THE 2026 AGENDA

Take a look at the Money20/20 Middle East 2026 agenda to see who's taking the stage and the conversations that are defining the future of fintech

Stage

Boardroom

Executive Summit

Next-Gen Money

Off The Record

The Bridge

The Capital

Session Type

What Matters

The Journeys

Banking Journey

Capital Journey

Cyber & Trust Journey

Financial Inclusion Journey

Payments and commerce Journey

What Matters

The conversations that matter most, selected by our editorial team

Day 1

12:30 PM

Executive Summit

Monday 14 September, 12:30 PM—12:40 PM (10 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Taghrid Alhowish

Master of Ceremonies

12:40 PM

Executive Summit

Monday 14 September, 12:40 PM—02:00 PM (1 h 20 min)

Opening Ceremony : Money20/20 Middle East

1:00 PM

The Bridge

Monday 14 September, 01:00 PM—01:10 PM (10 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Yousef Gamal El-Din

Managing Partner | Stagespring LLC

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 01:00 PM—01:05 PM (5 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

The New Consumer

Speaker

Eliott Gotkine

Master of Ceremonies

The Capital

Monday 14 September, 01:00 PM—01:10 PM (10 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Natalie Lindo

Founder | NLM

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 01:00 PM—01:10 PM (10 min)

Opening Remarks : Virtual MC Welcome

1:05 PM

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 01:05 PM—01:25 PM (20 min)

Live Demo : Meet the Other Joseph: A Digital Twin Takes the Stage

Joseph Bradley opens Next-Gen Money Stage alongside his own AI twin, live and unscripted, and the audience questions both. When the room can no longer tell the difference, the question stops being philosophical and becomes a governance problem. Joseph then opens the twin up, shows what actually keeps an agent accountable, names the one decision no institution should ever delegate, and hands the audience the harder question of where their own line sits.

Speakers

Joseph Bradley

Chairman & CEO | JMB X

Beverly Rider

Co-Founder & COO | JMB X

Hamza Aqeel

CTO | JBM X

1:10 PM

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 01:10 PM—01:50 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : The Threat Has Scaled. Have We?

We assume security spend equals security. It doesn’t. Cybercrime is now automated, organised and AI-powered and it targets fintech first, faster than anyone wants to admit. This session combats the comfortable belief that the threat is “handled", and asks what the industry is still treating as covered when it plainly isn’t.

Speakers

Christophe Makni

Head of Data, Automation and AI | Migros Bank

Vittorio Furlan

Independent Non-Executive Director | Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank)

Sumnesh Joshi

Deputy Director General | Government of India

Ronit Ghose

Industry Fellow | University of Cambridge Business School Centre for Finance and Technology

Steve Suarez

CEO | HorizonX

Ray Harishankar

IBM Fellow & Vice President | IBM

The Capital

Capital Journey

Monday 14 September, 01:10 PM—01:25 PM (15 min)

Fireside Chat : Capital Markets Outlook

Global investment is entering a new era, driven by structural shifts rather than short-term market cycles. As geopolitics, technology, and economic transformation reshape the global economy, investors are rethinking where capital flows and where long-term value will be created. This session explores the macroeconomic trends, investment strategies, and cross-border capital flows shaping the future of global finance and what they mean for investors, institutions, and markets worldwide.

Speaker

George Theocharides

Chairman | Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission

The Bridge

Cyber & Trust Journey

Monday 14 September, 01:10 PM—01:40 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Designing Financial Systems That Scale Safely

Balancing innovation, competition, and systemic stability

1:25 PM

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 01:25 PM—02:05 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Influence Is the New Distribution: Who Owns the Financial Customer?

For a growing share of consumers, financial decisions begin before they ever reach a bank or fintech app. Creators, communities and social platforms increasingly shape what people save, invest in, trust and how they understand risk. This panel explores who owns the customer relationship when financial influence moves outside the institution. How should fintechs engage with creators without outsourcing trust, and when influence turns into product adoption or financial loss, where does responsibility sit?

Speakers

Raji Kaippallil Raji

Financial Advisor & Content Creator | FinancewithRaji

Aydan Al-Saad

Founder & Creator | Creator Leaders

Panagiotis Kriaris

Advisor / Fintech, Payments, Banking

Hatem Jarad

Head of SMB - Saudi | Snapchat

Arthur Bedel

Founder, CEO | Monyz

Fawzan AlThobaity

Producer & Presenter | Asharq Bloomberg

The Capital

Capital Journey

Monday 14 September, 01:25 PM—01:55 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Part. 1 Capital Flow Equation: Entry, Retention & Exit

Attracting investment is only the first step. The real measure of a competitive investment ecosystem lies in its ability to deploy capital efficiently, retain investor confidence, and deliver successful exits. From market access and regulatory certainty to liquidity, IPO readiness, and secondary markets, this session explores the conditions that enable capital to flow, grow, and recycle - creating sustainable investment ecosystems that attract long-term global capital.

Speakers

Lukas Bonko

CEO | Bratislava Stock Exchange

Josh Bell

General Partner | Dawn Capital

Cindy Ai

Co-CEO | Dream VC

1:40 PM

The Bridge

Payments and commerce Journey

Monday 14 September, 01:40 PM—02:00 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Trust Corridors: Where Policy Alignment and Fintech Infrastructure Meet

A strategic conversation on how diplomacy, policy alignment, and fintech infrastructure can unlock resilient Cross-Border investment and payments corridors across high-growth emerging markets.

Speakers

Nilixa Devlukia

CEO | Payments Solved

Petra Janež

Financial Controller | Ministry of Finance, Republic of Slovenia

Nizar A. Alangari

Director, Payments Risk Management | Saudi Central Bank

1:55 PM

The Capital

Capital Journey

Monday 14 September, 01:55 PM—02:15 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Part 2. The MENA Exit Gap: Where Liquidity Breaks Down

As investment into the MENA region continues to accelerate, the next challenge is ensuring capital can exit as effectively as it enters. Without deeper public markets, more active secondary transactions, and stronger cross-border M&A activity, venture ecosystems risk stalling before reaching full maturity. This conversation explores the reforms, market infrastructure, and capital market evolution required to close the region's liquidity gap and enable a more self-sustaining investment cycle.

Speakers

Yazeed Alturki

Associate Partner | STV

Alex Hageman

Managing Director, Head of EMEA ECM | Moelis & Company

Nada Helmy

Value Creation Manager | HALA Capital

Nameer Khan

Chairman and Founding Board Member | MENA Fintech Association

2:00 PM

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 02:00 PM—02:30 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Young, Digital, Credit-Shy: Why BNPL is Quietly Winning in KSA & GCC

The accepted wisdom says a young, credit-wary, cash-first population won’t take on credit. The data says the opposite, nearly 85% of payments are already digital, smartphones are universal, and BNPL fits the behaviour like a glove. So why are we still designing for a consumer who no longer exists?

Speakers

Omar Abdelhady

Chief Product & Growth Officer | ValU

Jamie Lane

Founder | FWDstart

Boardroom

Monday 14 September, 02:00 PM—03:30 PM (1 h 30 min)

Roundtable : MFTA (Saudi Chapter): Shaping the Next Phase of FinTech Growth

Saudi Arabia’s fintech ecosystem has grown rapidly, surpassing its initial targets and now entering its next phase of development. With the ambition of reaching 525 fintech companies and 18,000 jobs by 2030, the focus is shifting from building the foundations to scaling a more diverse and globally competitive ecosystem. This executive roundtable will bring together key fintech stakeholders to explore where the next wave of growth will come from across insurtech, regtech, wealthtech, Islamic fintech, embedded finance, SME and trade finance and where the ecosystem still needs support. The discussion will also explore MFTA Saudi’s proposed role, drawing on its experience in other markets, and how it can create impactful, ongoing engagement between fintechs, regulators, investors and ecosystem players.

Speaker

Zain Umer

CEO | CFC MENA / MFTA

The Bridge

Monday 14 September, 02:00 PM—02:30 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Designing Sovereign Money: Inside the CBDC Architecture

Every CBDC reflects a series of architectural decisions that shape how sovereign money functions. From ledger design and identity to interoperability, privacy, settlement and the role of commercial banks, this session explores the choices central banks are making, and why different countries are arriving at different answers. Drawing on real-world CBDC programmes from both emerging and developed markets, it examines the building blocks that will define the next generation of E-money.

Speakers

David Birch

Global Ambassador | Consult Hyperion

Maha Al-Saadi

Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Expert | Independent

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar

Managing Director, International | Circle

Executive Summit

Monday 14 September, 02:00 PM—02:20 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : From Experimentation to Enterprise: Leading Transformation as Scale-up

Technology is transforming financial services at pace. This conversation explores the innovations delivering tangible impact today, the barriers to enterprise-scale adoption, and where the greatest opportunities lie to drive growth and competitive advantage.

Speakers

Mostapha Tahiri

Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer | State Street Corporation

Hanna Raftell

Founding Partner | Stratum 3

2:05 PM

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 02:05 PM—02:40 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : Engineered Money: Who Is Programming Financial Behaviour?

Every nudge has an economic consequence. Credit limits, savings defaults, repayment reminders, rewards, streaks and AI prompts are no longer just UX features — they influence conversion, retention, borrowing, savings behaviour and credit performance. As fintechs race to make money more personalised and frictionless, the same mechanics that improve engagement can also encourage overspending, dependency and debt. This panel asks what financial products should optimise for when engagement and customer outcomes start to diverge, where behavioural design becomes manipulation, and who is accountable when a product is deliberately built to change how people use money.

Speakers

Dr. Efi Pylarinou

Global Fintech & Tech Thought leader & Advisor | GrowFin

Julie Barbier

CEO & Co-Founder | Merit Incentives

Ibtissam Ouassif

Head of Product | Sanabil Venture Studio

Ahmed AlMadan

CEO | Sarj.AI

Yousef Alzamea

Founder & CEO | Kafaa Capital

2:15 PM

The Capital

Monday 14 September, 02:15 PM—02:40 PM (25 min)

Fireside Chat : The Next Capital Market: Programmable Money, Tokenised Assets and 24/7 Liquidity

Capital markets are entering their biggest structural transformation since electronic trading. Programmable money, tokenised assets and instant settlement are reshaping liquidity, collateral mobility, market access and capital formation, creating new opportunities for investors and fundamentally changing how markets operate.As regulated stablecoins, tokenised deposits and central bank digital currencies mature, money itself is becoming part of capital market infrastructure.

2:20 PM

Executive Summit

Monday 14 September, 02:20 PM—02:40 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Trade and Investment: Corridors of Financial Growth

Global trade patterns, investment corridors and economic alliances are reshaping the movement of capital and creating new corridors of growth. This conversation explores what these shifts mean for investment strategy, market access and long-term competitiveness, and how financial leaders can unlock opportunities in a more interconnected global economy.

