Pictured: Raja Al Mazrouei, Executive Vice President, Fintech Hive, Dubai International Financial Centre

Day One of FinovateMiddleEast is in the books – which means there is one more day of our fintech conference left to go. And while Day Two will also feature fintech insiders and thought leaders discussing issues like financial inclusion, artificial intelligence, the blockchain, and fintech regulation, the second day of FinovateMiddleEast will swap live demos with emerging and incumbent fintech players for an Accelerator Showcase.

Our special spotlight on regional accelerators and incubators will feature short, 3-minute pitches from some of MENA’s youngest and most ambitious fintech startups, and will reveal the important role incubators and accelerators play in encouraging and supporting fintech innovation. If you are interested in what the future of fintech in the Middle East and North Africa looks like, our accelerator showcase is virtually a front row seat.

Here’s a look at today’s agenda. For more details, visit our FinovateMiddleEast Day Two agenda page. And remember the Best of Show awards presentation will be held this afternoon.

8:00 – 9:00: Registration, Breakfast and Networking

9:00 – 9:05: Chairperson’s Opening Remarks

9:05 – 9:45: The Future of Financial Services – AI and the Use of Blockchain Globally

9:45 – 10:05: Update on Fintech Regulation

10:05 – 10:25: Fintech Unicorn Interview

10:25 – 11:20: Myth Versus Reality: Banks’ Perspectives

11:20 – 11:50: Morning Coffee and Networking

11:50 – 12:40: Panel Discussion: Financial Inclusion in the Middle East

12:40 – 13:00: Unicorn Interview

13:00 – 14:00: Lunch and Networking

14:00 – 14:20: Fintech Interview

14:20 – 15:10: Accelerator Showcase

15:10 – 15:20: Day One Revisit – What did the banks gain? What did the fintech gain? What do investors think?

15:20 – 15:30: Chairperson’s Closing Remarks and Summary

FinovateMiddleEast has arrived in Dubai. Day One of our two-day fintech conference begins today, Monday, February 26. And after an afternoon and evening of practice runs and sound checks, our demoing companies are ready to introduce their latest fintech innovations to the world.

In addition to a slate of 14 fintech demos, Day One will also feature an interesting variety of keynote addresses and panel discussions from some of the region’s most engaged and knowledgable fintech business people, thought leaders, and investors. We’ve published an outline of today’s schedule below – including our dual track afternoon sessions on banking and payments on one side, and blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and AI on the other. So whether you like your fintech old school or new school, FinovateMiddleEast’s Afternoon Streams on Day One have you covered!

Tickets are still available. So if you’re in Dubai and interested in meeting some of the people who are helping build the future of fintech in MENA, FinovateMiddleEast on Monday and Tuesday is the place to be.

Here’s the schedule of events for today.

8:00  – 8:30: Registration, Breakfast and Networking

8:30 – 8:35: Chairperson’s Remarks

8:35  – 9:35: Demo Session 1 featuring

• RISQ
• Dorsum
• Wealth Migrate
• ebankIT
• Electronic ID
• Munnypot

9:35 – 9:40: Panel discussion: Starter for one minute – What does a fintech want? What does a bank want? What does the investor think?

9:40 – 10:20: Keynote: What can digital bankers learn from the top innovators?

10:20 – 10:30: United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Finance address and presentation on the fintech vision.

10:30 – 10:50: Embracing fintech innovation – past, present, and future

10:50 – 11:10: Bank CEO Panel: Driving innovation forward and the fintech global vision

11:10 – 11:40:  Morning Coffee Break and Networking

11:40 – 11:55: Introduction from the FinTech Hive at DIFC

11:55 -12:25:   Chatham House Rule Panel Discussion on Fintech regulation

12:25 – 13:15: Demo Session 2 featuring:

• CapitaWorld ME
• ZagTrader
• Efigence
• NewBridge Fintech Solutions
• Ondot

13:15 – 14:15: Lunch and Networking Speaker-hosted topic roundtables

Afternoon Streams: Banking and Payments / Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, and AI

14:15 – 15:00: Panel Discussions: How far can we go with big wallets? / Results of an Interbank Blockchain Pilot

15:00 – 15:20: Panel Discussions: What do we mean by innovation? / Blockchain Approaches – Beyond UAE

15:20 – 15:40: Address: Discussing the fintech strategies of Indian banks / What’s Happening Now and What’s Next for AI?

15:40 – 16:10: Afternoon Coffee Break and Networking

16:10 – 16:40: Big bank fireside chat

16:40 – 17:10: Demo Session 3 featuring

• APPICS
• 0smosis
• WeInvest

17:10 – 18:10: Networking Reception, Topic Led Roundtables, Best of Show Awards Ceremony

All demo videos will be available for free in a few weeks in our video archives.

