Discover the 2025 Agenda | Money20/20 Middle East

11:45 AM

MoneyPot

Tuesday 16 September, 11:45 AM—12:25 PM (40 min)

Podcast : Banking Transformed with Jim Marous

Banking Transformed with Jim Marous Guest: Ronit Ghose, Global Head, Future of Finance, Citi Group

Speakers

Jim Marous

Co-Publisher, The Financial Brand Owner/CEO | Digital Banking Report Host, Banking Transformed Podcast #1 Banking Influencer

Ronit Ghose

Global Head, Future of Finance | Citi Group

12:00 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 12:00 PM—07:00 PM (7 h)

Live Stream : Livestream Executive Summit Stage - Day 2

12:05 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 12:05 PM—12:20 PM (15 min)

Announcements

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 12:05 PM—12:25 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Digital Trust at Scale: Building the Next Generation of Consumer Finance in Saudi Arabia

The future of money is being written at the intersection of technology infrastructure and public–private digital innovation. From secure national identity systems and open banking rails to cloud-native infrastructure and AI-powered insights, the building blocks of tomorrow’s financial services must be both personalized and trusted at scale.

This session brings together:

Elm, the Saudi digital solutions leader powering national e-services, identity, and open banking integration.
Dell Technologies, providing the AI-driven, cloud-native infrastructure that enables financial services to scale securely and efficiently.

Together, they will explore how digital identity, secure infrastructure, and public–private collaboration are converging to create a financial ecosystem where trust, compliance, and convenience become the foundation of long-term consumer confidence.

Key Discussion Areas:

From Identity to Transactions: How secure national digital identity frameworks (Elm) are enabling trust in consumer financial journeys.
Infrastructure Behind Personalization: Why scalable cloud + AI systems (Dell) are critical for powering next-gen finance.
Cross-Sector Collaboration: How public institutions and global tech providers can co-create future-ready financial ecosystems.
Trust at the Core: Balancing innovation, security, and compliance to deliver financial experiences that consumers adopt, and keep.

Speakers

Abdulaziz Altukhais

Director • Mobility and B2B Horizontal | elm

Abdulrahman Al Soumali

FSI Sales Director | Dell

Jan Malas

Principal | AT Kearney Saudia Arabia Limited

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 12:05 PM—12:45 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Global Vision, Regional Lens: Next Big Bets on MENA Fintech

Leading MENA Vc’s investments join pioneering founders from global scaleups to dissect the region's unprecedented growth trajectory, exploring how regulatory innovation, demographic advantages, and digital banking potential are transforming MENA into fintech's most compelling new frontier.

Speakers

Jean Abillama

Founder & CEO | Abillama Group LLC

Rana Abdel Latif

Partner | SpeedInvest

Shane Shin

Founding Partner | Shorooq

Walid Hassouna

Founder | valU

Gautam Jain

Operating Member | SC Ventures Holdings Limited (Registered No.: 17651), Branch of a Foreign Company

Salah Hamawi

Partner | Kearney

12:20 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 12:20 PM—12:35 PM (15 min)

Keynote : GCC-Nigeria Partnership: Shaping New Growth Pathway

Speaker

Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite

Minister of State for Finance | Federal Republic of Nigeria

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 12:20 PM—12:35 PM (15 min)

Keynote : Evolution of Payment Systems in Saudi Arabia

Enabling a Competitive and Inclusive Financial Ecosystem

Speaker

MAHA ALGHAMDI

Media Team Lead | SAUDI CENTRAL BANK (SAMA)

12:25 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 12:25 PM—01:00 PM (35 min)

Deep Dive : Exploring the Role of Biometrics in Shaping Next-Gen Payments

We will be assessing the transformative impact of biometric authentication technologies on retail payments, emphasizing their role in delivering enhanced security and unparalleled convenience. We will also explore the concerns of balancing the need for privacy with the adoption of biometric technologies.

Speakers

Nikolai Suhharnikov

Head of Technical Pre-Sales | SUMSUB / RARITEX TRADE LTD

Philip Glickman

Managing Director International Markets | In-Solutions Global

Samrah Kazmi

Professor | New York Professor

Saad S. Aldawood

Director, Payments Business Relationship Management | Saudi Central Bank

Mahmoud Mohammed Abbar

IT Director | Abdul Latif Jameel Finance

12:35 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 12:35 PM—12:50 PM (15 min)

Keynote : Keynote

Speaker

Chris Stephens

Field CTO | Groq

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 12:35 PM—12:55 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Capital Markets 2.0: Building Resilient & Inclusive Markets in Emerging Economies

This session would explore how emerging economies are developing modern capital markets to support inclusive economic growth, innovation, and sustainable development.

Speakers

H.E. Mr. Sou Socheat

Delegate of the Royal Government of Cambodia, Director General | Securities and Exchange Regulator of Cambodia

Petr Stransky

Founding Partner | IDAP Global

DG, Dr. Emomotimi Agama

Director General | Nigeria Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

12:45 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 12:45 PM—01:05 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Sandbox to Scale with Regulators

Explore how regulatory sandboxes and collaborative partnerships propel fintech startups from concept to scale in MENA’s dynamic ecosystem.

Speakers

Meshari A. Alkheraigi

Director of Regulatory Sandbox | Saudi Central Bank

Sara Bin Seaidan

Manager-FinTech Experiment Unit | Capital Market Authority

Moneerah AlSaber

Programs Manager | Fintech Saudi

12:50 PM

MoneyPot

Tuesday 16 September, 12:50 PM—01:35 PM (45 min)

Podcast : Paymentology’s The Issuer Academy

Paymentology’s The Issuer Academy.

Host: Merusha Naidu with Birce Arslan, VP, Fintech & Enablers, EEMA, Mastercard

Speakers

Birce Arslan

Vice President, Business Development | Mastercard

Jeff Parker

CEO | Paymentology Ltd

Merusha Naidu

Global Head of Network Partnerships | Paymentology Ltd

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 12:50 PM—01:10 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Modernizing the Payments Infrastructure: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Payment Ecosystem

Speakers

Abdulaziz S. Abanmi

Deputy Governor for Payments | Saudi Central Bank

Ronit Ghose

Global Head, Future of Finance | Citi Group

12:55 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 12:55 PM—01:35 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Unlocking Africa’s $3 Trillion Economy: The Role of Fintech in Regional Development

Africa’s economy is valued at over $3 trillion, yet much of its financial potential remains untapped due to fragmented infrastructure, regulatory divergence, and limited regional interoperability. Fintech is rewriting this narrative. From powering cross-border payments under the AfCFTA framework to enabling pan-African lending, savings, and digital identity solutions, fintech is central to unlocking inclusive growth.

This session dives deep into how financial technology is breaking down borders, enhancing regional liquidity, and enabling scalable models for MSMEs, diaspora remittances, and institutional capital flows. Experts will explore the next wave of infrastructure investments, digital currency pilots, regulatory harmonization, and public-private partnerships driving Africa’s financial future.

Key Themes:
• The future of pan-African payment networks (PAPSS, mVISA, etc.)
• AfCFTA, fintech passports, and harmonised regulation
• Real-time cross-border settlements and CBDCs
• Fintech’s role in mobilizing diaspora remittances and sovereign investments
• Regulatory innovations from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, and Morocco

Speakers

Thami Nkadimeng

Founder, CEO, Host & MC | Thami Nkadimeng Group

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi

Director General | National Information Technology Development Agency, Government of Nigeria

Amandine Lobelle

Chief Operating Officer | Paystack

Wale Ayeni

Managing Partner | Helios Investment Partners

Nicolai Eddy

Co-founder & COO | Nala/ RAFIKI

1:00 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 01:00 PM—01:15 PM (15 min)

Keynote : SpaceX Lessons for Banking

In an era where SpaceX’s rapid innovation, fearless risk-taking, and relentless pursuit of reinvention have upended the aerospace industry, most banks remain trapped in Boeing-style legacy thinking – slow, risk-averse, and rigidly hierarchical.

This keynote combines insights from Clayton Christensen’s theory of disruptive transformation with vivid, real-world case studies from within and outside the banking industry.

Discover why relying on yesterday’s playbook is the surest way to stall your bank’s future. Discover how adopting a SpaceX mindset – one that embraces radical iteration, calculated risks, and cross-functional speed – can break the gravitational pull of tradition.

Will your bank soar or get left behind as the financial industry enters its competitive space race? This keynote will compel you to challenge your assumptions and rethink what it takes to lead in a world where innovation is rewarded and hesitation is punished.

Speaker

Jim Marous

Co-Publisher, The Financial Brand Owner/CEO | Digital Banking Report Host, Banking Transformed Podcast #1 Banking Influencer

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 01:00 PM—01:20 PM (20 min)

Keynote : The World of 2050. How AI, Quantum and Climate will Reshape Humanity

Speaker

Brett King

Founder/ Board Member / Advisor | Moven / barq / Central Bank of the UAE

1:05 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 01:05 PM—01:40 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : In the Room: The Conversations That Made the Unicorn

Behind every billion-dollar valuation is a handful of pivotal conversations, the ones that never make it into press releases.
This session pulls back the curtain on those moments: the investor call that changed everything, the co-founder clash that nearly broke the roadmap, the term sheet that didn’t feel right and more.

Speakers

Idris Ayodeji Bello

Managing Partner | LoftyInc Capital

Stefan Klestil

General Partner | Speedinvest

Ashraf Sabry

Co-founder & CEO | Fawry

Omair Ansari

CEO & Co-founder | ABHI

Sonia Gokhale

Co-Founder & General Partner | VentureSouq

1:10 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 01:10 PM—01:50 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Open Banking Without Borders: Global Lessons, Regional Leadership

Draw insights from global Open Banking journeys while exploring how Saudi Arabia can lead in building a scalable, secure and inclusive Open Banking ecosystem

Speakers

Colin Payne

Head of Innovation | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Lori Schwartz

Global Head of Treasury Services, Payments | J.P. Morgan

Bassam Suliman AlEidy

CEO | Enjaz Payments

Mohsen A. Alzahrani

General Director, Innovation Programs | SAMA

Racha Ghamlouch

Co-founder | Digital Digest

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 01:10 PM—01:30 PM (20 min)

Panel Discussion : Preparing for the Next Wave of Innovation in Saudi Finance

As Saudi Arabia accelerates toward Vision 2030, its financial ecosystem is being reshaped by open banking, AI, and cross border fintech activity. This conversation explores how regulators, banks, and innovators can prepare for the next generation of financial regulations whilst balancing innovation, trust, competition, and stability.

Speakers

Karim Samakie

Senior Advisor | Fintech Saudi

Ahmed Mirghani

Partner | BIM Ventures

Amal DOKHAN

Managing Partner | 500 Global

1:15 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 01:15 PM—01:30 PM (15 min)

Fireside Chat : Building the AI Bank of the Future in Emerging and Frontier Markets

As the continued development of AI transforms industries across the globe, financial services are no exception.

Off‑the‑shelf AI solutions often fail to address the realities and complexities of emerging and frontier markets. To thrive in their own environment, local innovators are building proprietary strategies - many of which are setting new benchmarks for what AI‑driven banking can achieve.

Oliver Hughes, Chairman of TBC Uzbekistan, offers a powerful blueprint. TBC has rapidly transformed into Central Asia’s leading digital banking ecosystem, scaling fast and profitably, and pushing the boundaries of what a fully digital banking model can achieve.

TBC’s growth is accelerated by Uzbekistan’s fast-evolving financial infrastructure, where advanced open banking and a data-rich environment create fertile ground for innovation. Building on this foundation - and supported by a deep pool of local and international tech talent - Oliver and his team are actively transforming TBC into the AI Bank of the Future. Their approach illustrates how emerging‑market banks can move beyond off‑the‑shelf solutions, improving models with local data to set new benchmarks in digital banking.

Speakers

Oliver Hughes

Chairman, TBC Uzbekistan/ Board Member | TBC Bank Group PLC/ Tabby

Ronit Ghose

Global Head, Future of Finance | Citi Group

1:20 PM

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 01:20 PM—01:40 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : The Gulf Strategy: Regulation as a Catalyst, not a Constraint

The future of fintech belongs to regions bold enough to modernize their regulatory playbook. This session will share how progressive policy, sandboxing and strategic openness are enabling fintech to thrive in the Middle East while ensuring trust, resilience and long-term growth.

Speakers

Omar Kandil

Head of MENA Public Policy | Stripe

Maha Alsaadi

Head of Regulatory Affairs | Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority

1:30 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 01:30 PM—02:10 PM (40 min)

Deep Dive : Are Digital Assets Fundamentally Transforming the Ecosystem of Financial Markets?

Digital assets are challenging the foundations of traditional finance, from tokenized securities and CBDCs to blockchain and DeFi. This panel explores whether these innovations are truly reshaping global financial markets or simply evolving within existing frameworks. Experts will debate the future of asset ownership, market access, and the role of regulation as digital assets move from the periphery to the core of financial ecosystems.

Speakers

Hon. Caroline D. Pham

Acting Chairman | U.S Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Government of United States

Nicole Valentine

FinTech Director in the Center for Financial Markets | Milken Institute

DG, Dr. Emomotimi Agama

Director General | Nigeria Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Yazeed A. Alnafjan, CFA

Deputy Governor for Financial Innovation, Saudi Central Bank and Chairman of Fintech Saudi | Saudi Central Bank

Paul Kayrouz

Chief Fintech Officer | Central Bank of the UAE

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 01:30 PM—02:00 PM (30 min)

In Conversation ... : Not If, But When: Getting Ready for the Saudi Market

With fintech adoption surging and regulatory support accelerating, Saudi Arabia has become one of the world’s most dynamic markets for scaling financial innovation. But how do you know when the timing is right and how can international players position themselves for success?

Speakers

Somi Arian

CEO | InPeak Time

Gregor Dobbie

CEO | Paydock

1:35 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 01:35 PM—01:50 PM (15 min)

Keynote : A CEO’s Story: Hyper‑Local Execution, Global Ambition – Scaling Yuno’s Payment Orchestration Across Continents

This session highlights how a mobile‑money platform combined hyper‑local execution with global ambition.
This talk would detail how Yuno tailors its platform to local payment cultures while pursuing a worldwide vision. We will delve into how Yuno localizes checkout flows, compliance and UX for each market, yet maintains a single orchestration layer, enabling merchants to expand across Latin America, the Gulf and Asia without changing providers.
We will also learn how this strategy unlocked inclusive finance at scale and lessons in localisation, regulation and scaling in diverse markets.

Speaker

Juan Pablo Ortega

Co-founder & CEO/ Co-founder | Yuno/ Rappi

1:40 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 01:40 PM—02:00 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Ambitious IPOs and the CFO Crisis

Join this refined fireside chat with a distinguished CFO who’s tackled the public market journey. Uncover how to bridge the CFO leadership gap, from cap table precision to compliance mastery.

Speakers

Arjun Vir Singh

Partner | Arthur D. Little

Youssef Salem

Board Member | Enersol

Ish Fatani

Chief Financial officer | Tahaluf

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 01:40 PM—02:00 PM (20 min)

Live Demo : Designing Finance You Can Feel

In a world obsessed with tech, human touch still matters. Hear first-hand from visionaries creating hybrid user experiences that build trust, drive loyalty and feel truly personal.

Speaker

David Barton-Grimley

Director of Strategy | 11:FS

1:50 PM

MoneyPot

Tuesday 16 September, 01:50 PM—02:40 PM (50 min)

Podcast : Everything is Fintech

Everything is Fintech Hosts: Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, Money 20/20 Global & Micky Tesfaye, Head of Audience Development, Money 20/20 Global

Speakers

Andries Smit

Chief Growth Business/ New Venturesn Lead | InDrive

Scarlett Sieber

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer | Money2020 Global

Micky Tesfaye

Head of Audience Development | Money20/20

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 01:50 PM—02:20 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : From Awareness to Access: Building Financial Literacy as Core Infrastructure for Emerging Economies

Financial literacy is no longer just a social initiative; it is critical economic infrastructure. In emerging markets across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, the adoption of digital wallets, real-time payment systems, and fintech innovations often outpaces public understanding. Without trust and education, even the most advanced rails risk underutilization.
This panel explores how public-private partnerships are scaling financial education to unlock economic participation and accelerate fintech adoption. By combining the reach of governments, development institutions, and regulators with the engagement power of financial educators and digital creators, literacy can become the foundation for inclusion, trust, and long-term economic growth.
Key Discussion Points:
• Financial Literacy as Infrastructure: How embedding literacy in national strategies supports remittance flows, savings, and digital payments adoption.
• Public-Private Collaboration Models: Case studies of how creator networks, fintechs, and regulators can co-deploy scalable education initiatives.
• Trust Ecosystems in Emerging Markets: Why education, storytelling, and social media engagement are essential to onboard the unbanked.
• From Awareness to Usage: Translating knowledge into active participation in digital finance and formal economies.

Speakers

Tram Anh Nguyen

Co-founder | CFTE

Gabriel Nussbaum

Influencer, Financial educator and content creator | “That Money Guy”

Tunji Andrews

CEO | Awabah / PenPay

Dr. Hajar El Haddaoui

Director General | Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO)

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 01:50 PM—02:05 PM (15 min)

Fireside Chat : Post-IPO Playbook: Scaling Wealth Management for the Next Generation

A must-hear for fintech founders, investors, and capital market leaders navigating scale. This session explores how a leading firm is leveraging its public platform to innovate wealthtech in Saudi Arabia. From retail investor tools to AI-driven portfolio strategies, what’s next in the democratization of investing across the region?

Speakers

Mohammed AlShammasi

Chief Executive Officer | Derayah Financial

Yoshi Yokokawa

Co-founder & CEO | Alpaca

2:00 PM

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 02:00 PM—02:20 PM (20 min)

Presentation : From Embedded to Everywhere - A New Era of B2B Payments

Sharing insights on how embedded finance is revolutionizing global transactions and the intricates of powering an extensive network across 100s of countries.

Speaker

Vijay Rao

SVP, Head of APAC | TransferMate Global Payments

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 02:00 PM—02:40 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Cross-Border Payments & Investment - The Future of Fintech Capital Flow

Exploring fintech investment trends and how global capital is fueling the expansion of cross-border payments platforms between MENA and international markets.

Speakers

Monica Brand Engel

Co-founder & Managing Partner | Quona Capital

Rinat Ablet

Chief Revenue Officer | Tiqmo

Ashish Aggarwal

Partner | PayPal Ventures

Michele Mattei

Fintech expert | Private investor

Umer Sharif

Investment Director | Joa Capital

2:05 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 02:05 PM—02:25 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : A Bank’s Role in Enabling Growth of Small & Medium Sized Businesses

Small and medium-sized businesses remain the backbone of economic growth across the Middle East, yet many still face barriers to financing, digital adoption and market expansion. In this fireside chat, leaders explore how financial institutions are evolving from lenders into strategic growth partners. From embedded payment solutions to tailored credit and data-driven insights, the discussion will uncover how collaborative innovation is unlocking new opportunities for the region’s most dynamic enterprises.

Speakers

Jayesh Patel

CEO | Wio Bank

Onur Kursun

Executive Vice President, Commercial and New Payment Flows, East Europe, Middle East & Africa | Mastercard

Kriti Jain

APAC Head of Fintech, Platform & Digital Economy Cash Solutions & APAC Head of Fintech | Deutsche Bank

2:10 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 02:10 PM—02:20 PM (10 min)

Keynote : The Next Frontier of Digital Banking: From Platforms to Ecosystems

Speaker

Eze Szafir

CEO | D360

2:20 PM

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 02:20 PM—02:40 PM (20 min)

Regional Insights : Killing the OTP and the path to Passwordless

Social engineering, the dark web and AI powered fraud have flipped the script. Practical and effective tools banks, payment apps and regulators are turning to.

Speaker

Toby Rush

CEO | Ideem

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 02:20 PM—02:40 PM (20 min)

Keynote : A CEO's Story: Borderless Ambition: Scaling Financial Inclusion from Africa to the Gulf

Airtel Money is rewriting the rules of financial inclusion. With over 45 million customers across 14 African countries, it is one of the world’s most expansive mobile money platforms, offering not just digital wallets but a full suite of payments, credit, savings, and merchant services.

In this keynote, Ian Ferrao, CEO of Airtel Money (part of Airtel Africa PLC), shares an inside look at how a mobile-first fintech strategy is unlocking economic empowerment at unprecedented scale.

With strategic backing from investors like the Qatar Investment Authority and Lunate (Abu Dhabi), Airtel Money is creating a new playbook for fintech: one that’s hyper-local in execution, yet global in ambition.

Key Themes

• Inclusive Finance at Scale: How Airtel Money is leveraging mobile infrastructure to reach millions traditionally excluded from formal finance.

• Building Across Borders: Lessons in localization, regulation, and scaling financial ecosystems in diverse, high-growth markets.

• The Future of Mobile Money: From simple wallets to integrated financial platforms powering everyday life.

Why It Matters

With Africa at the forefront of fintech innovation, this session offers critical insights into how technology, capital, and leadership are converging to shape a truly borderless financial future, one that can serve as a model for emerging markets around the world.

Speaker

Johnson Kunju

Entourage | Ian Ferrao

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 02:20 PM—02:35 PM (15 min)

Presentation : Winning Cross-Border Payments with Payment Orchestration

Cross-border payments are broken. High decline rates, inflated processing costs, and fragmented local preferences are hurting global businesses, especially in emerging markets. In this session, Nakul & Arun from Juspay will break down how businesses can leverage Payment Orchestration to optimize authorization rates, reduce costs across borders and localize the payment flows. Whether you're scaling in MENA or globally, this session will offer actionable insights on how modern payment orchestration can transform cross-border performance into a growth advantage.

Speakers

Arun Baskaran

Product Lead for APAC & Middle East | Juspay Global Pte Ltd

Nakul Kothari

Head of APAC & Middle East | Juspay

2:25 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 02:25 PM—02:40 PM (15 min)

Fireside Chat : Building Secure Digital Economies

This session explores how leaders are enabling wallet-to-wallet interoperability and bridging fragmented payment systems to create seamless, cross-border financial experiences. From infrastructure to policy, discover the strategies powering a more stable and inclusive global payment network.

Speakers

Wenhui Yang

CEO, Tenpay Global (Singapore) | Tencent

Scarlett Sieber

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer | Money2020 Global

2:35 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 02:35 PM—03:15 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Are we there yet? The Advancement of Digital Wallets

• In this session we will explore the rapid growth in the adoption of digital wallets and how they are becoming the central hub for consumer finance and retail.
• This panel brings together executives from leading digital wallet providers to discuss the current landscape, innovative strategies, and the future implications for consumers and the financial industry.

Speakers

Mario Nobile

Director General | Agency for Digital Italy, Government of Italy

Ahson Saeed

Managing Director | TPS Arabia

Elliott Gotkine

TV news correspondent | TV news correspondent

Khalid A. Alqusmul

Director, Payments Product Development & Management | Saudi Central Bank

Turki Mohammed Almukirin

CEO | Alinma Pay

Brett King

Founder/ Board Member / Advisor | Moven / barq / Central Bank of the UAE

2:40 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 02:40 PM—03:00 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : The Next Chapter for Capital Markets Infrastructure

From tokenized assets to real-time settlement, capital markets infrastructure is seeing global disruption. Hear from market operators, regulators, and fintechs building faster, smarter, more resilient systems.

Speakers

Arjun Vir Singh

Partner | Arthur D. Little

Yazeed AlDomaiji

CEO | Wamid

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 02:40 PM—03:00 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Rethinking Resilience in Modern Payment Systems

This discussion explores the invisible fragility of global payment infrastructure, why redundancy isn’t resilience, and how institutions must evolve.

Speakers

David Birch

Global Ambassador | Consult Hyperion

Lionel Grosclaude

CEO | Fime

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 02:40 PM—03:20 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Beyond the Balance Sheet: Private Credit and the Future of Asset-Backed Finance in MENA

As MENA's capital markets mature, a quiet revolution is reshaping the region’s lending landscape. This session explores the convergence of two powerful forces: the rise of private credit and the evolution of asset-backed financing including credit externalization.

Speakers

Fares Bardeesi

Board Member & CEO | Sukna Capital

Omar Alireza

Vice President - Private Credit | Merak Capital

Jesus Rio Cortes

Partner | Apollo Management

Andrei Ugarov

Managing Director Credit Advisory | Impact46

Armineh Baghoomian

Managing Director | Partners for Growth

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 02:40 PM—03:30 PM (50 min)

Panel Discussion : Global Exchange: Banking on Innovation: Powering Inclusive Growth in Emerging Economies

This dynamic panel explores how next-generation digital payment platforms and financial technologies are accelerating financial inclusion and economic empowerment across emerging markets. From Africa’s M-Pesa and Nigeria’s Heir Technologies to Brazil’s Pix, UAE’s Botim and Singapore’s PayerMax, we’ll unpack the real-world impact of innovations reshaping retail finance, business banking, and micro-finance.

Our speakers will spotlight the infrastructure and regulatory frameworks enabling this transformation - from secure connectivity and digital identity to data governance and cross-border capabilities. With insights from the leaders driving these shifts, the discussion will highlight what’s next for fintech in the Global South and how digital ecosystems can fuel sustainable growth at scale.

Speakers

Sanjiv Purushotham

Founder & CEO | Bridge Solutions

Glauber Mota

CEO - Brazil | Revolut

Obong Idiong

CEO | Heirs Technologies

Sitoyo Lopokoiyit

CEO | M-Pesa Africa

Essay Zhu

COO & Partner | PayerMax

2:45 PM

MoneyPot

Tuesday 16 September, 02:45 PM—03:45 PM (1 h)

Podcast : Fintech Insider

Host: David Barton Grimley, Fintech Strategy Director, 11:FS Group The Future of Underwriting: Where Consumers, SMEs & Data Collide Guests: Salman Akhtar, CEO, Adalfi Walid Hassouna, CEO, ValU Abdulla Almoayed, CEO, Tarabut

Speakers

David Barton-Grimley

Director of Strategy | 11:FS

Salman Akhtar

CEO | Adalfi

Walid Hassouna

Founder | valU

Abdulla Almoayed

Founder and CEO | Tarabut

3:00 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 03:00 PM—03:40 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : The Next Decade of Middle East Fintech

With insights from visionary leaders, this session will uncover how financial innovation continues to drive economic growth on a global scale while shining a light on AI, Quantum computing and embedded finance and their potential impact on the future of finance.

Speakers

Abdullah Alibrahim

CEO | Neoleap

Abdulaziz Al Jouf

Founder & CEO | PayTabs Group

Melike Kara Tanrikulu

CEO | e&Money

Naif AbuSaida

Founder & CEO | HAKBAH

Zeeshan Khwaja

Partner | Kearney

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 03:00 PM—03:20 PM (20 min)

Regional Insights : Learnings from UK & US Policy

Does slow and steady win the race? This session will reflect on pivotal industry moments with best practices navigating the complex intersection of innovation, regulation, and compliance.

Speaker

Nilixa Devlukia

CEO | Payments Solved

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 03:00 PM—03:30 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Who’s Policing the Machines? AI, Ethics, and Fintech

Behind the hype of AI in fintech lies a harder question: who sets the rules when algorithms start making decisions that move money and shape markets? Expect unfiltered perspectives on whether regulation can keep pace with technology or if we’re already letting the machines run.

Speakers

Douglas Arner

Associate Director - Research Programmes, Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance | Cambridge University & University of Hong Kong

Amin Manji

Senior Executive Vice President/Group Chief Information Technology Officer | National Bank of Pakistan

Ali Raza

Program Manager | Saudi Arabia

3:15 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 03:15 PM—03:55 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Idea Xchange: Retail 4.0: Intelligence, Access & the New Loyalty - How AI, Open Banking, and Embedded Payments Are Transforming Commerce

The convergence of AI, open banking, and intelligent payments is redefining retail engagement, especially in emerging markets where digital-first consumers are leapfrogging traditional banking and loyalty structures.

This session explores how AI-driven personalization, real-time payment insights, and open banking APIs are creating richer, more dynamic commerce journeys, where every transaction is also a data point, and every customer interaction is an opportunity to build trust and tailor value.

Panelists will unpack how open banking is enabling retailers and fintechs to access real-time financial insights, powering hyper-personalized recommendations, smarter credit decisions, and new forms of loyalty that are predictive, not just reactive.

We’ll also examine the ethical and regulatory implications of using personal financial data in AI-driven retail ecosystems, with lessons from Africa, GCC, and Asia’s digital-native markets.

Key Themes:

• Real-time personalization through AI + payment + banking data.
• Loyalty 2.0: From reward points to predictive behavioural loyalty models
• Open banking APIs powering tailored retail offers and financing
• Embedded finance: BNPL, microloans, and insurance within the checkout flow
• Ethics & algorithmic accountability in personalized financial offers
• Case studies from digital-first ecosystems in Africa, GCC, and Asia

Speakers

Omar Ebeid

Founder & CEO | Zeal

Ali Abulhasan

Co-Founder & CEO | Tap Payments

Georgios Kolovos

Payments & FinTech Leader, EMEA | NVIDIA

Kamal Marghlani

Chief Revenue Officer | Foodics

Steve Suarez

CEO | HorizonX

The Bridge

Wednesday 17 September, 03:15 PM—03:30 PM (15 min)

Keynote : A CEO’s Story: Timing the Leap: Revolut’s Bold Expansion from Europe and America to Latin America’s Brazil

Speaker

Glauber Mota

CEO - Brazil | Revolut

3:20 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 03:20 PM—04:00 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Empowering Fintech in Saudi: Real Builders, Real Lessons

A candid conversation with four founders and one investor reshaping debt, insurtech, and wealthtech and the drivers that make the ecosystem stronger.

Speakers

Sultan Ghaznawi

Chairman & Managing Director | Scene Holding

Saud Alraslani

Founder & CEO | Ebra

Karim Chouman

Founder & CEO | MYNE

Rayan Alzamil

Co-Founder & CEO | SalesFine

Masoud Alhelou

CEO | Yasmina

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 03:20 PM—03:40 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Decoding Fintech Investment Signals: Beyond the Numbers

Investors today are swimming in data, but which signals truly matter when spotting the next breakout fintech? This candid session dissects how VCs and bank-backed funds are separating noise from real opportunity-covering predictive data, founder behavior, sector traction, and global vs regional trends shaping deal flow.

Speakers

MP Oliveira

Head of Venture Investments | Mashreq-NeoVentures

Finn Hatherell

Venture Partner | Next Sequence

3:30 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 03:30 PM—04:10 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : From Cash to Clicks: The Mobile Money Revolution in Emerging Markets

Emerging markets are undergoing a seismic financial transformation, fuelled by mobile money, digital wallets, and embedded finance. What began as a solution to cash scarcity has evolved into a robust digital financial ecosystem that is disrupting traditional banking and reshaping how millions access payments, credit, insurance, and investment products.

This session explores how mobile-led innovations are powering financial inclusion at scale, from the rise of super apps in Africa and Asia to the integration of micro-insurance and investment products directly into everyday digital platforms.
We’ll unpack the role of telcos, fintechs, and banks in democratizing financial services, and examine the next frontier: trading and wealth creation tools tailored for low-income and mobile-first populations.

With cross-sector collaboration accelerating, we’ll also explore how embedded finance is making digital commerce frictionless, and how regulators are navigating this rapid evolution to safeguard consumers while spurring innovation.

Expect insights on:

• The evolution of mobile money into full-stack financial platforms
• Success stories
• The rise of embedded insurance and investments in underserved regions
• Emerging trading tools for mass-market users
• Public-private partnerships shaping the future of mobile finance

Speakers

Sanjiv Purushotham

Founder & CEO | Bridge Solutions

Rina Neoh

Co-founder and Partner | Ficus Venture Capital

Ahmad Yaacoub

VP, Business Development | Thunes

Bente Krogmann

CEO | mTek Services

Nicolai Eddy

Co-founder & COO | Nala/ RAFIKI

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 03:30 PM—04:00 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Fintech’s Blind Spot: Gen Z

Gen Z is reshaping money, credit, and financial education. Yet most fintechs overlook their realities: debt, literacy gaps, and a demand for digital-first tools. Explore why Gen Z remains fintech’s blind spot and where the real opportunities lie.

Speakers

Micky Tesfaye

Head of Audience Development | Money20/20

Aleena Nadeem

Founder & CEO | Edufi

David Barton-Grimley

Director of Strategy | 11:FS

Shereen Tawfiq

Founder & CEO | Balinca

3:40 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 03:40 PM—04:00 PM (20 min)

Deep Dive : Scaling Global Payments - Infrastructure, Innovation, and Interoperability

With insights from visionary leaders, this session will uncover the journey to building scalable, interoperable payment systems that meet the demands of a global economy.

Speakers

Mo Ali Yusuf

CEO & Founder | Fuze Finance

Remo Abbondandolo

General Manager, Middle East | Checkout.com

Sophie Guibaud

Fintech Growth Advisor & Co-Chair - Saudi Chapter | MENA Fintech Association

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 03:40 PM—04:00 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Lessons from Building Starling and Scaling It for the World

To compete in a real-time financial world, banks need infrastructure that lets them launch fast, iterate faster and integrate seamlessly. This session delivers a sharp overview of how a platform-first mindset is changing what’s possible (and profitable) in modern financial services.

Speakers

Sam Everington

CEO | Engine by Starling

Arjun Vir Singh

Partner | Arthur D. Little

3:55 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 03:55 PM—04:10 PM (15 min)

Fireside Chat : Modernizing Financial Infrastructure: Navigating Legacy, Scale, and Speed

As digital adoption accelerates across the region, financial institutions face a dual challenge: modernizing legacy infrastructure while meeting rising consumer expectations. This session explores how cloud-native platforms are enabling banks and fintechs to move faster, scale securely, and adapt to local market needs, without the disruption of traditional system overhauls. Drawing on global examples and regional realities, the conversation will focus on practical strategies for delivering real-time payments, digital wallets, and next-gen capabilities in complex, fast-moving environments.

Speakers

Walter Lironi

SVP, Head of Value-Added Services, CEMEA | Visa

Vishal Dalal

CEO | Pismo

4:00 PM

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 04:00 PM—04:20 PM (20 min)

In Conversation ... : The Thin Line Between Purpose and Profit

As venture platforms scale, can they stay true to their founding values or does growth inevitably push “profit first”?

This session explores the razor-thin line between purpose and profit

Speakers

Aslihan Demirel Arslan

SVP, Venture Build | NeoVentures-Mashreq

Mitul Ruparelia

General Partner | Arāya Ventures

Sacha Haider

Chief Strategy Officer | Astra Tech/ Botim

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 04:00 PM—04:20 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Micro Moments, Macro Impact: Women Are Redefining the Economy

Zooming into how women as consumers, founders and innovators are reshaping the future of finance.

Speakers

Kristy Duncan

Founder & CEO | Women in Payments

Sarah Hewerdine

Director of Marketing & Founder | She Builds Podcast

MoneyPot

Tuesday 16 September, 04:00 PM—05:00 PM (1 h)

Podcast : Thameen | ثمين

Investing in the Digital World الاستثمار في العالم الرقمي

Presented in Arabic - سيقدم باللغة العربية

Host : Nezar Alhaidar, VP & Country Head, Lean Technologies Guest: Ali Alorainy, CEO, Malaa Technologies

Speakers

Nezar Alhaidar

CEO | Lean Technologies

Ali Alorainy

Chief Executive Officer | MALAA Information Technology

Boardroom

Tuesday 16 September, 04:00 PM—05:30 PM (1 h 30 min)

Roundtable : G20 Roadmap & the Future of Cross-Border Payments

This roundtable will bring together thought leaders, policymakers, and industry experts to discuss the G20 roadmap for enhancing cross-border payments. Together, we will identify current gaps and challenges hindering progress and explore practical solutions and coordinated actions—across both public and private sectors—to accelerate achievement of the roadmap’s targets.

Speakers

Serena Sebastiani

Senior Director | PwC Middle East Virtual Assets Consulting Lead, Fintech, Assets & Wealth Management

Tom Zschach

Chief Innovation Officer | Swift

Kai Wu

Chief Revenue Officer | Airwallex

Douglas Arner

Associate Director - Research Programmes, Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance | Cambridge University & University of Hong Kong

Carlos Menendez

COO | dLocal

Sandra Ro

CEO | Global Blockchain Business Council

Azleena Idris

Head of Strategy | Paynet

Saeeda Jaffar

Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region | Visa

Nilixa Devlukia

CEO | Payments Solved

Sabih Behzad

Global Head of Digital Assets & Currencies | Deutsche Bank

Marie Walker

Open Futurist | Raidiam

Monica Jasuja

Chief Expansion and Innovation Officer | Emerging Payments Association Asia

Olugbenga Agboola

Co-founder & CEO | Flutterwave

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 04:00 PM—04:20 PM (20 min)

Panel Discussion : FinTech Arabia: The Future of Finance In The Kingdom

This panel brings together leading voices from regulation, venture capital, banking, and fintech to reflect on Saudi Arabia’s fintech transformation.

From policy to product, the conversation explores how the Kingdom is building a globally competitive fintech ecosystem.

Recorded in conjunction with the documentary Fintech Arabia, this session captures the key forces shaping the future of finance in the region.

Speakers

Abdulaziz Alomran

CEO | Impact46

Saeed Abdullah Assiri

Chief Innovation Officer - Innovation Banking | SAB BANK

Somi Arian

CEO | InPeak Time

Saad Almuhanna

Deputy CEO and Co-Founder. | BARQ

Annabelle Mander

Executive Vice President | Tahaluf

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 04:00 PM—04:35 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : Digital Identity – Rethinking Trust and Control

Who do consumers actually trust to hold their data? This session unpacks the power dynamics between banks, Big Tech, governments, and regulators, while exploring the upside: faster experiences, smarter security and real ownership.

Speakers

Justin Grooms

President | Bolt Financial

Mario Nobile

Director General | Agency for Digital Italy, Government of Italy

Henk Van Hulle

CEO | Open Banking (OBL)

Chris Skinner

Financial Author, independent commentator on the financial markets and technology trends | The Finanser

4:10 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 04:10 PM—04:50 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Will the Emergence of Agentic AI be a Significant Disruptor in Transforming the Financial Services Landscape?

Agentic AI the next evolution of artificial intelligence where systems not only analyze but act autonomously, is beginning to challenge the very foundations of financial services. From enabling proactive remittance flows and predictive compliance to transforming insurance, payments, and banking operations, this new class of AI raises a pressing question: will it be a true disruptor or simply the next enabler of efficiency?

This high-level discussion, moderated by Boston Consulting Group, brings together leaders from global fintechs, central banking, traditional financial institutions, and insurtech pioneers to explore the real-world impact of agentic AI on the financial system.

Key themes will include:

Cross-Border Implications: How agentic AI could reshape remittances, treasury, and always-on liquidity networks.

Payments & Infrastructure: What agent-led automation means for fraud detection, settlement, and consumer trust in global payment rails.

Insurance & Risk Management: How AI-driven autonomy is redefining claims, underwriting, and proactive protection.

Institutional & Regulatory Perspectives: What central banks and traditional banks need to do to manage accountability, ethics, and resilience in an AI-first era.

The Human-Digital Balance: Where consumers still demand human oversight versus where they will embrace full autonomy.

By blending perspectives from Remitly, the National Bank of Pakistan, Curacel, Adyen, and the Saudi Central Bank, this session offers a rare 360° view of how agentic AI could transform the global financial architecture, delivering efficiency, inclusion, and innovation while raising new governance and trust challenges.

Speakers

Amin Manji

Senior Executive Vice President/Group Chief Information Technology Officer | National Bank of Pakistan

Mahmoud Ismail

Chief of Staff & Head of Acquiring, Payments and Operations, MEA | Adyen

Henry Mascot

Founder & CEO | Curacel

Mohamed Mansour

CEO, Head of Region (GCC) | Remitly

Marcin Matyja

Principal | Boston Consulting Group

Khalid K. Alsohaim

Director, Payments Business Operations | Saudi Central Bank

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 04:10 PM—04:50 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Why Launch in the Middle East? The Region’s Fintech Magnetism Unpacked

Once considered a frontier, the Middle East is now a magnet for global fintech expansion. Fuelled by a young, tech-savvy population, accelerated digital transformation, and pro-innovation regulatory environments from Riyadh to Dubai, the region offers unmatched conditions for fintech growth.

This session unpacks the region’s market opportunity, policy-driven innovation, and the unique strategic value of using the Middle East as a launchpad into wider MENAP and emerging markets. From success stories to cautionary tales, panellists will explore what it takes to win in the Middle East - and why the moment is now.

Speakers

Adil Khan

Partner | Kearney

Ali Abulhasan

Co-Founder & CEO | Tap Payments

Abdulaziz Aljasser

COO & Co-founder | Qlub

Simon Sharp

Senior Partner | Global Ventures

mohammed Akkar

CEO | Jisr

4:20 PM

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 04:20 PM—04:40 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Digital Dollars: Power, Policy & Platforms

A high-level distillation of Citi’s Digital Dollars Report, exploring how tokenized money, CBDCs and digital dollars could reshape global finance, power structures and financial infrastructure.

Speakers

Ronit Ghose

Global Head, Future of Finance | Citi Group

Hanna Raftell

Partner | Sigmoid Ventures

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 04:20 PM—04:40 PM (20 min)

Interview : Why We Passed on the Deal: Reality and Regret

Join Armineh from Partners for Growth and Michael O’Loughlin from Argonautic Ventures for a candid conversation on the tough calls behind the term sheets. They’ll unpack the thinking behind why they passed on some of today’s biggest “unicorn” successes, offer a behind the scenes look into the decision making process, and reveal one deal they wish they hadn’t let go. A raw and insightful session for founders and investors alike.

Speakers

Armineh Baghoomian

Managing Director | Partners for Growth

Michael O’Loughlin

Managing Partner | Argonautic Ventures

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 04:20 PM—04:50 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Democratizing Wealth: Diversifying Assets and Fractionalized Ownership

Explore how fractionalized ownership and diversified assets are revolutionizing wealth creation, making investment opportunities accessible to all in an inclusive, innovative financial landscape.

Speakers

Sophie Liao

Founding Partner | Republic Ventures

Tarik Chebib

CEO | Capital.com

Manar Mahmassani

Co-Founder | Stake

Rawan Baddour

Co-founder | Zest Equity

Ahmed El Hamawy

CEO | EquiTie

4:35 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 04:35 PM—04:50 PM (15 min)

Fireside Chat : Fireside Chat: Advancing AI Infrastructure, Services and Innovation Locally and Globally

This session will explore how world-class AI infrastructure can transform financial services through deep research, fraud detection, translation-driven analysis, and next-generation security beyond biometrics. With trust and compliance at the core, the discussion will emphasize sovereign AI, transparent in-country deployments, and the strategic partnerships between regulators, banks, and startups needed to drive sustainable innovation.

Speakers

Dr. Yaser Al-Onaizan

Deputy CEO & President of Data & AI Models | HUMAIN

Samrah Kazmi

Professor | New York Professor

4:40 PM

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 04:40 PM—05:10 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Too Fast, Too Free? Why Seamless Payments Threaten the Status Quo

Cross-border payments are moving faster and cheaper than ever, powered by mobile money, digital wallets, and new rails that bypass the old guard. But with every friction removed, new questions emerge: What happens to governments who depend on controlling flows? To banks who profit from fees? To regulators tasked with policing money that now moves at the speed of text?

Speakers

Monica Jasuja

Chief Expansion and Innovation Officer | Emerging Payments Association Asia

Ola Oyetayo

Co-Founder & CEO | Verto

Jorge Carrasco

Managing Director Blockchain and Digital Assets | FTI Consulting

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 04:40 PM—05:00 PM (20 min)

Presentation : Wealthtech for the New World: Building the Future of Investing From MENA

This session explores how MENA-born wealthtech platforms can redefine the investing experience—not just for the region, but for the world. By realigning incentives, rethinking access, and designing with cultural and regulatory nuance, we unpack what it takes to build inclusive, scalable, and globally relevant investing solutions from this fast-growing part of the world.

Speaker

Bilal Abou Diab

Co-Founder & CEO | Vault Wealth

4:50 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 04:50 PM—05:10 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : In Conversation with: Regulation at a Crossroads: Unlocking Innovation Through Smarter Compliance, Risk, and Security Frameworks

Regulation is no longer just about oversight, it's at the heart of shaping the future of financial innovation. As the industry stands at a crossroads, institutions must strike a critical balance between compliance, risk management, and the need to innovate. In this fireside chat, industry leaders explore how smarter, more adaptive frameworks can unlock innovation without compromising security or stability. What does it take to turn regulation from a constraint into a catalyst? Join us for a forward-looking discussion on redefining the role of compliance and risk in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.