Speakers

William Mason

Director General | Guernsey Financial Services Commission

Stephanie Hauser

Senior Partner and Leader of the Global Banking Practice | McKinsey & Company

2:30 PM

The Bridge

Monday 14 September, 02:30 PM—03:00 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Innovation Sandboxes: What We Learned from Real-World Experiments

Speakers

Alaa AlRousan

Regional Director, MENA | SWIFT

Aljohara Almandil

SVP - Head of Innovation Lab & Studio | Jeel Digital Innovation Center by Riyad Bank

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 02:30 PM—02:50 PM (20 min)

Deep Dive : Innovation or Imitation? Beyond the Copy-Paste Playbook

Fintech sold itself on disruption, yet most startups are reskinning the same five business models. Payments, lending, neobanks, embedded finance: proven, scalable, fundable… and identical. Has the industry mistaken a copy-paste playbook for innovation?

Speakers

Brad Maasdorp

FinTech Growth Partner | TMC (The Member Company)

Sam Boboev

Founder & CEO | Fintech wrap up

Cordel Robbin Coker

Co-founder & CEO | Carry1st

Rodrigoh Henriques

Director of Innovation and Strategy | FENASBAC

2:40 PM

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 02:40 PM—03:00 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Building the Next Digital Economy: What the New MENA Consumer Expects

MENA is moving from digital adoption to digital advantage. Consumers are shopping more frequently, managing money through digital wallets and increasingly expecting payments to disappear into the experience: fast, secure and effortless. But convenience is changing more than checkout. It is reshaping where consumers shop, which brands they trust, how quickly they abandon a poor experience and how much control they expect to retain as payments become increasingly automated. The session explores what these changing behaviours reveal about the next MENA consumer, and how merchants and financial institutions can translate better performance, local relevance and trust into sustainable growth.

Speakers

Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo

General Manager, MENA | Checkout.com

Mina Vucic

Director of Production & Multimedia | Entrepreneur Middle East

The Capital

Monday 14 September, 02:40 PM—03:20 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Capital Meets Africa’s Growth Opportunity

As global investors diversify beyond traditional regional allocations, Africa is emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing investment corridors. Sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, family offices and strategic partners are increasingly deploying capital across infrastructure, energy, digital economies, manufacturing and financial services.

Executive Summit

Cyber & Trust Journey

Monday 14 September, 02:40 PM—03:20 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Regulation as a Catalyst: Building Tomorrow's Financial Innovation Infrastructure

Financial regulation is shifting from a compliance‑only role to a strategic driver of innovation. This session will examine how regulators can create agile, resilient, future‑ready frameworks that foster innovation while preserving financial stability, consumer trust, and market integrity.

Speakers

George Theocharides

Chairman | Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission

Mario Nobile

Director General | Agency of Digital Italy, Government of Italy

Alan Ainsworth

Executive Director, Policy, Innovation and Marketing and Communications | Jersey Financial Services Commission

Claire Harrop

Partner | Freshfields LLP

Dr Mansour A. Alsaleh

General Director, Innovation Hub | Saudi Central Bank

2:50 PM

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 02:50 PM—03:20 PM (30 min)

Networking : Networking Break

3:00 PM

Next-Gen Money

Financial Inclusion Journey

Monday 14 September, 03:00 PM—03:35 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : The Business of One: Financial Services for Independent Work

Income has fragmented. Banking has not. Millions now earn across platforms, projects and several sources at once, while credit models, account structures and financial planning still assume one employer, one salary and a predictable month. Creators, freelancers, drivers, merchants, consultants and AI-enabled entrepreneurs run financial lives that sit half in the personal column and half in the commercial one, and are routinely served well by neither. The question on the table is what financial services owe the business of one, and how much of the existing stack has to be rebuilt rather than adapted to deliver it.

Speakers

Susana Ponce Froment

Board Advisor | Gifftid

Panagiotis Kriaris

Advisor / Fintech, Payments, Banking

Omair Ansari

Co-Founder & CEO | Abhi FinTech Ltd

Clara Shi

CEO of WorldFirst | Ant International

Mohammed Aldubaykil

Co-founder Managing Director | Jisr HR

The Bridge

Banking Journey

Monday 14 September, 03:00 PM—03:20 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Quiet Layer: Why is Insurance the Framework Nobody Talks About?

Every mortgage, trade finance deal and infrastructure project depends on someone agreeing to carry the risk. This session treats insurance as core financial infrastructure rather than an add-on, and asks what changes when protection is designed into the system alongside payments and credit rather than layered on afterwards.

Speakers

Basil Mimi

CEO | Mantas

Dr. Tamer Asaad

Founder | Ananas Insurance

3:20 PM

The Capital

Monday 14 September, 03:20 PM—03:50 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Governments as Financial System Builders

The world's most competitive investment destinations are being shaped not only by markets, but by governments building the institutions and infrastructure that enable capital to thrive. From sovereign wealth funds acting as ecosystem builders to state-led capital market development and forward-looking regulation, governments are redefining their role as architects of financial systems designed to attract investment, accelerate growth, and strengthen long-term economic competitiveness.

Speakers

Senator Osita Izunaso

Chairman, Senate Committee on Capital Markets | Federal Republic of Nigeria Government

William Mason

Director General | Guernsey Financial Services Commission

Akshata Namjoshi

Equity Partner | KARM Legal

Karim Samakie

General Manager - Fintech Sector | Ministry of Investment

The Bridge

Payments and commerce Journey

Monday 14 September, 03:20 PM—03:40 PM (20 min)

Keynote : Trust, Experience and Partnership: Building the Future of Payments

The future of payments is not only about making transactions faster or more connected. It is about creating trusted experiences, supported by strong partnerships, that deliver meaningful value for customers and businesses.

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 03:20 PM—04:20 PM (1 h)

Workshop : CLOSED DOOR WORKSHOP

Executive Summit

Monday 14 September, 03:20 PM—03:40 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : The Infinite Reinvention - Leading Through Change

The technology leaders who thrive in financial services will not be those who successfully deliver one transformation. They will be those who build organizations capable of continuously evolving, innovating and adapting as the industry changes. A candid conversation about navigating disruption, balancing innovation with resilience, harnessing emerging technologies, and developing the mindset required to lead when the rules never stop changing.

Speakers

Scarlett Sieber

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer | Money20/20 Global

Mansour Alzahrani

CTO | STC Bank

Mohammed AlThbiti

Chief Information Officer | Gulf International Bank, KSA

3:35 PM

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 03:35 PM—04:10 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : The Borderless Customer: Building One Financial Life Across Many Markets

Consumers increasingly earn, spend, save and support family across multiple countries, currencies and platforms, while financial services remain fragmented by market. This panel explores how fintechs can build a more connected financial life for borderless customers, bringing payments, FX, savings, credit and investing together across markets, and competing to become the primary financial relationship wherever the customer goes.

Speakers

Sandra Mianda

Founder & CEO | Paypr.work

Ravi Jakhodia

CEO | MonieWorld (from Moniepoint)

Davis Parakal

CEO UAE & GM GCC | Remitly

Arthur Brunschwig

Head of Innovation Economy Payments, Middle East & Africa | J.P. Morgan

Muhammad Nana

Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa | Mastercard

3:40 PM

The Bridge

Financial Inclusion Journey

Monday 14 September, 03:40 PM—04:20 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Closing the Wealth Gap by Design

Learn how intentional inclusion by design can create better financial infrastructure that expands access, builds real economic participation, and drives long-term wealth creation for all.

Executive Summit

Monday 14 September, 03:40 PM—04:20 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Capital Meets Infrastructure and Innovation: Financing the Future of Financial Services

Financial innovation depends on more than breakthrough technology. It requires long-term capital, resilient infrastructure and strategic collaboration between investors, financial institutions and technology leaders. This discussion explores how capital is enabling the next generation of financial infrastructure, from AI and digital identity to payments, tokenisation and embedded finance, and why the strongest financial ecosystems are being built through coordinated investment, innovation and public-private collaboration.

Speakers

Hani Kablawi

Executive Vice Chair, Head of Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific | BNY

Alex Hageman

Managing Director, Head of EMEA ECM | Moelis & Company

Amnah Ajmal

CEO & Founder | SheKnows

Mohammed AlShammasi

Chief Executive Officer | Derayah Financial

Saeed Amidi

Founder & CEO | Plug and Play

3:50 PM

The Capital

Monday 14 September, 03:50 PM—04:20 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Building an Investable Nation: Why Global Capital is Choosing Saudi Arabia

Global capital is increasingly favouring markets with long-term vision, institutional credibility and investment-ready ecosystems. Saudi Arabia has emerged as a focal point for this shift, driven by regulatory reform, sovereign investment, expanding capital markets and a rapidly evolving innovation economy. Explore what makes a market truly investable, why investors are increasing their allocation to the Kingdom, and what it will take for Saudi Arabia to become one of the world’s leading long-term capital hubs.

Speakers

Sebastian Frederiks

CEO | ING Securities Capital

Ahmed Al Darwish

Founder and Managing Partner | Noa Capital

Mohamed Aladdin

General Partner | Development Partners International (DPI) VC

4:10 PM

Next-Gen Money

Capital Journey

Monday 14 September, 04:10 PM—04:40 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : From Saving to Investing: Who Will Own the Next Generation Investor?

Investing is increasingly moving beyond traditional brokers and wealth managers into fintech apps, wallets, banks, super apps and digital wealth platforms, powered by APIs, embedded brokerage, robo-advisory and AI. As access becomes more seamless and investing moves closer to the consumer, this panel explores how the next generation will discover and experience investing, whether easier access leads to better financial outcomes, and what happens to trust as investing becomes increasingly embedded and automated.

Speakers

Roger Rouhana

Co-founder & CEO | Alpheya

Hitoshi Harada

Co-founder & CPO | Alpaca

Ziad Mabsout

CEO & Co-Founder | Vennre

Jessica Rota

Founder & Investor Partner | AEVA & BitAngels

4:20 PM

The Capital

Monday 14 September, 04:20 PM—06:00 PM (1 h 40 min)

Startup Competition : DAY 1: MoneySurge Pitch Competition

Speakers

Efayomi Carr

Investment Partner | Flourish Ventures

Stefan Klestil

General Partner, Fintech | SpeedInvest

The Bridge

Financial Inclusion Journey

Monday 14 September, 04:20 PM—05:00 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Rewiring Capital from the Inside

The incentive structures that quietly decide who finance reaches. How venture capital decisions shape who gets access to financial tools, credit, and wealth creation globally. From bias in funding pipelines to emerging inclusive fintech models, this session unpacks how investors can actively redesign access. Expect insights from operators-turned-investors deploying capital into underserved founders and cross-border financial ecosystem

Speakers

Nivesh Pather

Investment Principal | Norrsken22

Mareme Dieng

Head of M&A, Strategy & Fintech Future | Axian Group

Arth Malani

Founder & CEO | NorthStar Insights

Ihsan Jawad

General Partner | STV

Executive Summit

Banking Journey

Monday 14 September, 04:20 PM—05:00 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : The Platform Winners: Decoding the Future of Financial Distribution

Super-apps, embedded finance, open banking and agentic AI are all competing for the same prize: the customer. This conversation explores the battle for distribution, how platforms and financial institutions are redefining customer ownership, and which business models are emerging as the winners.

Speakers

Sophie Guibaud

Fintech Growth Advisor & Nominee Director | International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Hosam Arab

Co Founder & CEO | Tabby

Karan Chawla

Director, Global Head of Financial Services | Uber Technologies Inc.

Eng. Ali Aldamanhori

CEO | HungerStation

Ezequiel Szafir Holcman

CEO | D360 Bank

4:30 PM

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 04:30 PM—05:00 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Founder Story: “It Started With A $90 Problem”

What do you do when you stumble across a problem that you simply can’t ignore? For Chris Maurice, it started with a $90 fee and a question: why should moving money be this hard? That question took him from spotting a broken system to building Yellow Card, and ultimately serving millions across Africa and beyond. This is the personal, messy and unexpected story of what happens when you decide to solve the problem yourself.

Speakers

Christopher Maurice

Co-founder & CEO | Yellow Card

Afua Hagan

Journalist & Broadcaster | News Central

4:40 PM

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 04:40 PM—05:15 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : The Consumer the Credit File Cannot See

Credit models were built to read one kind of life: a single employer, a documented salary, a visible history of borrowing and repaying. Millions of people live outside that pattern. They have income but no payslip, discipline but no credit history, years of digital activity but no established banking relationship. Alternative data, open banking and verified income could bring them inside the system. They could equally create a new form of exclusion, harder to see and harder to contest, because the reasoning sits inside a model rather than a policy. The session turns on three questions: which signals deserve weight in a lending decision, how credit-information providers widen the file without lowering the standard, and what recourse a person has when an automated decision concludes they are not creditworthy.

Speakers

Adeola Adedewe

Founder & CEO | Kredete

Nilixa Devlukia

CEO | Payments Solved

Omar Saleh

Co-founder & Group CEO | Khazna.App

Abdulraheem Alzahrani

Product Management Executive Director | MASDR

Nezar Alhaidar

COO & VP (KSA) | Lean Technologies

5:00 PM

The Bridge

Cyber & Trust Journey

Monday 14 September, 05:00 PM—05:30 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Identity as financial infrastructure

Money can't move until identity is established and trusted. This session explores identity not as a compliance requirement, but as the foundation every financial system depends on. It examines how interoperable identity systems are being designed, who governs them, and how that foundation must evolve as AI agents begin acting on behalf of people and businesses.

Executive Summit

Monday 14 September, 05:00 PM—05:40 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Connectivity as Competitive Advantage

Connectivity is reshaping how financial institutions, businesses and economies interact. As interoperable payment networks and digital infrastructure evolve, leaders must make strategic decisions about investment, partnerships and cross-border growth. This conversation explores how connectivity is influencing global commerce and the opportunities and challenges it presents for the future of finance.

Speakers

Hisham Al-Falih

Co-Founder & CEO | Lean Technologies

Todd Schweitzer

CEO and Founder | Brankas

Ali Bailoun

Senior Vice President, Group Country Manager, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman | VISA

Melike Kara Tanrikulu

CEO | e&Money

5:10 PM

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 05:10 PM—05:40 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : The Banking Debate We Usually Have in Private

Digital asset infrastructure is advancing, but internal realities remain complex. In this closed-door discussion, senior leaders speak candidly about operational hurdles, regulatory uncertainty, and adoption challenges inside major institutions. An unfiltered look at what it truly takes to scale digital asset infrastructure beyond pilots and into system-critical environments.

Speakers

Joy Adams

COO, Digital Assets | Deutsche Bank

Akshata Namjoshi

Equity Partner | KARM Legal

Lionel Grosclaude

CEO | Fime

5:15 PM

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 05:15 PM—05:45 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Who Do You Trust With Your Money? The Rise of Community Finance

Money has always been social. People save with family, pool money with friends and learn financial habits from those they trust. Technology is now turning those behaviours into products, from digital savings circles to group investing and fractional ownership. This panel explores why consumers increasingly make financial decisions through communities, how social trust shapes behaviour, and whether fintech can turn collective saving into long-term ownership and wealth.

Speakers

Turki AlShlail

Co-Founder & CEO | Jozo

Halima Iqbal

CEO & Founder | Oraan

Piyush Dubey

Partner | Kearney

Dunja Poetschke

CFO | Hakbah

5:30 PM

The Bridge

Monday 14 September, 05:30 PM—06:10 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Both Sides of the Design Table

Financial systems are shaped as much by supervisors as by builders. As innovation accelerates, regulators are increasingly designing the frameworks that determine how new technologies scale safely and responsibly. This fireside explores how supervisors and industry are working together to create regulatory foundations that enable innovation while maintaining trust, resilience and financial stability.

Speakers

Joanne Kubba

SVP, head of Government Affairs CEMEA | VISA

Bruno Loiola

Chief Growth Officer & Co-founder | Pluggy

Sarah Trueman

Director, Global Expansion and Financial Partnerships | Airwallex

Faisal Aftab

Founder & CRO | Zayn Venture Capital

5:40 PM

Executive Summit

Monday 14 September, 05:40 PM—05:45 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

Speaker

Taghrid Alhowish

Master of Ceremonies

Off The Record

Monday 14 September, 05:40 PM—05:45 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

5:45 PM

Next-Gen Money

Financial Inclusion Journey

Monday 14 September, 05:45 PM—06:15 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : How Technology Shapes Financial Behaviour: Building Financial Confidence in the Digital Age

Technology is no longer just changing how consumers access financial services, it is reshaping how they think, decide and behave with money. From AI-powered financial guidance and behavioural design to creator-led advice, digital communities and embedded financial experiences, the next generation is developing new habits around spending, saving, investing and long-term financial planning. As trust shifts beyond traditional institutions towards digital experiences and personalised advice, this session explores how technology is redefining financial confidence, consumer behaviour and household wealth, and what banks, fintechs and wealth platforms must do to earn trust in the next era of money.

Speakers

Tolani Abere

Influencer & Investment Professional | Tolani Talks Money

Dr. Jasmin B. Gupta

Global Fintech Academic | University of Wollongong, Australia, GIFT City India

Dr. Preston Cherry

Founder & Wealth Advisor | Concurrent Wealth

Muath Almudayfir

Director of Strategy & PMO | Tamam

6:10 PM

The Bridge

Capital Journey

Monday 14 September, 06:10 PM—06:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : On-Ramp: How Markets Are Built for the Companies That Don't Exist Yet

Public markets don't grow by accident. Someone has to design the path a company walks from first outside cheque to listed entity, the crowdfunding rules, the private-round frameworks, the parallel market that catches companies too small for the main board. Saudi Arabia has quietly built one of the region's most complete versions. This session steps back from any single listing to look at the architecture: what has to be decided, in what order, and by whom, for capital formation to be reachable rather than exceptional. The focus is the design of the system, not the celebration at the end of it.

Speakers

Mert Dedebas

Director of Middle East & Turkiye & North Africa Regional Offices | Frankfurt School of Finance and Management

Gbite Oduneye

Chair | Indexa Exchange Group

Hamza Al Lawati

Founder and CEO | Wadiaa

6:15 PM

Next-Gen Money

Monday 14 September, 06:15 PM—06:20 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

Speaker

Eliott Gotkine

Master of Ceremonies

6:30 PM

The Bridge

Monday 14 September, 06:30 PM—06:40 PM (10 min)

Closing Remarks

Speaker

Yousef Gamal El-Din

Managing Partner | Stagespring LLC

Day 2

11:55 AM

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 11:55 AM—12:00 PM (5 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Natalie Lindo

Founder | NLM

12:00 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 15 September, 12:00 PM—12:10 PM (10 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Yousef Gamal El-Din

Managing Partner | Stagespring LLC

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 12:00 PM—12:05 PM (5 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

The New Experience

Speaker

Eliott Gotkine

Master of Ceremonies

Boardroom

Tuesday 15 September, 12:00 PM—01:30 PM (1 h 30 min)

Roundtable : The New Growth Playbook: How Financial Institutions Are Winning Trust, Customers and Market Share

As customer expectations evolve and competition intensifies across banks, fintechs and financial institutions, traditional growth models are no longer enough. Growth is increasingly driven by the convergence of marketing, product, data, customer experience, AI and strategic partnerships. This invitation-only executive roundtable brings together senior leaders from across financial services to explore how leading institutions are redefining growth, building customer trust and creating sustainable competitive advantage. Through candid peer discussion, participants will share the strategies, operating models and lessons shaping the next generation of financial services leaders.

Speaker

Abdul-Rahim Osman

Head of Parthership | Financial Marketing Insights

The Capital

Capital Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 12:00 PM—12:30 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Raising Capital in a More Disciplined World

Global capital is becoming more disciplined, with investors placing greater emphasis on resilience, governance, sustainable growth and clear paths to profitability. As economic uncertainty reshapes investment decisions, raising capital is no longer just about having a compelling vision, it requires institutional credibility, strategic positioning and alignment with evolving investor priorities across both public and private markets.

Speaker

Sarthak Ahuja

Director | Niamh Ventures Pvt Ltd

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 12:00 PM—12:05 PM (5 min)

Opening Remarks : Virtual MC Welcome

12:05 PM

Next-Gen Money

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

Live Demo : Trust in the Age of Agentic Commerce

AI agents are transforming how consumers discover, compare and buy, but agent-led transactions remain in their early stages. Godfrey Sullivan explores how identity, authentication, tokenization and user-defined controls can enable secure agentic checkout at scale. Discover what banks, merchants and technology platforms should prepare for as commerce moves from human intent to trusted machine action.

Speaker

Godfrey Sullivan

SVP Products & Solutions, CEMEA | VISA

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 12:05 PM—01:00 PM (55 min)

Workshop : CLOSED DOOR WORKSHOP

Speaker

Dr Arif Ahmed

Professor and Director | South Asian Management Technologies Foundation

12:10 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 15 September, 12:10 PM—12:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : From Pilot to Production: Making Digital Assets Work Inside Global Banking Infrastructure

Digital asset innovation is moving beyond experimentation into operational reality. In this fireside conversation, leaders share what it takes to transition from pilot programs to production-grade infrastructure inside regulated banks.

The Bridge

Tuesday 15 September, 12:10 PM—12:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : From Pilot to Production: Making Digital Assets Work Inside Global Banking Infrastructure

Speakers

Joy Adams

COO, Digital Assets | Deutsche Bank

Mareme Dieng

Head of M&A, Strategy & Fintech Future | Axian Group

Nader Souri

Managing Director, Head of Digital and Corporate Banking | BNY

The Bridge

Banking Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 12:10 PM—12:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : The Trust Layer: Building Financial Systems People Choose to Use

As financial services become more digital and seamless, trust is built through the experience customers have at every interaction. Technology enables that experience, while expertise, genuine care and consistent service turn it into a lasting relationship.

Speakers

Fahad Al Guthami

CEO | American Express Saudi Arabia

Folajimi Daudo

Founder | StageOS

12:20 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 12:20 PM—12:40 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : From AI Pilot to Product: What the 20% Do Differently

Pilots are not the constraint. Banks and fintechs have plenty. The shortage is in AI that customers actually end up using. Moving from demonstration to production means solving a very different set of problems: data access, latency, security, governance, model monitoring and integration with systems never designed for AI. The conversation will examine where promising pilots actually break, what has to change before they ship, and what the organisations successfully getting AI into customers’ hands are doing differently.

Speakers

Zahra Al-Kaf

Sr. Solution Architect - FSI | NVIDIA

Douglas Arner

Professor - Strategic advisor - Research leader | Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance & Hong Kong University

Baraa Koshak

Co-founder & CEO | Abwab.ai

12:30 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 12:30 PM—12:35 PM (5 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Taghrid Alhowish

Master of Ceremonies

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 12:30 PM—12:55 PM (25 min)

Debate : Who Should Allocate Capital?

AI is increasingly influencing how capital is raised, allocated, and managed across venture investing, private markets, and corporate finance. As intelligent systems become embedded in investment workflows, from sourcing opportunities and evaluating risk to executing allocation decisions - they are reshaping the mechanics of capital formation. The challenge is no longer whether AI will participate in investment decisions, but how responsibility, governance, and human oversight should evolve alongside it.

Speakers

Fariha Ansari Javed

Partner | Stride Ventures

Ivan Chelebiev

CEO | Chicago Global

Amira Singh

CEO | s60 Ventures Capital

Hussain Almarhoon

Founding Managing Partner | HALA Capital

12:35 PM

Executive Summit

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

Opening Keynote

Speaker

Mr. Abdulaziz S. Abanmi

Deputy Governor for Payments | Saudi Central Bank

12:40 PM

Next-Gen Money

Banking Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 12:40 PM—01:15 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : Who Will Build Banking for the Next Billion Customers?

As financial services become embedded into everyday digital experiences, banks, fintechs, telecoms, super apps, marketplaces and digital platforms are competing to become the customer’s primary financial relationship. Some are expanding beyond banking, while others are integrating identity, payments, lending and wallets into messaging, mobility, e-commerce and other platforms people already use. As finance becomes part of the experience rather than a destination, this discussion asks who is best positioned to serve the next billion customers, how the boundaries between banking, commerce and technology will evolve, and what it will take to earn their trust.

Speakers

Ahmet Kayhan

Chief Payments and Digital Assets Officer | VEON Group Holding Company Ltd

Mohamed Roushdy

Chief Technology Officer | Reem Bank

Glauber Mota

CEO - Brazil | Revolut

Ronit Ghose

Industry Fellow | University of Cambridge Business School Centre for Finance and Technology

Jeff Parker

CEO | Paymentology

12:50 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 12:50 PM—01:00 PM (10 min)

Announcement

12:55 PM

The Capital

Financial Inclusion Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 12:55 PM—01:15 PM (20 min)

Panel Discussion : Empowering Growth: Women’s Rising Role in Fintech Investment

As the fintech sector accelerates globally, women are playing an increasingly prominent role as founders, investors, and decision-makers. We explore the progress made in expanding women’s access to capital and leadership in fintech, alongside the opportunities ahead for building an even more inclusive and competitive innovation economy.

1:00 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 01:00 PM—01:20 PM (20 min)

Keynote : AI at the Inflection Point: Turning Experimentation into Advantage

AI is now the key cutting-edge infrastructure underpinning how businesses operate. It is improving decisions, accelerating execution, and changing how value moves. Drawing on Checkout's own experience applying AI to payment performance and company-wide operating velocity, this session explores the strategic choices leaders must make to turn AI into a durable advantage at scale.

Speaker

Rory ONeill

Chief Marketing Officer | Checkout.com

The Bridge

Tuesday 15 September, 01:00 PM—01:40 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : “Beyond Remittances” Building Diaspora Capital Corridors, From money movement to investment ecosystems.

Remittances have transformed how money moves across borders, but can they become a catalyst for long-term investment and economic development? This session explores how governments, financial institutions, fintechs and diaspora communities can move beyond transfers to build investment ecosystems that channel global capital into entrepreneurship, infrastructure and wealth creation. From digital investment platforms to cross-border savings products and policy innovation, we’ll examine how financial infrastructure can unlock lasting economic impact.

Speakers

Benjamin Fernandes

CEO & Founder | NALA

Miranda Naidoo

Co-founder & CEO | Scale

Tolani Abere

Influencer & Investment Professional | Tolani Talks Money

Amandine Lobelle

Chief Operating Officer | Paystack

Davis Parakal

CEO UAE & GM GCC | Remitly

Helen Ghebreluul

UAE Country Manager | Verto

1:10 PM

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 01:10 PM—01:40 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Build Everything or Build One Thing Brilliantly?

Every bank wants an ecosystem. Every fintech wants a platform. Every platform wants financial services. Yet many of the industry’s biggest strategic bets have proven far harder to execute than expected. In this unfiltered discussion, leaders who have built banks, fintechs and digital platforms will challenge conventional wisdom and share the decisions they'd rethink today. From overestimating customer loyalty to underestimating execution complexity, no assumption is off limits. As AI and embedded finance reshape the competitive landscape, this is a rare opportunity to hear what really creates lasting advantage, and what the industry needs to stop believing.

Speakers

Farid Huseynov

CEO | Bir Ecosystem

Yasar Ahmad

Founder / Behavioural Science & Leadership Expert / Content Creator | OVD Lab

Bruno Loiola

Chief Growth Officer & Co-founder | Pluggy

Melike Kara Tanrikulu

CEO | e&Money

1:15 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 01:15 PM—01:35 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Beyond Spreadsheets: How Family Offices Are Modernising Wealth Management

Family offices are evolving to manage increasingly complex portfolios across venture capital, private markets, public equities and alternative assets. As new technologies reshape investment operations, family offices are rethinking how they source deals, conduct due diligence, monitor portfolios and make investment decisions. From operational efficiency to governance, data management and next-generation wealth infrastructure, what will define the family office of the future?

Speakers

Mosbah Kahaleh

Director | Al Rajhi Partners

Anmol Goel

CEO & Managing Partner | Gacs Multi-Family Office Ltd

Ahmed Al Darwish

Founder and Managing Partner | Noa Capital

Next-Gen Money

Payments and commerce Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 01:15 PM—01:45 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : The Checkout Is the New Bank Branch: How Commerce Became Banking

The moment of purchase is becoming the new front door to financial services. What was once a simple payment now opens access to credit, wallets, loyalty, insurance, instalments and personalised offers embedded directly into shopping, travel and everyday commerce. This panel examines how checkout is becoming a primary distribution channel for finance, giving retailers, marketplaces, super apps and digital platforms greater influence over the customer relationship. It explores how embedded finance, AI-driven personalisation and contextual products are creating new revenue models and reshaping the role of banks. As finance disappears into everyday experiences, who owns the customer at the moment that matters most?

Speakers

Faisal Hatim

Founder & CEO | Rabbah

Rania Lamprou

Co-founder & CEO | Simpler

Kostas Xiradakis

Chief Commercial Officer | Snappi Bank

Afua Hagan

Journalist & Broadcaster | News Central

1:20 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 01:20 PM—01:50 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Unlocking Growth: The Strategic Role of Supply Chain Finance for SMEs

This session explores how Supply Chain Finance (SCF) is enabling SMEs to improve cash flow, reduce financing costs and strengthen supplier-buyer relationships. Drawing on Saudi market case studies and regulatory perspectives, the discussion examines how scalable SCF solutions can enhance business resilience, drive inclusive growth and support the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030.

Speakers

Anshul Johri

Group CTO | Validus Investment Holdings

Adeeb Ahamed

Managing Director | LuLu Financial Holdings

Sanjiv Purushotham

CEO & Founder | Bridge Solutions

Gaurang Shah

Executive Vice President, Global Acceptance & Merchant Solutions | Mastercard

1:35 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 01:35 PM—02:05 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Beyond The Banks: Working Capital and the Alternative Financing Gap

Banks are retreating from mid-market and SME lending; private credit and fintech rails are filling the gap, with supply chain and working capital finance as the on-ramp.

Speakers

Walter Gontarek

CEO | Channel Capital

Sean Hanafin

CEO / Vice-Chairman | Silver Birch Finance / Green Finance Institute

Khaled Albasias

CEO & Founder | Credx

1:45 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 01:45 PM—02:20 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : Credit at the Moment of Need: What Comes After BNPL?

Embedded credit is entering a second phase. The first competed on speed, convenience and how fast it could scale. The next will be judged on affordability, profitability, regulatory tolerance and whether the underwriting holds. That is a different business behind the same interface. What follows is the harder conversation: what contextual credit becomes once BNPL stops being the reference point, how a lender tells a useful financial tool from borrowing nobody needed, and which models are still standing when growth is no longer the only number that counts.

Speakers

Yanan Wu

CEO & Chairman | Surfin Meta Digital Technology Pte. Ltd.

Lizzie Champan

Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer | Baystreet Advisors Private Limited

Omar Abdelhady

Chief Product & Growth Officer | ValU

Danny Levy

EVP & MD, APAC & Middle East | Money20/20

Adel Omar Alrajhi

General Manager, Retail Banking Assets | Alinma Bank

1:50 PM

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 01:50 PM—02:30 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : No Credit History? No problem. Fintech’s Bet on the Excluded

Explore how fintechs are aggressively dismantling traditional credit gatekeepers using alternative data, AI, and mobile-first models. From smartphone behaviour and cash-flow signals to embedded lending and BNPL, these innovations are extending credit to millions previously locked out

Speakers

Tewfik Cassis

Chief Product Officer (CPO) | Lean Technologies

Omar Ramadan

CEO of GCC | MNT Halan

Harshvardhan Lunia

Founder & CEO | Birbal, Lendingkart

Shahbaz Mirza

Senior Director - AI Consulting | Ankura

Muath Almudayfir

Director of Strategy & PMO | Tamam

Executive Summit

Banking Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 01:50 PM—02:10 PM (20 min)

Presentation : Inside the AI-Powered Bank

AI is reshaping how banks operate, make decisions and serve customers. This session explores where AI is delivering real value today and how it could redefine the banking experience of tomorrow.

Speakers

Michael Chan

Chief Executive Officer | Zand Bank PJSC

Sriranga Sampathkumar

VP & General Manager | Infosys Ltd.

2:00 PM

The Bridge

Capital Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 02:00 PM—02:30 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Who Pays for the Next Financial System? Financing the Infrastructure Behind Financial Transformation

Financial infrastructure doesn’t build itself. From digital identity and instant payment networks to cross-border corridors and digital public infrastructure, every transformation depends on long-term investment, strong public-private partnerships and sustainable funding models. This session explores how governments, development finance institutions, sovereign wealth funds, multilateral organisations and private investors are working together to finance the next generation of financial infrastructure. Where should public capital lead? Where should private capital follow? And what partnership models are proving most effective at delivering infrastructure that scales across countries and regions?

Speakers

Jean-Marie Kananura

Chief investments Officer | Kigali International Financial Centre

Eden Harris

Washington Correspondent / Chief Special Correspondent | The Banker (Financial Times) / Connecting Africa News

Mohammed Alomayyyer

Founder & CEO | Tameed

2:05 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 02:05 PM—02:45 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Partnerships That Power Capital Formation

No single institution can meet the world’s growing demand for capital alone. From investment banks and corporate investors to development finance institutions, lenders and technology providers, capital formation increasingly depends on partnerships that connect different sources of funding with the businesses that need it most. This session explores how collaboration across the capital ecosystem is expanding access to finance, improving risk assessment, enabling more efficient capital allocation and supporting business growth. Where are the strongest partnership models emerging? How are technology and data reshaping lending and investment decisions? And what will it take to build capital ecosystems that can finance the next generation of businesses at scale?

