Survival Kit: The Payments Landscape in MENA

Survival Kit: The Payments Landscape in MENA | 17 January 16:50 | Speaker Hall

Cross-border & cross-asset payments are vital to the #financial ecosystem and innovation in the #MENA region, with two of the world’s three largest remittance corridors located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia (KSA). In this panel experts will discuss:

• What is the main focus in the #menaregion?
• How to stand out in the highly competitive liquidity market??
• The factors shaping the liquidity landscape across asset classes.

SPEAKERS?

Ugn? B. - Group CEO, payabl. | Country Ambassador, European Women Payments Network (EWPN)

Joshua Slatem - Head of Payments, Praxis

Jonathan Cumberlidge - Sales Director - FX, BVNK

Przemyslaw Wojtyna - Head of Business Development, Match-Trade Technologies

Arthur Azizov - CEO, B2BROKER

Yuval Ziv - President, Nuvei

We asked our speakers to share what will be the highlight of this session. Let’s see what they have to share with us!?

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

Ugne M. Buraciene - ( payabl. | European Women Payments Network): The audience should attend this presentation to get a deeper understanding of how cross-border #payments are flowing between the UAE and KSA and what payment trends are emerging from this ecosystem. Hopefully, the audience will walk away with a clearer picture of the current landscape for the payments scene in the MENA region, be able to identify the trends that are shaping the future of payments, and learn how to better manage payments in this region.

Joshua Garth Slatem ( Praxis Tech): Wow, this’ll be an exciting one! I’m really looking forward to exploring how leveraging local payment methods in this region can ultimately increase revenue and achieve a company’s long-term key strategic goals. It’ll also be good to share our expertise in how seamless payments can facilitate a smooth entry into new markets for brokers.

Jonathan David Cumberlidge (BVNK): I think the highlight of the discussion will be how the MENA region has become a core FX hub with global reach, attracting clients from across the globe with strong brand positioning, compliance, and technology. With this, MENA brokers are faced with the business critical task of collecting and settling payments from around the globe. Payments are the lifeblood of a broker and navigating the global payments landscape can be complex, expensive and a burden on operational teams. Brokers ability to collect payments in a wide variety of methods, including crypto now, is a core consideration for traders when selecting their broker and thus is a key USP for brokers who get it right. The discussion should shed light on the payment challenges and bring reliable and compliant solutions to the table that can unlock deposits and increase revenues.

Przemys?aw Wojtyna (Match2Pay): Both Traditional and Crypto Payments are a vital part of our industry, regardless of the region; however, due to the unique nature of #fintech in MENA, they are particularly important here. It is a dynamic space with many regulatory, technological and business changes. Payments fuel online trading and other online businesses. Successful players need to be up-to-date; that's why I would recommend attending our panel.

Yuval Ziv (Nuvei): We know from our clients and new businesses we’re dealing with how important it is for businesses to accept payments from their customers in their local currencies, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

As merchants in MENA look to expand into new markets and international businesses pursue opportunities in the region, there has never been a more important time to learn about strategies that help accelerate a business through payments. Our discussion will be of value to senior decision makers looking to scale their B2B business.

?Artur Azizov (B2Broker): The panel is set to provide an in-depth overview of the payments landscape in MENA, looking at trends and opportunities, as well as strategies to mitigate risk. It's a great topic for anyone looking to gain insight into this growing region.

The highlight of the discussion will be hearing from experts leading the way in their respective fields. Our panel has been carefully selected, and our collective experiences and knowledge of current technologies will attractively frame the benefits and obstacles associated with doing business in MENA. Everyone from entrepreneurs to investors will benefit from the insights shared. They can expect to walk away with actionable intelligence that they can immediately apply to make informed decisions about their projects or investments.

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

Ugne M. Buraciene - ( payabl. | European Women Payments Network): As usual, I am looking forward to seeing the established players and ‘old friends’ in the industry, reconnecting with people that I don’t often get to speak to and expanding my network. IFX is such a great melting pot of talent so it’s the perfect place to make new connections.

Joshua Garth Slatem ( Praxis Tech): Aside from awesome networking opportunities and hearing from other fantastic speakers, it’s going to be great to explore business in the MENA region, especially as we’re about to open our new office in Dubai.

Jonathan David Cumberlidge (BVNK): I am looking forward to meeting our customers and engaging in conversations with brokers who we have yet to do business with to understand their payment strategy and explore whether BVNK can help support their objectives.