Speakers

Stela Willemstein

Credit Risk Director for Global Wealth Management | UBS Group

Malik Alyousef

Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer | MOZN

Samuel Ubido

Chairman | Techinnovate Group

The Capital

Tuesday 16 September, 04:50 PM—06:50 PM (2 h)

MoneySurge : MoneySurge Pitch Competition - Round 2

MoneySurge Round 2 - 15 bold founders. 3 minutes each. One shot to convince the judges their startup is the next big thing. Be there to support our founders as they pitch their ideas to a panel of 3 top judges.

Don’t miss the energy, the ambition, and the startups that could change the future.

Speakers

Scarlett Sieber

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer | Money2020 Global

Faisal Alhajj

Head of MENA | 9900 Capital

Alexandros Bottenbruch

Partner | PayPal Ventures

Mariam Zaidi

Anchor TRT World | Founder MZ Productions

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 04:50 PM—05:10 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : In Conversation with Senator Ibrahim Hadejia: Unlocking Africa’s Growth: Gulf Partnerships, AfCFTA Momentum & Nigeria’s $1.2 Trillion Opportunity

Africa faces an annual financing gap of over $1.2 trillion, yet new regional frameworks and strategic partnerships are creating unprecedented opportunities for transformation. At the center of this story sits Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy and a key anchor for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In this exclusive fireside conversation, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, will share a first-hand perspective on how Nigeria is mobilizing capital, shaping regulatory reforms, and positioning itself as a gateway for cross-border investment into Africa’s fastest-growing markets.

Moderated by Fope Adelowo, Head of Fintech and Financial Services at Helios Investment Partners, this dialogue will unpack:

Gulf-Africa Partnerships: How sovereign wealth funds and strategic Gulf investors are accelerating capital flows into African infrastructure, fintech, and energy.
The AfCFTA Advantage: How a unified African market is creating bold new opportunities for trade, financial markets, and regional supply chains.
Nigeria as a Regional Anchor: The role of Nigeria in channeling blended finance, fostering regulatory innovation, and unlocking sustainable development across the continent.
The Next Frontier: How partnerships between governments, DFIs, and private capital can close the $1.2 trillion gap and fuel inclusive growth.

This fireside chat will provide rare insights at the intersection of policy, capital, and strategy, spotlighting how Africa’s growth story is being rewritten through bold regional collaboration and Gulf partnerships.

Speakers

Fope Adelowo

Investor/ Board Member | Helios Investment Partners/ Thunes/ TPAY Mobile/ Paymob

Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia

Deputy Chief of Staff to the President Office, of the Vice President | Federal Republic of Nigeria

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 04:50 PM—05:10 PM (20 min)

Deep Dive : Platform Power: How Embedded Finance Will Reshape Digital Economies in MENA

This session explores how platform-based models are redefining financial services across the MENA region. Industry leaders will unpack how fintechs, telcos and digital ecosystems are embedding payments, credit and insurance into everyday experiences, unlocking new revenue streams and accelerating financial access at scale.

Speakers

Ashraf Sabry

Co-founder & CEO | Fawry

Ayman Essawy

Co-founder & Executive Chairman / Co-founder & CEO/ Board Member | Lucky ONE / Connect Money/ Dsquares/ Endeavor Egypt/Exits MENA

Nicole Valentine

FinTech Director in the Center for Financial Markets | Milken Institute

5:00 PM

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 05:00 PM—05:20 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Fintech’s Role in the Retail Revolution

Uncover how fintech is transforming the retail experience, from seamless checkouts and intelligent payment orchestration to AI-driven personalization and dynamic loyalty. This session explores how technology is enabling smarter shopping journeys through integrated digital wallets, real-time decisioning and frictionless payment flows that adapt to both consumer behavior and merchant needs.

Speakers

Huda Al Moussa

Country President, KSA | PayTabs Group

Omar Kandil

Head of MENA Public Policy | Stripe

5:10 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 05:10 PM—05:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : In Conversation with: Fintech Game Changers: Revolutionising the Business of Sports.

In this session, we kick off with exploring how digital wallets, super apps, embedded finance, NFT monetization and cross-border payments are transforming ticketing, digital fan experience and fan engagement, athlete payouts, sports betting, and sponsorship strategies in football, athletics, and major sports leagues.

Learn how fintech platforms, clubs, and payment providers are partnering to unlock new revenue, deepen fan loyalty, and digitize the stadium-to-wallet experience.

Speakers

Fergus Campbell

Director of Corporate Affairs, EMEA | Airwallex

Elliott Gotkine

TV news correspondent | TV news correspondent

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 05:10 PM—05:50 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Beyond the Wallet: Building Africa’s Mobile-First Financial Future

Africa has become the world’s proving ground for mobile-first financial innovation.
The Continent leads the world in mobile money adoption. but the next frontier goes far beyond basic transfers. This high-impact, powerhouse panel features the trailblazers behind Airtel Money, Onafriq, Paystack and other fintechs turning mobile wallets into full-service platforms for savings, credit, insurance, and commerce; designed for inclusion, scale, and regional interoperability.

Speakers will unpack how telcos, fintechs, investors and infrastructure providers are expanding into new verticals like merchant services, embedded finance, and micro-insurance.

We will also investigate how these stakeholder groups are building the rails of Africa’s digital economy, through interoperability, cross-border payments, and mobile-first infrastructure.

The discussion will also explore how strategic Gulf investments are helping scale Africa's fintech story and accelerating this growth, and what global fintech ecosystems can learn from Africa’s success. The conversation highlights how Africa’s mobile revolution is influencing financial innovation far beyond the continent.

Join us to discover how Africa’s mobile money revolution is setting the benchmark for the next generation of digital finance, one that is borderless, inclusive, and built from the ground up to serve real needs at massive scale.

Speakers

Thami Nkadimeng

Founder, CEO, Host & MC | Thami Nkadimeng Group

Johnson Kunju

Entourage | Ian Ferrao

Simon Black

Chairman | Onafriq

Wale Ayeni

Managing Partner | Helios Investment Partners

Amandine Lobelle

Chief Operating Officer | Paystack

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 05:10 PM—05:30 PM (20 min)

In Conversation ... : Getting The Yes! How I Won The Investment

Speakers

Stefan Klestil

General Partner | Speedinvest

Idriss Al Rifai

Co-founder & CEO | Flow48

Omar Saleh

Co-Founder & Khazna Group CEO | Khazna

5:20 PM

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 05:20 PM—05:40 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Trust, Tokens & Transparency: Rebuilding Finance from the Blockchain Up

Can blockchain rebuild public trust in finance? This spotlight explores how tokenised finance, smart contracts and decentralised ledgers are redefining how we think about transparency, accountability and financial access.

Speakers

Dominic Longman

Global Head of Markets & Managing Director - MENA | Zodia Custody by Standard Chartered

Serena Sebastiani

Senior Director | PwC Middle East Virtual Assets Consulting Lead, Fintech, Assets & Wealth Management

5:30 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 05:30 PM—05:45 PM (15 min)

Fireside Chat : How SAMA's Strategy is Driving the Future of Sector Development

Speakers

Nora M. Albakr

Executive Director, Strategy & Planning | Saudi Central Bank

Piyush Dubey

Partner | Kearney

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 05:30 PM—06:15 PM (45 min)

Networking : Networking Session

Off The Record

Tuesday 16 September, 05:30 PM—06:15 PM (45 min)

Networking : Brett King Book Signing / Networking Session

Speaker

Brett King

Founder/ Board Member / Advisor | Moven / barq / Central Bank of the UAE

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 05:30 PM—05:50 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Asset Management Reinvented: The Dynamic Dance of Human Insight and Algorithmic Precision

The investment management landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer preferences. This panel discussion brings together experts from traditional relationship-based investment management and cutting-edge robo-advisory services to explore the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Our panellists will discuss the current state of the industry, the benefits and challenges of human advisors versus robo-advisors, and what the future holds for investment management. We will investigate the potential opportunities that arise from using data analytics and AI to enhance wealth management and asset management practices, such as rebalancing strategies, sophisticated asset allocation and adapting to real-time market changes. We will also be investigating the opportunities presented to us through the uses of AI based hedging and CRM platforms for financial advisors, as well as the application of new technologies in aiding investment advisors with the tools to manage risk and make better informed decisions.

Speakers

Roger Rouhana

Founder & CEO | Alpheya

Ziad Mabsout

Co-founder & CEO | Vennre

Petr Stransky

Founding Partner | IDAP Global

5:40 PM

MoneyPot

Tuesday 16 September, 05:40 PM—06:20 PM (40 min)

Podcast : Paymentology’s The Issuer Academy

Paymentology’s The Issuer Academy Host: Merusha Naidu Built for Saudi, Connected to the World: Local Roots, Global Impact in Digital Payments Guests: Jeff Parker, CEO, Paymentology, Bassam Suliman AlEidy CEO, Enjaz and Ibrahim Ahmed Farag, Chief Product & Growth Officer, Enjaz

Speakers

Jeff Parker

CEO | Paymentology Ltd

Ibrahim Farag

Chief Products & Growth Officer | Enjaz

Bassam Suliman AlEidy

CEO | Enjaz Payments

Merusha Naidu

Global Head of Network Partnerships | Paymentology Ltd

The Pulse

Tuesday 16 September, 05:40 PM—06:00 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Embedded Finance 2.0: The Rise of Trading-as-a-Service

As embedded finance matures, trading and investing are becoming seamless features within consumer apps, digital wallets, and super apps—especially across the rapidly digitizing MENA region. In this fireside chat, we sit down with founders of the leading investing apps. Together, we’ll unpack how embedded investing is shaping user acquisition, driving new monetization strategies and expanding financial access across a diverse and mobile-first population.

Speakers

Sultan Alkhayal

CEO | Drahim

Tarun Ajwani

Chief Revenue Officer | Alpaca

5:45 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 05:45 PM—06:15 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Agents of Change: AI’s Role in Autonomous Finance

From personal finance copilots to self-executing contracts, AI agents are becoming central to the financial experience. Industry & academic leaders explore the architecture, ethics and opportunities behind agent-led innovation in fintech.

Speakers

Georgios Kolovos

Payments & FinTech Leader, EMEA | NVIDIA

Daniela Braga

Founder and CEO | Defined.ai

David Birch

Global Ambassador | Consult Hyperion

Jim Marous

Co-Publisher, The Financial Brand Owner/CEO | Digital Banking Report Host, Banking Transformed Podcast #1 Banking Influencer

5:50 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 05:50 PM—06:10 PM (20 min)

Keynote : The Airwallex Story: Rewiring Global Money Movement: Designing the Digital Infrastructure for a Connected World

In a world where borders are increasingly digital, but finance is still constrained by legacy infrastructure, Airwallex set out to redesign global banking from the ground up.
In this keynote, Kai Wu, Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager for Asia-Pacific at Airwallex, shares the journey of building one of the fastest-growing global fintechs to serve modern businesses in a borderless world. From the company’s launch in Melbourne to its rapid expansion across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, he takes the audience behind the scenes of scaling a fintech that now powers the financial operations of thousands of companies worldwide.

This story will unpack:

• How Airwallex identified the broken links in global money movement and set out to fix them
• Strategic partnerships across emerging markets that fueled scale and local relevance
• Lessons in navigating complex regulatory landscapes while remaining agile and customer-centric
• Why global connectivity, embedded finance, and infrastructure innovation are the new cornerstones of banking for the next billion users

Whether you’re an entrepreneur building in frontier markets or a policymaker shaping the future of finance, Kai Wu’s story offers insights into what it truly takes to bank the world without borders.

Speaker

Kai Wu

Chief Revenue Officer | Airwallex

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 05:50 PM—06:10 PM (20 min)

Deep Dive : Crossing Borders, Shaping Futures: A Bold Dive into Tomorrow’s Global Finance

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the diverse approaches to solving cross-border challenges, insight into regulatory impacts, and foresight into the future trajectory of global payment solutions.

Speakers

David Cunningham

Director, Head of Strategy & Partnerships for Digital Assets, Treasury and Trade Solutions | CITI

Samrah Kazmi

Professor | New York Professor

Otto Williams

SVP, PayPal World, Regional Head and GM, Middle East and Africa | Paypal

6:10 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 16 September, 06:10 PM—06:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : In Conversation with the Saudi Credit Bureau: Can we use Open Finance to Create More Accurate Lending Scores and Personalization?

Banks are collecting more data than they had been historically.
Can these open doors to new levels of data analytics and insights, not just for lending, but also for increased consumer personalisation.
What can we do with these data insights from open banking?
Are we looking at an effective alternative basis to credit lending?

Speakers

Abdullah Almeshir

Chief Data and Product Officer | SIMAH

Samrah Kazmi

Professor | New York Professor

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 06:10 PM—06:30 PM (20 min)

Deep Dive : Latin America’s Fintech Boom: Opportunities and Challenges

This topic will examine the significant growth of fintech startups in Latin America, highlighting key players like Yuno and Movii, and discuss the regulatory and market challenges they face.

Speakers

Juan Pablo Ortega

Co-founder & CEO/ Co-founder | Yuno/ Rappi

Hernando Rubio

CEO & Co-founder | Movii

Steve Suarez

CEO | HorizonX

6:15 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 16 September, 06:15 PM—06:50 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : Building a Financial System That Works for Everyone

The future of finance is equitable, sustainable and inclusive. From digital wallets to decentralised finance, this session examines the technologies and policies driving equitable access and building scalable, secure and inclusive ecosystems that empower individuals and communities.

Speakers

Ralf Germer

CEO | Pagbrasil /pix

Abdullah Binghannam

Deputy, Financing & Investment | Capital Market Authority

Tino Waked

CEO - Middle East | TapTap Send

Nicole Valentine

FinTech Director in the Center for Financial Markets | Milken Institute

Olugbenga Agboola

Co-founder & CEO | Flutterwave

6:30 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 16 September, 06:30 PM—06:50 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Diaspora Capital and Alternative Investments Unleashed: Unlocking Borderless Growth for Emerging Markets

As traditional banking models fall short of meeting the financial and investment needs of fast-growing populations, a new wave of diaspora-driven capital flows and alternative investment platforms is reshaping the financial landscape across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia.

This fireside chat explores how fintech and VC leaders are bridging capital gaps by combining diaspora remittances and community-driven finance with cutting-edge investment platforms such as crowdfunding, tokenized ownership, and peer-to-peer models. The discussion will highlight how these forces are converging to democratize access to capital for SMEs, startups, and individuals who were once excluded from formal financial systems.

Key themes include:

Diaspora as Catalysts: How diaspora communities are fueling growth beyond remittances, channeling funds into real estate, startups, and local innovation.
Crowdfunding & Alternative Finance: Platforms and models opening new routes for investors and entrepreneurs.
Tokenization & Micro-Ownership: How fintech is enabling small-ticket, borderless participation in large opportunities.
Trust & Regulation: Navigating cross-border governance, risk management, and building investor confidence.
From Remittances to Investment: Turning diaspora flows into structured, scalable investment vehicles.

Speakers

Folajimi Daodu

Founder/Lecturer/Board Member & Chief Strategy Officer | Vaulthill/Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance/Nigerians in Diaspora Chamber of Commerce

Maya Horgan Famodu

Bruno Batavia

Director | Valor Capital Group

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