Speakers

Mareme Dieng

Head of M&A, Strategy & Fintech Future | Axian Group

Benjamin Fernandes

CEO & Founder | NALA

Gabriele Sabato

Co-founder & CEO | Wiserfunding

Fahad Alnaeem

CEO | SIDF INVESTMENT COMPANY (SIC)

Amanda Estiverne

Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships | Money20/20

2:10 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 02:10 PM—02:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : A New Era of Possibility

As technology continues to reshape industries and customer expectations, new opportunities are emerging to create more connected, seamless and innovative experiences. This session explores how collaboration and innovation can unlock new possibilities and shape what comes next.

2:15 PM

Boardroom

Tuesday 15 September, 02:15 PM—03:45 PM (1 h 30 min)

Roundtable : Sovereign Control vs. Big Tech: Regulating Agentic AI in Global Finance

The rise of generative and agentic AI is transforming decision-making across the financial services value chain, shifting it away from traditional, highly regulated interfaces towards autonomous, conversational platforms. As AI platforms become the gateways to and enablers of financial services, they raise unprecedented questions for global leaders: Who controls the customer relationship? Who manages the risks? Who is accountable when things go wrong and customers are harmed? Regulators around the world are taking different approaches to these challenges. This closed-door roundtable convenes policymakers, global banking C-suite executives, and AI experts. Moving beyond technological speculation, the discussion will focus on balancing the opportunities created by AI with the need to manage the risks it poses to customers, financial institutions, and market stability.

Speaker

Justin Malta

Global Leader, Risk and Regulatory Advisory | KPMG

2:20 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 02:20 PM—02:50 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Selling Experiences: How Payments Are Disappearing into Saudi’s Experience Economy

Saudi Arabia’s entertainment, tourism, retail and hospitality sectors are creating a new generation of digital experiences, and increasingly, the best payment experience is the one customers barely notice. From ticketing and in-venue purchases to hospitality, loyalty and digital commerce, payments are becoming embedded directly into the customer journey, removing friction between discovery, purchase and experience. This fireside explores how Saudi businesses are redesigning the payment experience around speed, convenience and seamless interaction, the partnerships making that possible, and what consumers will come to expect as payments increasingly disappear into the moments they are paying for.

Speakers

Nadeem Baksh

CEO | Webook.com

Ahmad S. Alrasheed

Director, Payment Business Planning | Saudi Central Bank

Arthur Bedel

Founder, CEO | Monyz

Wassim Skaff

VP, Head of Visa Consulting & Analytics, GCC | VISA

2:30 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 02:30 PM—03:10 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : The Human Edge: Winning When Everyone Has AI

As senior executives around the world grapple with how to build enduring advantages in the age of AI, a new reality is emerging: technology alone is no longer enough. From boardrooms to front-line teams, the world's leading companies are redefining leadership and reshaping their organisational priorities for an era when intelligence is abundant but human judgment becomes more scarce. This discussion will focus on the winning mix of tech innovation, automation, and uniquely human capabilities that will determine the companies that pull ahead.

Speakers

Yuri Misnik

Chief Technology Officer | InDrive

Dongjun Choi

Group Chief Customer Officer | RAKBANK

David Birch

Global Ambassador | Consult Hyperion

Amna Usman Chaudhry

Financial Economist and AI Governance Expert | Autonomous Finance

Adam Jones

Division President for West Arabia | Mastercard

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 02:30 PM—02:50 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Are VC’s The New Loan Sharks?

Speakers

Armineh Baghoomian

Managing Director | Partners For Growth

Sarthak Ahuja

Director | Niamh Ventures Pvt Ltd

Amr Shady

Co-founder & CEO | Accord Partners

The Bridge

Payments and commerce Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 02:30 PM—03:00 PM (30 min)

FIRESIDE : Execution Layer: Scaling Fintech Across Borders

A tactical conversation on what breaks, scales, and evolves when fintech platforms expand across jurisdictions, currencies, and regulatory environments. Speakers reveal the operational systems and partnerships needed to scale globally while maintaining trust and speed.

Speakers

Ronit Ghose

Industry Fellow | University of Cambridge Business School Centre for Finance and Technology

Tino Waked

CEO - Middle East | TapTap Send

Oliver Hughes

Head of International | TBC Bank Group

2:45 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 02:45 PM—03:25 PM (40 min)

Fireside Chat : Capital Without Borders - Investing Across Emerging Markets

As global capital becomes increasingly interconnected, corridors are emerging and building the world’s most dynamic investment partnerships. Driven by sovereign wealth, institutional investors and rapidly growing innovation ecosystems, founders now have unprecedented opportunities to access capital, expand into new markets and build globally competitive businesses across regions. This session explores how cross-border investment is reshaping fintech growth, which sectors are attracting the strongest investor interest, and what founders need to scale successfully.

Speakers

Margaret O’Connor

Chairman | Launch Africa Ventures

Shwetank Verma

Co Founder & Managing Partner | Leo Captal

Karan Mohla

General Partner | B Capital

Naiel Ikram

Managing Partner | Gobi Partners

2:50 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 02:50 PM—03:25 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : Designing Financial Products for the Real World

The best financial products solve real customer problems. A closing session on human-centred innovation, behavioural finance and product strategy. The best financial products don’t win because they have the most features. They win because they solve real customer problems in ways that feel effortless, intuitive and valuable. This conversation brings together product leaders to explore how behavioural insight, AI, customer experience and product strategy are shaping the next generation of financial products. What separates products people simply try from products they genuinely adopt?

Speakers

Farhan Hassan

CDO | Easypaisa

Reema Jain

Expert Associate Partner | McKinsey & Company

Abdullah Assal

CEO | Sahl

Mohammad Al Zaben

CEO | Clear Arabia

Nikhil Joy

Head of Fintech | NOON

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 02:50 PM—03:20 PM (30 min)

Networking : Networking Break

Breathe In As Long As It Takes To Read This Line Breathe Out As Long As It Takes To Read This Line

3:00 PM

The Bridge

Financial Inclusion Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 03:00 PM—04:00 PM (1 h)

Panel Discussion : No Payslip Required: Building Financial Services for Variable Income

Millions of people now earn income through freelancing, platform work, entrepreneurship and flexible employment, yet many financial products are still designed around a traditional monthly salary. This session explores how banks, fintechs, employers and policymakers are redesigning financial infrastructure for a workforce with increasingly diverse income patterns. From open banking and payroll innovation to earned wage access, portable benefits and new approaches to credit assessment, what will it take to build financial services that work beyond the payslip?

Speakers

Omar Ramadan

CEO of GCC | MNT Halan

Abdulrahman AlMubaraky

Country Manager | WISE

Azamat Sultanov

Co-founder & Executive Chairman | GoCab Holding Ltd

Kamal Reggad

Founder & CEO | RemotePass

Haifa AlMuhanna

CEO | Khazna

3:10 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 03:10 PM—03:40 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Embedded Finance, The New Growth Engine

Embedded finance is no longer a product strategy, it;s a growth strategy. As financial services become increasingly contextual, the organisations creating the greatest value won’t simply embed payments or lending; they will redesign customer relationships, unlock new revenue streams and build partnerships that redefine competitive advantage. What separates tomorrow’s winners from everyone else?

Speakers

Sandeep Indurkar

CEO | Bharat Pe- Payments

Lizzie Champan

Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer | Baystreet Advisors Private Limited

Manuel Costescu

Managing Director | JPMorgan

Abdullah Alibrahim

CEO | Geidea

3:20 PM

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 03:20 PM—03:50 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Candid Confessions: Bridging Perception Gaps Before They Cost You Millions

Emerging markets are often misunderstood, and those narratives shape investment decisions, partnerships, and economic opportunity. In this candid Off The Record conversation, speakers unpack the disconnect between perception and reality, exploring how media, bias, and outdated assumptions influence global engagement, and what must change to unlock trust and collaboration.

Speakers

Brad Maasdorp

FinTech Growth Partner | TMC (The Member Company)

Amandine Lobelle

Chief Operating Officer | Paystack

Laura Estefania

Founder & CEO | Conquista PR

3:25 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 03:25 PM—03:55 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : The New Architecture of Capital Formation

Capital formation is being reshaped by a new generation of investors, technologies and market infrastructure. From venture capital and private markets to tokenisation, digital custody and next-generation settlement, the institutions and platforms connecting capital with opportunity are rapidly evolving.This session explores how the architecture of capital formation is changing, what infrastructure is needed to unlock institutional capital at scale, and how investors, financial institutions and market infrastructure providers are building the next generation of capital markets.

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 03:25 PM—03:45 PM (20 min)

Panel Discussion : Reimagining Payments, Embedded by Design

Mobility platforms, marketplaces and consumer applications are no longer partnering their way to payments. They are building wallets, checkout and merchant services inside their own products. That moves the competitive question. Holding the licence matters less than controlling the experience wrapped around it, and platforms are now taking ownership of checkout, merchant services and working capital in one go. Operators who have already pushed financial services inside a broader digital journey give the unedited version: what had to be built rather than bought, which partnerships carried real weight, where implementation stalled, and how owning the money layer changed what customers expect of them.

Speakers

Dima Stiran

Head of Partnership, Middle East and Africa, Google Pay | Google

Amanda Estiverne

Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships | Money20/20

Nader Abdelrazik

Co-founder & CEO | MoneyHash

Rami Panayoti

Co-founder & CBO | SiFi

Stephen Bowe

CPO | Paymentology

3:30 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 15 September, 03:30 PM—04:10 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Execution Layer: Scaling Fintech Across Borders

Speakers

Oliver Hughes

Head of International | TBC Bank Group

Ronit Ghose

Industry Fellow | University of Cambridge Business School Centre for Finance and Technology

Ali Abulhasan

Co-Founder & CEO | Tap Payments

3:40 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 03:40 PM—04:20 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : From Breakthroughs to Business Transformation: Building the Intelligent Financial Institution

Financial institutions are entering a new era where competitive advantage will depend not simply on adopting new technologies, but on integrating them into resilient, trusted and scalable operating models. From AI and autonomous agents to quantum computing and next-generation infrastructure, today’s breakthrough technologies are reshaping how financial services are designed, delivered and governed. This discussion explores how industry leaders are turning technological innovation into organisational transformation, and what it takes to build customer trust for financial institutions of the future.

Speakers

Joy Adams

COO, Digital Assets | Deutsche Bank

Farid Huseynov

CEO | Bir Ecosystem

Abdullah Jarwan

CEO | CNTXT

Douglas Arner

Professor - Strategic advisor - Research leader | Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance & Hong Kong University

Abdul Rahman Al Thehaiban

Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa & Turkey, Google Cloud | Google

3:45 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 03:45 PM—04:20 PM (35 min)

Deep Dive : Growth Without a Branch: Building Financial Brands in an Embedded World

When finance disappears into a checkout, an app or a marketplace, a customer can use a financial product for years without ever having chosen the institution behind it. Brand building does not survive that intact. Acquisition shifts towards partnerships, platforms, creators and product-led growth, and the company controlling the interface starts to matter more than the company providing the financial service. The people who own growth targets answer the questions their boards ask them: what acquisition genuinely costs, which distribution partnerships actually convert, how a challenger builds loyalty with no branch network to fall back on, and how an incumbent stays distinctive when its product reaches customers through somebody else's platform.

