WATCH: MEA Finance hosted the 2024 Banks and Fintechs Forum at Fintech Surge

MEA Finance partnered with Fintech Surge 2024 to hold The MEA Finance Banks and Fintechs Forum & Awards. This special forum held at the epicentre of the dynamic and heated environment of this industry leading event, gathered senior executives from regional banks, market-leading fintech businesses, innovative technology companies and key contributors to the ecosystem from across the Gulf, all debating, sharing unique perspectives and illuminating with their insights .

Representatives from Gulf Capital, Al Etihad Payments, Abu Dhabi Global Market, EY, Ajman Bank, Visa, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), RAKBANK, naming just a few, explored how their relationships will be impacted by the influences of society, changing consumer behaviours and the accelerating development of artificial intelligence (AI).

Panel one, “Coopetition” featuring  Saad Ansari, Chief Executive Officer of Xpence as the discussion moderator with, Andrew McCormack, Chief Operating Officer, Al Etihad Payments, Ronit Ghose, Global Head, Future of Finance, Citi, Nabil Ismail, Executive Director – Head of Fintech, Gulf Capital and Praveen Sekar, Chief Strategy Officer, GSS Group, who discussed how the once predicted rivalries between financial institutions and fintechs appear to now be moving towards partnerships and cooperation and whether this will remain the case going forward.

Our second panel, “The Realities of Inclusion”, was moderated by Saleem Ahmed, COO at GSS Group, joined by George Hojeige, CEO of Virtugroup, Gabrielle Inzirillo, Head of Ecosystem Development – Fintech, ADGM, Christoph Koster Chief Executive Officer, ruya, Asim Chohan, Vice President Global Operations COO, Morgan Stanley and Amith Rajan, Executive Vice President, Head, Wholesale Digital Banking & CEO NeoVentures, Mashreq, and looked at how fintechs can foster financial inclusion, improving the lives of the underserved the hurdles smaller businesses face and the crucial role fintechs will play here in mitigating current challenges.

Panel three, “Disrupting the Disruptors” , moderated by Bryan Stirewalt, Financial Services Regulatory Leader, EY and accompanying him were, Mamoun Alhomssey, Chief Technology Officer, Ajman Bank, Hasan Kazmi, Head of Digital Partnerships (Fintech) & Ventures, Visa, Pradeep Negi, Vice President & Portfolio Delivery Manager, RAKBANK, Mohammad Amin Osman, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives, Emirates Foundation and Fairooz Mohamed, Middle East Lead, SC Ventures, examined the effects that AI will have on the future development of Fintech, it’s uptake by financial institutions and the funding it has become accustomed to.

The fourth and last panel of the summit, “The Business of Business” had Mike Sigal, Founder, Sigal Ventures as the moderator along with Giovanni Everduin, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Commercial Bank International, Anshu Sharma Raja, Chief Transformation Technology Operations Officer, Africa and Middle East, Standard Chartered Bank, Krishna Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, Emirates Development Bank, Hani Idris, Chief Executive Officer, International Development Bank and Srinivasan Sampath, Group CIO, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), where the discussion was focused on the growth of Fintech into the realm of corporate and business banking and finance.

Following on from the Banks and Fintech Forum came presentations for the MEA Finance Banks and Fintech Awards.

The winners are: