strong surge in trading and brokerage activity among its retail and institutional sectors. Led by the likes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, each with their respective national visions which include a strong financial sector, the MENA region has the potential to become a major player in the global financial industry in the coming years.

iFX EXPO: What are you looking forward to the most at iFX EXPO?

Serena Sebastiani (PwC Middle East): Meeting market participants, engaging in discussions on how to support their businesses and how to bring an impact in the industry, through solving current issues.

Abe Karar (Fintech Galaxy): I am looking forward to sharing our specialized knowledge and expertise, as well as meeting Business and Technology executives from regional and international Financial Institutions and Fintech organizations.

Arshad Khan (Venomex): Venomex Limited is looking forward to iFX EXPO to have meaningful discussions with experts in the financial industry on regulatory frameworks, innovations in the fintech space, adoption of digital currencies and to build an ecosystem within the MENA region where consumers will see agility and personalisation of finanical services.

iFX EXPO: Tell us a bit about what you do / your company / who you are looking to network with?

Serena Sebastiani (PwC Middle East): I'm a seasoned and passionate advisor, Director in the Financial Services business of PwC Middle East, with experience across Europe and the GCC. I've been spending the last 5 years supporting Governments, Regulators and the Private Sector in the Middle East in shaping the Financial Sector agenda for the years to come.

Abe Karar (Fintech Galaxy): As the Chief Product Officer at Fintech Galaxy, I guide the design and development of FINX, our Open Finance platform, with its two key offerings: FINX Connect, our Open Banking API Aggregation solution, and FINX Comply, our Open Banking Regulatory Compliance suite. In addition, I work closely with Regulators, Financial Institutions and FinTechs to drive Open Banking/Open Finance adoption and support the innovation agenda across the region. Before joining Fintech Galaxy, I spent about 15 years working at some of the largest Financial Institutions in the world, including BMO Bank of Montreal, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Arab Financial Services (AFS). During that time, I have held various leadership roles across Data Analytics, Digital Transformation, Retail, Corporate, Card, Operations, Customer Experience and Risk.

Our vision at Fintech Galaxy is to build the most secure, reliable, and developer-friendly Open Finance platform in the world. Our mission is to drive the adoption of Open Banking/Open Finance, put the power back in the hands of the customers (individuals and businesses), and revolutionize inclusive Financial Services.

I am looking to meet Business and Technology executives from Financial Institutions and Fintech organizations.

See the full agenda & let's get talking & innovating!