Speakers

Karan Chawla

Director, Global Head of Financial Services | Uber Technologies Inc.

Yuri Misnik

Chief Technology Officer | InDrive

Abdul-Rahim Osman

Head of Parthership | Financial Marketing Insights

Mohammed Alabsi

Chief Product and Technology Officer | FLIP

3:50 PM

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 03:50 PM—04:30 PM (40 min)

Deep Dive : Financial Inclusion: Are We Moving the Needle or Just the Numbers?

Financial inclusion is growing rapidly, but are we creating meaningful impact or simply increasing participation? Explore the tension between profit and purpose, questioning whether access alone is enough or if true inclusion requires stronger financial literacy, confidence and long-term resilience.

Speakers

Berna Tüzüner

Senior Banking Expert | Frankfurt School Of Finance & Management

Omair Ansari

Co-Founder & CEO | Abhi FinTech Ltd

Ratul Ahmed

Managing Director - Lending | Commerzbank AG

Ahmed S. Alobaidallah

Director, Financial Literacy & Inclusion | Saudi Central Bank

Eden Harris

Washington Correspondent / Chief Special Correspondent | The Banker (Financial Times) / Connecting Africa News

3:55 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 03:55 PM—04:20 PM (25 min)

Fireside Chat : Financing the Next Economy: Beyond Traditional Capital

The way businesses access capital is evolving rapidly. Venture capital is no longer the only path to growth, as private credit, revenue-based financing, embedded finance and alternative funding models expand the financing landscape. This session explores how innovation is reshaping capital formation for the next generation of companies.

Speakers

Armineh Baghoomian

Managing Director | Partners For Growth

Fidaa Haddad

Managing Director & Head of Private Credit | Jadwa Investment

4:00 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 15 September, 04:00 PM—04:30 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Built to Move: The Next Generation of Global Payment Corridors

Cross-border remittances are entering a new era. Digital transformation is reshaping how money moves between markets, making corridors faster, smarter and more interoperable. This session brings together banks, fintechs, payment providers and policymakers on the partnerships and infrastructure behind it and what it takes to build corridors that are quicker, more resilient and more inclusive at global scale.

Speakers

Erwan Gelebart

CEO | AXIAN Digibank & Fintech

Ramana Kumar

President | ADI Foundation

Omar Hamade

CEO | Hawala

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar

Managing Director, International | Circle

Nadia Costanzo

Director Banker & Expansion Manager | WISE

4:20 PM

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 04:20 PM—05:50 PM (1 h 30 min)

Startup Competition : DAY 2: MoneySurge Pitch Competition

Speakers

Mareme Dieng

Head of M&A, Strategy & Fintech Future | Axian Group

Mazin Alshanbari

General Partner | Sukna Ventures

Executive Summit

Payments and commerce Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 04:20 PM—04:40 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : The New Geography of Payments: Where Growth Happens Next

As emerging markets become engines of digital commerce, payment providers are expanding beyond traditional markets to support new consumer behaviours, business models, and financial ecosystems. This session explores where the next wave of growth will come from and how industry leaders are preparing for it.

Speakers

Sophie Guibaud

Fintech Growth Advisor & Nominee Director | International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Murat Cagri Suzer

Group CEO | Network International

Douglas Feagin

President | Ant International

Next-Gen Money

Cyber & Trust Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 04:20 PM—05:00 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : The Safest Experience Is the One You Never Notice

Security is becoming part of product design rather than a separate interruption. Biometrics, behavioural authentication, passkeys and AI-powered fraud detection can protect consumers without forcing them through additional steps. But invisible protection raises its own questions: what data is being monitored, why legitimate customers are blocked and whether a seamless experience can still provide a meaningful explanation.

Speakers

Prof.Dr. Ahmed Ebada

Professor, AI Strategist & CEO | HOPn

Luke Naudé-Lorentz

Head of Growth | Orca Fraud

Vittorio Furlan

Independent Non-Executive Director | Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank)

Osman Nuri Katib

Chief Executive Officer | Onftech

Rini Laskar

Former Head of Transformation and Governance | Formerly RAKBANK

4:30 PM

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 04:30 PM—05:00 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Women Aren’t Bad Investors. Maybe Investing Is Bad at Women

Women control more wealth than ever, yet many stay on the sidelines - not for lack of ambition, but because the industry was built on assumptions about how they “should” engage with money. We confront whether trust, community and belonging - not products and performance - are what actually turn savers into investors.

Speakers

Afua Hagan

Journalist & Broadcaster | News Central

Wafa AlObaidat

CEO and Founder | Playbook

Jessica Liu

Co-Founder & CEO | Planto

4:50 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 04:50 PM—05:20 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : The Deal Room: Where Fintech Capital is Moving Next

Capital allocation offers one of the clearest signals of where the industry is heading. Investors with active mandates must continually decide which technologies, business models and markets deserve long-term conviction, and which no longer do.This conversation brings together leading investors to discuss where they are deploying capital today, the opportunities attracting the greatest attention, how investment priorities are evolving, and what current capital flows reveal about the next phase of financial services growth.

Speakers

Abdulmalik Alothman

Co-Founder and Chief Financial & Credit Officer | Safqah Capital

Hanna Raftell

Founding Partner | Stratum 3

Karan Mohla

General Partner | B Capital

Naif AbuSaida

CEO | Hakbah

5:00 PM

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 05:00 PM—05:50 PM (50 min)

Networking : Networking

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 05:00 PM—05:30 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Beyond Claims: Insurance That Finds You

Insurance is leaving the moment of purchase and moving into the flow of ordinary life: a trip booked, a car started, a checkout completed, a health target missed. Consumers now expect cover to surface when it is relevant, act before a loss becomes a crisis and adjust to how they actually live. Meeting that expectation means running on behavioural, wellness and connected-device data, which brings its own problems around transparency, fairness and whether anyone genuinely understands the protection they hold. The conversation follows the shift from reactive claims handling towards prevention, continuous value and cover that appears exactly when it’s needed, becoming another invisible layer of the digital customer journey.

Speakers

Faisal Alrajhi

Co-Founder & CEO | Almatar Company

Eliott Gotkine

Master of Ceremonies

Masoud Alhelou

CEO | Yasmina

Dr. Arwa JamJoom

Co-Founder & CEO | Ananas Insurance

The Bridge

Payments and commerce Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 05:00 PM—05:30 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Merchant Multiplier: Who is enabling the next billion businesses to sell digitally?

Digital commerce depends on more than consumer demand. It requires robust acceptance infrastructure, trusted payment networks, and seamless merchant experiences. This session explores how payment providers are enabling businesses to participate in increasingly digital economies.

Speakers

Dalal Alrayes

Co-founder & CEO | Spare

Ahmet Kayhan

Chief Payments and Digital Assets Officer | VEON Group Holding Company Ltd

Eduardo Abreu

CPO & CEO of EBANX Singapore | Ebanx

Abdulaziz Aldahmash

Regional MD | Network International

Danny Levy

EVP & MD, APAC & Middle East | Money20/20

5:20 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 05:20 PM—05:50 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : The Integration Imperative: Building Capital Markets That Cross Borders

This intimate conversation will delve into the unvarnished reality of building financial architecture across sovereign jurisdictions: the political friction, the technical complexity, the breakthroughs and the blueprint. This session draws the lines of connection between regions rewriting their own financial geography.

Speakers

Lukas Bonko

CEO | Bratislava Stock Exchange

Neo Mooki

Chairperson | Botswana Stock Exchange

Ekrem Arikan

CEO & Board Member | MERKEZİ KAYIT KURULUŞU A.Ş.

Scarlett Sieber

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer | Money20/20 Global

5:30 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 05:30 PM—06:05 PM (35 min)

Panel Discussion : Working Capital Without the Application

A small business usually needs money at exactly the point a conventional lender is least equipped to say yes. The paperwork takes weeks. The opportunity takes days. Transaction history, platform activity, e-invoicing and live cash-flow data change the sequencing. Demand can be spotted, risk can be priced, and working capital can be offered inside the tools a merchant already has open. For freelancers, microbusinesses and smaller merchants, the credit arrives before the application would have been finished. Three things get argued out here: whether commerce and financial data can genuinely close the SME finance gap, what makes embedded working capital durable rather than seasonal, and how lenders resist turning abundant data into credit nobody can repay.

Speakers

Gabriele Sabato

Co-founder & CEO | Wiserfunding

Yemi Olulana

CEO | Flex Finance

Ismael Belkhayat

Founder & CEO | Chari

Hilda Louca

Partner & Managing Director | Converted

The Bridge

Banking Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 05:30 PM—06:00 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : Digital Public Infrastructure: The Operating System of Modern Economies

Digital identity, trusted data exchange, interoperable government platforms, and citizen-centric digital services are rapidly becoming the foundation of modern economies. This session explores how governments are building the digital infrastructure required to support innovation, financial inclusion, public service delivery, and economic competitiveness in an increasingly connected world.

Speakers

Mario Nobile

Director General | Agency of Digital Italy, Government of Italy

Raafat Sindi

CRO | CNTXT

Nasser Saleh

Chairman & Founder | MadfoatCom for ePayments

The Bridge

Cyber & Trust Journey

Tuesday 15 September, 05:30 PM—05:50 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Compliance as a Feature, Not Friction

KYC, AML and reporting are too often experienced as friction that slows every product down. This session shows how leading institutions are rebuilding compliance as an invisible, automated layer embedded in the flow. The takeaway is a model where controls strengthen the system instead of fighting it.

5:50 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 05:50 PM—06:20 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : The New Era of Credit: AI, Risk and Lending in Real-Time

AI is changing not only how credit decisions are made, but how financial institutions think about risk, growth and capital allocation. Leaders must now decide how to balance faster decision-making, broader financial inclusion and responsible risk management in an era where intelligence systems increasingly support every stage of the lending lifecycle.

Speakers

Susana Ponce Froment

Board Advisor | Gifftid

Gaurav Kumar

Founder & CEO | YUBI

Yanan Wu

CEO & Chairman | Surfin Meta Digital Technology Pte. Ltd.