FinovateMiddleEast is just one day away. For the first time, Finovate is bringing its fintech conference of live demos and insightful keynotes and panel discussions to Dubai, the largest city in the UAE., to explore and learn about some of the exciting developments in fintech that are taking place in the Middle East and North Africa.

The presenters on stage are only part of what makes Finovate events special. Our conference attendees – hailing from all over the world – are a diverse collection of professionals from finance, technology, the investment world, and the fintech media. And it is often the case that the introductions made and business cards exchanged between attendees during our networking opportunities prove to be as valuable as the fintech demos and keynote addresses on stage. Take a look, for example, at the titles of our attendees for FinovateMiddleEast that we’ve aggregated into a word cloud below:

From C-level executives like CEOs, CTOs, and CIOs to heads of digital banking, cloud platforms, software development and more, Finovate audiences are a great source of fintech experience and insight in and of themselves. This is one of the reasons why we ensure that our attendees have ample opportunity to mix, mingle, and network both at the beginning and end of each conference day.

So with FinovateMiddleEast kicking off tomorrow, here are a few last minute, need-to-knows to help you make the most of your Finovate experience.

The What

FinovateMiddleEast is a two-day conference of live fintech demonstrations, keynote addresses, panel discussions, and peer networking opportunities. The event is Finovate’s first in the Middle East, and is being produced with the exclusive strategic partnership of the UAE Ministry of Finance.

The When

FinovateMiddleEast takes place on Monday, the 26th of February, and Tuesday, the 27th. Registration begins at 8am on both days. The program on Monday morning will start at 8:30 am. On Tuesday, the program will begin at 9am.

The Where

FinovateMiddleEast will be held at the Madinat Jumeirah Conference and Events Centre in Dubai, UAE. The conference and events centre is part of the Madinat Jumeirah Resort which consists of a trio of grand hotels: Jumeirah Al Qasr, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam, and Jumeirah Al Naseem.

The How

Join us in Dubai for FinovateMiddleEast by visiting our registration page and picking up your ticket. There are group discounts available, as well as discounts for members of government and regulatory entities. Check out our registration page for more information.

Also be sure to download the Finovate app – available at both the Apple Store and at Google Play. Search for “Finovate” and use the same email you used to register for FinovateMiddleEast as your login. If you are a first-time user of our app, the password is “finovate”. In the app you will find more information about our presenters, partners, and sponsors; network with your fellow FinovateMiddleEast attendees, and – importantly – vote for your favorite fintech demos in our Best of Show competition.

There is also a desktop version of the event app available at finovatemiddleeast2018.zerista.com.

The Why

FinovateMiddleEast is a great way to learn about the growing fintech scene in the Middle East and North Africa. Our live fintech demos provide an insight into the kind of challenges fintech companies operating in MENA are solving every day. Our keynote speakers and panel discussions provide the context to understand how these solutions are improving the financial lives of the more than 380 million people living in the region. For more background on fintech in MENA, a few of our thought pieces are listed below:

• The Spirit of Innovation: Fintech is Booming in MENA
• Growth, Wealth, Modernization Drive Fintech Innovation in the MENA Region
• Looking East for Fintech Trends

We are very excited to bring our fintech conference to the UAE and hope you will join us – either live here in Dubai or by following along online via our coverage on Twitter @Finovate.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Finance is the Exclusive Strategic Partner of FinovateMiddleEast

FinovateMiddleEast sponsors also include UAE Exchange, Profile Software, simility, Temenos, Block Gemini, Loxon Solutions, Ortec Finance, Plug and Play Abu Dhabi Global Market

Dubai International Financial Centre is a supporting partner of FinovateMiddleEast

FinovateMiddleEast partners also include AstroLabs, Byte Academy, European Fintech Alliance, Femtech Leaders, FINOLAB, Fintech Connector, Fintech Galaxy, Fintech Professionals Association, Holland Fintech, Plug and Play Abu Dhabi Global Market, SME Finance Forum, Startupbootcamp, Startupbootcamp Fintech, Swiss Finance + Technology Association, Women Who Code

FinovateMiddleEast media partners include Aite Group, Arabnet, BankersHub, Banking Technology, BeFast.TV, Big Data Made Simple, Blockchain in Europe, BlockExplorer, Breaking Banks, Middle East Business Review, Crowdfund Insider, Financial IT, Fintech Finance, Fintechtime, Forrester, Gigabit, Headcount, IBS Intelligence, Innovate Finance, Islamic Finance News, Mercator Advisory Group, Ovum, Oxford Business Group, Plus Journal, Rainmaking Colab, RFI Group, The Fintech Times, The Nilson Report, The Paypers, Unlock Blockchain

Image designed by Freepik

In just two days, Finovate will make its Middle East debut. The conference begins on Monday, 26 February and continues through Tuesday, 27 February, and will feature both our signature 7-minute, live demo format as well as an exciting array of fintech visionaries and thought leaders to provide insight and context into the technological innovations we’ll see over the two days of FinovateMiddleEast.