Przemys?aw Wojtyna (Match2Pay): iFX EXPO brand works like a magnet for the most important people in fintech worldwide. I hope to meet interesting people who shape our industry and who can provide refreshing angles to our business in the new year. It's a great way to start 2023!

Yuval Ziv (Nuvei): Events like this provide great opportunities to share insights and best-practice. That happens both on and off the stage and around the conference.

I am looking forward to meeting existing partners and clients we work with and hearing from new companies about the challenges they face when it comes to payments optimization, enhancing authorizations, improving authentication, and better managing risk.

Artur Azizov (B2Broker): So many new trends, technologies, and opportunities have developed over the past twelve months, and I'm keen to hear how these changes have impacted each other and their respective fields. I'm looking forward to meeting with industry colleagues and discussing the latest industry news. Additionally, I'm anticipating networking with potential new partners and discussing how we can collaborate to bring more value to our services in this region. I'm confident that there will be plenty of great conversations and learning opportunities for everyone attending.

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

Joshua Garth Slatem ( Praxis Tech): As the Head of Payments at Praxis Tech, I’m in charge of managing the payments optimization team. That’s literally what we do: our team optimizes the payments of our merchants to improve their overall payment flow from start to finish.

We can do it in a number of ways. We can find new PSPs, improve approval ratios of current PSPs and optimize the PSPs that merchants already have; drastically improving user experience. Overall, we’re a trusted payments advisor to our merchants where we can assist them with literally anything related to payments.

At the iFX Expo Dubai we’re looking to strengthen our relationships with current merchants, assist new merchants and network with PSPs that can strengthen our offering even more.?

Jonathan David Cumberlidge (BVNK): BVNK is a next-generation payment platform for global businesses. We bridge the gap between traditional and digital finance to make payments borderless, fast, and secure. Using our platform, businesses can send and receive payments on all major payment schemes and blockchain networks, incorporate stablecoins into their payment flows, and settle funds from over 27 markets.

Founded in 2021, BVNK is a remote fist company with 190 team members spread across the UK and EMEA, we have offices in London and Cape Town.

What sets BVNK apart from the competition?

Seamlessly bridge between fiat and #crypto

BVNK makes it easy for any business to accept crypto payments, without making changes to its treasury. Our end-to-end solution enables you to launch crypto payments fast and instantly convert to fiat, while fulfilling regulatory requirements and reducing fraud every step of the way.

Global

We serve a diverse range of merchants across 27 different markets and hire local experts so we’re here when you need us. We specialise in emerging markets where businesses are underserved.

Reliable

No chargebacks, low fraud, and industry-leading payment acceptance rates. Our platform helps merchants improve their payments performance and switch on new business models with ease.

Resilient

BVNK is compliance-led takes a regulatory-first approach. With our local licensing and global expertise, we enable customers to navigate market complexities with confidence.

Przemys?aw Wojtyna (Match2Pay): At Match2Pay we offer a crypto payment gateway to #brokers and merchants from other online industries. We can offer flexible conditions and onboarding but also compliance with AML requirements, which allows us to settle in the fiat currencies. I am looking forward to networking with the representatives of the brokers who want to add crypto payment solutions to their payment mix, but who also value reliability of the partner and high quality of the support.

Yuval Ziv (Nuvei): Nuvei is a global fintech company. We have payment technology solutions that help businesses deliver best-in-class experiences online in-store and in-platform, as well as the widest choice of pay-in and payout methods. Our focus is on accelerating our customers’ business with seamless, localized and intuitive digital payment experiences, fit for the modern world.

?Artur Azizov (B2Broker): B2Broker is a leading provider of liquidity and technology solutions to companies in the financial services sector. Our mission is to empower brokers, exchanges, hedge funds, banks, and others with the necessary tools, resources, and support they need to succeed. We provide a wide range of services, including but not limited to liquidity provision, white label trading platforms, CRM systems, multi-asset trading solutions, risk management systems, and much more.

As for networking opportunities, we're interested in connecting with a wide variety of industry professionals, including brokers and liquidity providers. We are also eager to meet innovative technology providers who can help us extend our competitive edge in delivering quality solutions. Ultimately, we look forward to making new connections and forming strategic partnerships that will help propel B2Broker into the future.

Check out the agenda for more insightful discussions.