Mark Walker

CEO | The Fintech Times

Off The Record

Tuesday 15 September, 05:50 PM—05:55 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

The Capital

Tuesday 15 September, 05:50 PM—05:55 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

6:05 PM

Next-Gen Money

Tuesday 15 September, 06:05 PM—06:10 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

Speaker

Eliott Gotkine

Master of Ceremonies

6:20 PM

Executive Summit

Tuesday 15 September, 06:20 PM—06:25 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

Speaker

Taghrid Alhowish

Master of Ceremonies

7:10 PM

The Bridge

Tuesday 15 September, 07:10 PM—07:15 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

Speaker

Yousef Gamal El-Din

Managing Partner | Stagespring LLC

Day 3

12:00 PM

Next-Gen Money

Wednesday 16 September, 12:00 PM—12:10 PM (10 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

The New Financial System

Speaker

Eliott Gotkine

Master of Ceremonies

The Bridge

Wednesday 16 September, 12:00 PM—12:10 PM (10 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Yousef Gamal El-Din

Managing Partner | Stagespring LLC

The Capital

Wednesday 16 September, 12:00 PM—12:10 PM (10 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Natalie Lindo

Founder | NLM

Off The Record

Wednesday 16 September, 12:00 PM—12:05 PM (5 min)

Opening Remarks : Virtual MC Welcome

12:05 PM

Off The Record

Wednesday 16 September, 12:05 PM—01:00 PM (55 min)

Workshop : CLOSED DOOR WORKSHOP

12:10 PM

The Capital

Wednesday 16 September, 12:10 PM—12:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Built in Riyadh. Scaled Everywhere.

Saudi Arabia has rapidly emerged as one of the region's most dynamic fintech ecosystems, supported by progressive regulation, increasing access to capital, and a growing innovation economy. Yet building a successful company at home is only the first step. The next challenge is creating globally competitive businesses that can scale across markets, attract international investment, and become category leaders. Explore what separates regional success from global scale, the role of capital in accelerating international expansion, and how Saudi-founded companies can build enduring enterprise value on the world stage.

Speakers

Rakan Al Rashed

Managing Partner | BECO Capital

Mina Vucic

Director of Production & Multimedia | Entrepreneur Middle East

Hamad AlMohaimeed

Head of Value Creation | Foodics

Next-Gen Money

Wednesday 16 September, 12:10 PM—12:40 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : Can I Trust You With My Money? The Psychology of Financial AI

AI can already recommend how people save, spend, borrow and invest. The next step is more consequential: allowing it to act. Consumers will not delegate financial decisions because a system is intelligent. They will do it when they understand what it is allowed to do, when it will ask for approval and whether a decision can be challenged or reversed. Opening the day, this conversation examines which financial decisions people are prepared to hand over, where they will insist on remaining in control and what banks and fintechs must build around consent, explanation and human intervention before autonomous finance becomes mainstream.

Speakers

Ilya Kravtsov

Founder & CEO | PILLAR

Yasar Ahmad

Founder / Behavioural Science & Leadership Expert / Content Creator | OVD Lab

Mark Walker

CEO | The Fintech Times

Yana Prikhodchenko

CEO & Partner | Cointelegraph

The Bridge

Wednesday 16 September, 12:10 PM—12:50 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : What Comes After Payments?

Payments are no longer the end goal, they are becoming the foundation for a new generation of real-time, intelligent, and interconnected financial services. As digital assets, instant payment networks, and programmable financial infrastructure converge, the industry is redefining how value moves, settles, and creates new economic opportunities.

The Bridge

Wednesday 16 September, 12:10 PM—12:50 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : What Comes After Payments?

Speakers

Tony Ashraf

Managing Director | BlackRock

Farid Huseynov

CEO | Bir Ecosystem

Salah Hamawi

Senior Management Director | Ankura

Pinar Alpay

Chief Product & Marketing Officer • Product | Network International

Mohammed Alabsi

Chief Product and Technology Officer | FLIP

12:30 PM

Executive Summit

Wednesday 16 September, 12:30 PM—12:35 PM (5 min)

Opening Remarks : MC Welcome

Speaker

Taghrid Alhowish

Master of Ceremonies

The Capital

Wednesday 16 September, 12:30 PM—01:00 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Insurtech: Protecting the Future of Capital

As climate risks, cyber threats and rising healthcare costs reshape the global economy, insurance is evolving from a financial safety net into a strategic investment opportunity. From AI-powered underwriting and embedded insurance to digital health and climate resilience, Insurtech is redefining how capital is protected, deployed and grown across MENA.

Speaker

Masoud Alhelou

CEO | Yasmina

Boardroom

Wednesday 16 September, 12:30 PM—02:00 PM (1 h 30 min)

Roundtable : Wiring the Next Generation: Family Offices, Fintech, and Saudi Arabia's Global Financial Bridge

As next-generation wealth holders take the reins of Gulf family offices, capital is shifting decisively toward technology and financial innovation – with Saudi Arabia at the center of that transformation. This roundtable brings together family office principals, fintech founders, and investment leaders to examine how emerging technology is reshaping private wealth strategy, why family offices are becoming pivotal backers of fintech, and how the Kingdom's evolving landscape is positioning it as a node of global financial connectivity. The conversation will explore where the next generation sees opportunity, how cross-border partnerships and co-investment structures are being built, and what it takes to turn regional momentum into lasting international relevance.

Speaker

Ahmed Al Darwish

Founder and Managing Partner | Noa Capital

12:35 PM

Executive Summit

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

OPENING KEYNOTE : Building the World’s Next Financial System: From Vision to Reality

Speaker

Ms. Nora M. Albakr

Deputy Governor for Financial Innovation | Saudi Central Bank

12:40 PM

Next-Gen Money

Capital Journey

Wednesday 16 September, 12:40 PM—01:20 PM (40 min)

Deep Dive : Who Sells Financial Products When AI Makes the Decisions?

A consumer asks an AI assistant to find the best current account, the right insurance product or a sensible place to put savings. The assistant compares providers, filters products and recommends. The customer never reaches a website or an app, and the provider never knows the comparison happened. Distribution built on brand, search and branch presence does not survive that intact. The panel gets to the practical version of the problem: what a financial company has to do to remain visible to a machine choosing on someone's behalf, and whether the next generation of institutions will be competing for people or for the algorithms representing them.

Speakers

Christophe Makni

Head of Data, Automation and AI | Migros Bank

Frank Amankwah

Visiting Partner | Sanabil Studio

Omar Alessa

Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer | Safqah Capital

Leni Andronicos

Co-Founder & CEO | Numi

Omar Knio

VP of Marketing | Foodics

12:50 PM

Executive Summit

Wednesday 16 September, 12:50 PM—01:00 PM (10 min)

Announcement

The Bridge

Payments and commerce Journey

Wednesday 16 September, 12:50 PM—01:30 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Building the Trade Rails of Tomorrow

As trade corridors evolve, so must the systems that support them. Explore how digital payments, instant settlement, and cross-border interoperability are reshaping the foundations of regional and global commerce.

Speakers

Laurent Marochini

Chief Executive Officer | Standard Chartered Luxembourg

Ahmad Yaacoub

VP MENA & Country Head | Thunes

Amanda Estiverne

Vice President, Global Strategic Partnerships | Money20/20

Shahebaz Khan

Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions (CEMEA) | VISA

1:00 PM

The Capital

Wednesday 16 September, 01:00 PM—01:40 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : AI-Native Companies: The New Rules of Enterprise Value

AI is fundamentally changing how companies are built, scaled and valued. AI-native businesses are redefining traditional assumptions around productivity, capital efficiency, operating models and competitive advantage, enabling smaller teams to create outsized enterprise value. As investors reassess the characteristics of tomorrow's market leaders, the focus is shifting from scale alone to defensibility, proprietary data, distribution and long-term value creation. This session explores how AI is reshaping enterprise value, what distinguishes the next generation of category leaders, and where investors see the greatest opportunities for long-term returns.

Speaker

Waleed Al Balla

Managing Partner | Sukna Ventures

Off The Record

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

Fireside Chat : The Inheritors' Blueprint

How the next generation wants the next financial systems built. The people who'll run on tomorrow's rails rarely get to shape them. This session changes that, putting next-gen builders in dialogue about the infrastructure, incentives and governance being designed now. It's a forward look co-authored by the generation it's for.

Speakers

Naif Alajmi

Co-Founder, Board Member, and Head of Arranging | OORI

Cindy Ai

Co-CEO | Dream VC

Executive Summit

Wednesday 16 September, 01:00 PM—01:40 PM (40 min)

Panel Discussion : Who Owns the Financial Experience?

The future of financial services won’t be defined by who builds the best products, but by who owns the customer relationship. As SuperApps and platform businesses reshape how consumers discover, engage with and access financial services, traditional competitive boundaries are disappearing. This conversation explores how platform competition is redefining customer ownership, business models and the future structure of financial services, and what today’s leaders must do to remain at the centre of the customer relationship.

Speakers

Oliver Hughes

Head of International | TBC Bank Group

Erwan Gelebart

CEO | AXIAN Digibank & Fintech

Sarthak Ahuja

Director | Niamh Ventures Pvt Ltd

Monica Jasuja

Chief Expansion and Innovation Officer | Emerging Payments Association Asia

Nikhil Joy

Head of Fintech | NOON

1:20 PM

Next-Gen Money

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

Panel Discussion : When AI Fails: Who Pays?

An autonomous system makes a financial decision. Someone loses money. The argument starts immediately and has no obvious winner. Liability could sit with the institution that deployed the model, the vendor that built it, the team that trained it, or the customer who agreed to delegate the decision in the first place. Most arrangements currently leave the answer implied. This panel refuses the abstract version. Where liability actually lands when financial AI causes harm. What governance looks like when an autonomous system has to survive a real audit rather than a policy review. And which of these responsibilities must be settled before agentic finance operates at scale, not after.

Speakers

Justin Malta

Global Leader, Risk and Regulatory Advisory | KPMG

Claire Harrop

Partner | Freshfields LLP

Balaji Rajagopalan

CTO | State Bank of India

Ratul Ahmed

Managing Director - Lending | Commerzbank AG

Ben Charoenwong

Associate Professor of Finance | INSEAD

Off The Record

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

Fireside Chat : Match Made in Heaven: The New Creator & Bank Alliance

The creator economy is now a $250B network of micro-businesses and banks, platforms and fintechs are racing to serve them. Are creators just a new customer segment, or the next frontier of banking entirely? We look at who builds the winning relationship over the next decade.

Speakers

Glauber Mota

CEO - Brazil | Revolut

Aydan Al-Saad

Founder & Creator | Creator Leaders

Afua Hagan

Journalist & Broadcaster | News Central

Off The Record

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

Fireside Chat : Are Traditional Exchanges Becoming Obsolete?

Off The Record

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

Fireside Chat : Are Traditional Exchanges Becoming Obsolete?

Speakers

Alhaji Umaru Kwairanga

Chairman | Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX)

Alexander Wegner

Head of Middle East | Crestview

1:30 PM

The Bridge

Banking Journey

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

Fireside Chat : Always-On Wallet: Banking for the digital natives

The financial architecture for a generation that never powers down. Always-on isn't a feature, it's becoming the default state of an economy. This session unpacks the infrastructure, governance and trust models that an always-on economy depends on. It keeps the future-facing energy while staying firmly on the systems beneath it.

Speakers

Karan Chawla

Director, Global Head of Financial Services | Uber Technologies Inc.

Ambareen Musa

Chief Executive Officer - GCC | Revolut

Scarlett Sieber

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer | Money20/20 Global

1:40 PM

The Capital

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

Fireside Chat : What Makes a Company Worth Owning?

Capital gets you started. But product, customers, distribution and loyalty are what ultimately create enterprise value. A founder and investor unpack what separates businesses that simply raise money from those that build something customers genuinely want to keep using.