So what are we talking about when we talk about fintech in MENA? Our FinovateMiddleEast Themes Word Cloud below offers more than a few helpful hints.

Let’s take a closer look at the top three …

AI – Leveraging artificial intelligence to solve technical challenges in finance is as important for fintechs in MENA as it is all over the world. Often combined with machine learning and data analytics, AI is enabling businesses to better understand their customers, make many operational procedures faster and less error prone, and even pave the way for a world of connected devices courtesy of the Internet of Things.

Mobile Wallets – While mobile wallet adoption has been mixed in many places, in MENA mobile wallets continue to play a major role in driving mobile payments and providing opportunities for consumers – especially the un- and underbanked – to participate more easily in e-commerce as well as giving businesses such as grocery stores, gas stations, and public transit a path toward faster payment processing and a better experience for consumers.

Wealth Management – The growing population of high net worth and ultra high net worth individuals in MENA is helping generate interest in wealth management solutions. These options range from 100% robo advisory services to wealth management firms that blend technology with human experts to provide a holistic financial advisory service.

Get to know the companies whose technologies reflect these and many more innovative trends in fintech via our FinovateMiddleEast Sneak Peek series. And for more information on our keynotes speeches and panel discussions, be sure to check out our Day One and Day Two agendas.

We are excited about Finovate’s debut in Dubai and hope you will join us in person at the Madinat Jumeirah Conference and Events Centre here in Dubai, UAE, or follow us online through our Live Twitter feed @Finovate.  Registration on both Monday and Tuesday will begin at 8am with refreshments and a continental breakfast available to attendees. Opening remarks on Monday will begin at 8:30; on Tuesday the first presentation begins at 9am.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Finance is the Exclusive Strategic Partner of FinovateMiddleEast

FinovateMiddleEast sponsors also include UAE Exchange, Profile Software, simility, Temenos, Block Gemini, Loxon Solutions, Ortec Finance, Plug and Play Abu Dhabi Global Market

Dubai International Financial Centre is a supporting partner of FinovateMiddleEast

FinovateMiddleEast partners also include AstroLabs, Byte Academy, European Fintech Alliance, Femtech Leaders, FINOLAB, Fintech Connector, Fintech Galaxy, Fintech Professionals Association, Holland Fintech, Plug and Play Abu Dhabi Global Market, SME Finance Forum, Startupbootcamp, Startupbootcamp Fintech, Swiss Finance + Technology Association, Women Who Code

FinovateMiddleEast media partners include Aite Group, Arabnet, BankersHub, Banking Technology, BeFast.TV, Big Data Made Simple, Blockchain in Europe, BlockExplorer, Breaking Banks, Middle East Business Review, Crowdfund Insider, Financial IT, Fintech Finance, Fintechtime, Forrester, Gigabit, Headcount, IBS Intelligence, Innovate Finance, Islamic Finance News, Mercator Advisory Group, Ovum, Oxford Business Group, Plus Journal, Rainmaking Colab, RFI Group, The Fintech Times, The Nilson Report, The Paypers, Unlock Blockchain

By adding keynote addresses and panel discussions to the signature, 7-minute Finovate demo format, attendees to our conferences benefit not only from seeing live technology demonstrations firsthand. They also get exposure to some of fintech’s most insightful thought leaders, including CEOs, serial entrepreneurs, bankers, and investors. Here, we’re giving you a look at some of the women and men who will be speaking on Day Two of FinovateMiddle East.

Note that some of our speakers on Day Two are also speaking on Day One and have been introduced as part of our Day One feature. These include Ruth Wandhofer and Moussa Beidas who will close Day Two with a revisit of our Day One Theme: What did the bank gain? What did the fintech gain? What do investors think?

For more information about what’s happening on the second day of our conference, including our demos for the day, accelerator showcase, and lunchtime roundtables, check out our Day Two agenda.

Keynotes & Addresses

Paul Schulte, Founder and Editor and International Fintech Guru, Schulte Research

Schulte is founder and editor of Schulte Research, established in 2011 for researching financial institutions and related technology. He has had a career in equity research which spans 27 years as a chief strategist for major institutions including Lehman, Barclays and Nomura. Schulte will speak on “The future of financial services: AI and the use of blockchain globally.”

Bryan Stirewait, Managing Director, Supervision, DFSA

Stirewalt joined the DFSA in 2008 and has served as a Managing Director since 2010. His responsibilities include prudential and conduct-oriented oversight of financial service providers and overseeing the DFSA’s role with Registered Auditors and CRAs. Stirewalt also directs the DFSA’s efforts to fight methods of illicit finance within his primary areas of responsibilities, as well as with DNFBPs. At FinovateMiddleEast, he will provide an update on fintech regulation.

