Middle East & Africa FinTech Forum to be held in March
The second Middle East & Africa Fintech Forum will be held in Manama on March 7-8 under the theme “Beyond Disruption.”
The forum will be opened by Sheikh Rasheed Mohammed Al-Maraj, governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain and hosted by Bank ABC and Arab Financial Services (AFS).
The event will bring together leading and well regarded global experts and industry leaders for a series of talks and discussions addressing the most pressing issues in the fast-evolving FinTech landscape.
The conference will tackle the biggest disruptors for banks in the near future. From the emergence of challenger banks to the cutting-edge advances in artificial intelligence to the rise of cryptocurrencies and the drive for greater financial inclusion across the globe. Keynote speakers include Anthony Thomson, founder of the first UK digital bank, Atom Bank, and the award-winning Metro Bank; and Gregg Cross, chief business officer at Soul Machines, in addition to industry experts and leading FinTech commentators.
Sael Al-Waary, chairman of AFS and deputy group CEO of Bank ABC, said: “This forum goes beyond disruption and helps facilitate the establishment of a cashless society and more sophisticated financial technology services in Bahrain and the region as a whole. As a key regional payments provider and FinTech enabler, AFS is taking this initiative to ensure that all future prospects of the financial industry vis-a-vis technology are explored.”
He said: “The forum is designed to be highly engaging, with discussions on how FinTech is transforming banking, the move from artificial intelligence to emotional intelligence, the future prospects for the financial industry, and how financial inclusion will transform our world. The world-renowned key speakers addressing the conference demonstrate the significance of the dramatic and transformational change across the financial industry.”
B. Chandrasekhar, CEO of AFS, said: “We’re looking forward to hosting the second edition of this crucial forum. Our intent is to enable leading influencers, innovators and investors to discuss and collaborate on implementing ground-breaking solutions. We are dedicated to serving financial institutions and to help our clients optimize the true potential of FinTech. We envisage this annual forum becoming an integral part of our FinTech ecosystem across the MENA region.”
The first AFS MENA FinTech Forum, held in March 2017, saw over 350 attendees with notable speakers such as Susanne Chisti, the author of FinTech Circle, and experts from PayTM India, FSS, Visa, McKinsey, IBM and ai Corp.