Bernard Matthewman, Regional Director, MEA, Motive Labs

A highly experienced CEO in Africa, Matthewman has built and sold significant fintech businesses over the past 20 years, including the well-known Paynet Group. PesaPoint formed part of Paynet in East Africa, which recently won the Gold Award for innovation at the ATMIA 50 year celebrations for the global first of performing cardless mobile transactions on ATMs. Matthewman will provide a keynote, as well as participate in our fintech unicorn interview.

Ambareen Musa, CEO, Souqalmal

Musa will participate in a fintech interview.

Discussions, Panels, and Roundtables

Emre Karter, Managing Director, Head of Treasury & Trade Solutions, MENAPT, Citi

Karter is responsible for Citi’s Treasury and Trade Solution businesses in the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Turkey, and is based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In this role, Emre is responsible for driving Citi’s market-leading TTS business.

Karter will participate in the panel discussion: Myth versus reality – banks’ perspectives

Aleski Grym, Head Digitalisation, Bank of Finland

Grym is Head of Digitalisation at the Bank of Finland. He manages the digital programme of the bank as well as various projects related to the digital transformation of the financial industry, covering topics such as fintech, distributed ledger technologies, digital currencies, payment technologies, cyber security, and data analytics.

Grym will participate in the panel discussion: Myth versus reality – banks’ perspectives

Andrew Reid, Head of Digital Market Management and Governance, Deutsche Bank

Reid is Head of Digital Market Management and Governance for the Global Transaction Banking Division (GTB) of Deutsche Bank, based in London. He was appointed to this role in June 2017. Prior to this, he was responsible for the European Corporate Cash Management division of Deutsche Bank’s Global Transaction Bank.

Reid will participate in the panel discussion: Myth versus reality – banks’ perspectives

Lex Sokolin, Global Director, Fintech Strategy, Autonomous Research

Sokolin is a futurist and entrepreneur focused on the next generation of financial services. He directs Fintech Strategy at Autonomous Research, a global research firm for the financial sector, helping clients understand and leverage innovation. Covered themes include roboadvice, neobanks and banks-as-a-platform, blockchain and the cryptoeconomy, artificial intelligence, chatbots, insurtech and regtech.

Sokolin will participate in the panel discussion: Myth versus reality – banks’ perspectives

Ossama Hassanein, CEO, Rising Tide

Hassanein will participate in the panel discussion: Myth versus reality – banks’ perspectives

Sara Grinstead, Chief Innovation Officer, RAKBank

Grinstead leads the Bank’s approach to product and service design, ensuring that solutions are customer-centric and leveraging new business models and technologies. This includes developing new capabilities within RAKBANK, establishing partnerships with fintechs, and working with the broader UAE eco-system to support the fintech agenda in the region.

Grinstead will participate in the panel discussion on financial inclusion in MENA.

Steve Naude, Head, Middle East & Africa, TransferWise

Naude heads the Banking team for the Middle East and Africa at TransferWise, the international money transfer platform. Here he works with banks, partners and regulators to build partnerships and expand the TransferWise experience into the region.

Naude will participate in the panel discussion on financial inclusion in MENA

Mohamed El Sabban, Digital Innovation Head, Digital Banking & GTS, Commercial International Bank, Egypt

El Sabban has 23 years of wide intensive cross-functional experience in managing, developing and implementing large-scale strategic business transformation programs in the region. He is also passionate about blending business strategies, human-centric design, disruptive technologies, and business models to develop digital solutions and drive a culture of continuous innovation.

El Sabban will participate in the panel discussion on financial inclusion in MENA.

Craig Moore, CEO, Beehive

As founder and CEO, Moore is responsible for overseeing the overall strategic direction and managing the day-to-day operations of Beehive. Before founding Beehive, he was a founder and COO of Butterfly Software, a data analytics and migration software company acquired by IBM in September 2012.

Moore will participate in the panel discussion on financial inclusion in MENA.

Devie Mohan, CEO, Burnmark

Mohan is a fintech industry advisor and analyst based in London. She is the co-founder and CEO of Burnmark, a fintech research company. She is a panel member on the ING group Think Forward initiative on better financial decision making. She writes extensively on innovation, disruption and digitalisation and is a columnist with several publications.

Mohan will participate in the panel discussion on financial inclusion in MENA.

Yvonne Gale, CEO, NEL Fund Managers

CEO of NEL Fund Managers, a specialist impact investment firm providing tailored funding to small and medium-sized businesses in the North East of England, Gale is also a director of NI Growth Loan Fund General Partner, overseeing the operation of similar funds in Northern Ireland by Whiterock Capital Partners LLP.

Gale will participate in the panel discussion on financial inclusion in MENA.

Tariq Sanad, CFO, Fetchr

Sanad will participate in our unicorn interview.