Speakers

Sebastien Toupy

Founder | Scalefront

Alvaro Del Rio

General Partner | Boost Capital Partners

Off The Record

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

Panel Discussion : $650B in Motion: The New Remittance Cost Curve

Remittance costs remain above the 3% global target, and a younger, mobile-first customer base is shifting volume toward instant, low-cost digital channels. We map what the $650B+ market looks like as fee revenue compresses: who survives, who consolidates, and what new risks replace the old ones.

Speaker

Mohamed Mansour

Regional Director | Wise

Executive Summit

Financial Inclusion Journey

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

Panel Discussion : From Access to Agency: Financial Education as Infrastructure

Financial literacy isn't a nice-to-have, it's a prerequisite for participation. This session makes the case that embedding financial education into platforms and policy is one of the highest-return investments any institution or government can make. Real inclusion starts with knowledge.

Speakers

Mana Al Khansan

CEO | The Financial Academy

Dr. Jasmin B. Gupta

Global Fintech Academic | University of Wollongong, Australia, GIFT City India

Glauber Mota

CEO - Brazil | Revolut

Yasar Ahmad

Founder / Behavioural Science & Leadership Expert / Content Creator | OVD Lab

Rodrigoh Henriques

Director of Innovation and Strategy | FENASBAC

2:00 PM

The Bridge

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

Fireside Chat : “The” Inheritors' Blueprint

How the next generation wants the next financial systems built.The people who'll run on tomorrow's rails rarely get to shape them. This session changes that, putting next-gen builders in dialogue about the infrastructure, incentives and governance being designed now. It's a forward look co-authored by the generation it's for.

Speakers

Naif Alajmi

Co-Founder, Board Member, and Head of Arranging | OORI

Cindy Ai

Co-CEO | Dream VC

Off The Record

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

Fireside Chat : Who Still Uses Their Bank Cards?

You don’t reach for your wallet anymore, it reaches for you. From social platforms to creator ecosystems and embedded retail experiences, finance is no longer a destination, it’s infrastructure. Invisible, frictionless and woven into the scroll, the click and the checkout. As AI agents start making decisions and completing transactions on our behalf, who actually owns the customer relationship when the customer never opens a banking app again?

Speakers

Panagiotis Kriaris

Advisor / Fintech, Payments, Banking

Mohammed Alabsi

Chief Product and Technology Officer | FLIP

The Bridge

Wednesday 16 September, 02:00 PM—02:50 PM (50 min)

Fireside Chat : Trust Hand-off

The financial architecture for a generation that never powers down.Always-on isn't a feature, it's becoming the default state of an economy. This session unpacks the infrastructure, governance and trust models that an always-on economy depends on. It keeps the future-facing energy while staying firmly on the systems beneath it.

Speakers

Wasim Hamoud

Founder & CEO | Moola

Fahad Anteet

Founder & CEO | Lite

Mohammed A. Alhamzah

General Director, Digital Business Solutions | Saudi Central Bank

The Capital

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

Panel Discussion : Tokenized Assets: Reshaping Global Capital Markets

The tokenisation of real-world assets is redefining how capital is raised, owned and traded. From private equity and real estate to bonds, funds and alternative assets, tokenisation has the potential to unlock new liquidity, broaden investor access and reshape the architecture of global capital markets. As governments, exchanges and financial institutions continue to explore and implement digital asset initiatives, the opportunity extends beyond technology to the future ownership of market infrastructure.We examine where value will be created, which asset classes are likely to transform first, and what tokenisation means for investors, regulators and institutions shaping the next generation of capital markets.

The Capital

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

Panel Discussion : Tokenized Assets: Reshaping Global Capital Markets

The tokenisation of real-world assets is redefining how capital is raised, owned and traded. From private equity and real estate to bonds, funds and alternative assets, tokenisation has the potential to unlock new liquidity, broaden investor access and reshape the architecture of global capital markets. As governments, exchanges and financial institutions continue to explore and implement digital asset initiatives, the opportunity extends beyond technology to the future ownership of market infrastructure. We examine where value will be created, which asset classes are likely to transform first, and what tokenisation means for investors, regulators and institutions shaping the next generation of capital markets.

Speakers

Tony Ashraf

Managing Director | BlackRock

Senator Osita Izunaso

Chairman, Senate Committee on Capital Markets | Federal Republic of Nigeria Government

Laurent Marochini

Chief Executive Officer | Standard Chartered Luxembourg

Zain Umer

CEO | CFC MENA / MFTA

Next-Gen Money

Cyber & Trust Journey

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

Fireside Chat : The Post-Quantum Deadline: Is Financial Infrastructure Ready?

AI is already embedded in risk models, fraud engines, liquidity decisions and financial operations. Quantum computing could eventually extend those capabilities through new forms of optimisation, modelling and analysis. It could also undermine cryptography protecting financial data, identity and transactions.That creates a deadline long before a sufficiently powerful quantum computer arrives.This conversation separates practical readiness from speculation. It examines which cryptographic dependencies require attention now, where quantum and AI could create financial value first and what banks, regulators and payment networks should already have underway to prepare financial infrastructure for a post-quantum world.

2:20 PM

The Bridge

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

Panel Discussion : Building the Builders: Who Will Power the Next Generation of Financial Infrastructure?

The greatest challenge facing financial infrastructure may not be technology, it may be talent. As AI, cloud, digital identity and real-time payments reshape financial systems, countries are competing to build the skills, partnerships and innovation ecosystems needed to sustain long-term transformation. How should governments, industry, universities and investors work together to develop the next generation of fintech talent and ensure financial infrastructure continues to evolve?

Speakers

Wasim Hamoud

Founder & CEO | Moola

Sumnesh Joshi

Deputy Director General | Government of India

Sanjiv Purushotham

CEO & Founder | Bridge Solutions

Mohammed A. Alhamzah

General Director, Digital Business Solutions | Saudi Central Bank

Saad Abubakr

CTO | Al Rajhi Takaful

Next-Gen Money

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

Panel Discussion : Stablecoins and the Future of Money: Where Do They Fit?

Stablecoins are attracting growing global attention as potential tools for cross-border payments, settlement, treasury and digital commerce, while adoption, regulation and use cases continue to vary significantly across markets.As banks, payment networks, fintechs and policymakers assess where stablecoins may add value, the bigger question is how they fit alongside existing payment rails, tokenised deposits and other emerging forms of programmable money.This panel examines where practical use cases are developing, what conditions would be required for broader use, how financial institutions are responding, and whether stablecoins could become a lasting part of the financial system or one element within a wider evolution of digital money.

Executive Summit

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

Fireside Chat : Preparing Finance for the Post Quantum Era

As quantum capabilities advance, today’s encryption standards that protect payments, identities and financial infrastructure could eventually become vulnerable. This session explores how financial institutions, technology providers and policymakers should prepare now for the transition to quantum-safe systems before the threat becomes systemic.

Speakers

Ray Harishankar

IBM Fellow & Vice President | IBM

Steve Suarez

CEO | HorizonX

Next-Gen Money

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

Panel Discussion : Stablecoins and the Future of Money: Where Do They Fit?

Stablecoins are attracting growing global attention as potential tools for cross-border payments, settlement, treasury and digital commerce, while adoption, regulation and use cases continue to vary significantly across markets. As banks, payment networks, fintechs and policymakers assess where stablecoins may add value, the bigger question is how they fit alongside existing payment rails, tokenised deposits and other emerging forms of programmable money. This panel examines where practical use cases are developing, what conditions would be required for broader use, how financial institutions are responding, and whether stablecoins could become a lasting part of the financial system or one element within a wider evolution of digital money.

Speakers

Nicole Sandler

Chief Ecosystem Officer | Ubyx

Jorge Carrasco

Managing Director Blockchain and Digital Assets | FTI Consulting

Ramana Kumar

President | ADI Foundation

Dr. Efi Pylarinou

Global Fintech & Tech Thought leader & Advisor | GrowFin

Simon Hardie

Co-founder & CEO | Findexable

2:40 PM

The Capital

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

Live Demo : Can AI Investment Decisions Be Trusted?

A compliance officer can't take an AI's investment call on faith. This session opens one live recommendation and walks it backward: explanation, portfolio logic, signal, data - exposing exactly where the evidence trail holds and where it quietly comes apart.

Speakers

Ivan Chelebiev

CEO | Chicago Global

Ben Charoenwong

Associate Professor of Finance | INSEAD

Off The Record

Wednesday 16 September, 02:40 PM—03:10 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : If AI Manages Your Money, Do You Still Need To Understand It?

AI is rapidly evolving from a financial assistant into a financial decision-maker. As intelligent agents begin recommending investments, choosing credit products, managing budgets and automating everyday financial decisions, the role of financial education is being fundamentally challenged. Will AI democratise better financial outcomes, or will it create a generation of consumers who trust algorithms without understanding the consequences? If technology becomes the expert, what financial knowledge remains essential, and who is ultimately accountable when AI gets it wrong?

Speakers

Tolani Abere

Influencer & Investment Professional | Tolani Talks Money

Christophe Makni

Head of Data, Automation and AI | Migros Bank

Azeem Khan

Co-Founder | Miden

Prof.Dr. Ahmed Ebada

Professor, AI Strategist & CEO | HOPn

Executive Summit

Cyber & Trust Journey

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

Fireside Chat : The Boardroom Cyber Agenda

Cybersecurity has become one of the defining strategic priorities for today's business leaders. As financial institutions navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape, boards must balance innovation, resilience, regulation and risk. This discussion will explore the leadership decisions shaping cyber strategy and what it takes to build resilient organisations in an era of constant disruption.

Speakers

Edgar González Lugo

CISO | Ualá

Rini Laskar

Former Head of Transformation and Governance | Formerly RAKBANK

Saud Swar

Senior Vice President and Country Manager for KSA, Bahrain, Jordan & Other Levant | Mastercard

2:45 PM

Boardroom

Wednesday 16 September, 02:45 PM—04:30 PM (1 h 45 min)

Roundtable : The Enablers of Open Investment: Connectivity, Data, and the Future of Capital Markets

As digital connectivity continues to reshape financial services, new opportunities are emerging to transform how investors access information, products, and investment services across capital markets. Open Investment has the potential to create more connected investment journeys, unlock new business models, and foster greater collaboration between investors, capital market institutions, fintechs, and market infrastructure providers. This high-level roundtable will explore the key enablers of Open Investment, including data access, connectivity, APIs, and collaboration across the ecosystem, while bringing together industry leaders to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and practical steps needed to move from concept to market-led action.

3:00 PM

The Capital

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

Fireside Chat : HOT SEAT: The Founder Playbook That Doesn't Exist

There is no universal blueprint for building a successful fintech company. Every founder faces unique decisions around hiring, fundraising, regulation, expansion and product strategy. This session brings together founders who have taken very different paths to explore what worked, what failed and the lessons they wish they had known earlier.

Speakers

Brad Maasdorp

FinTech Growth Partner | TMC (The Member Company)

Nauman Ali

Co-Founder | Orbii

Next-Gen Money

Wednesday 16 September, 03:00 PM—03:45 PM (45 min)

Panel Discussion : Next Capital Market: Automation, Tokenisation, and the Future of Investing

Automated investment tools, tokenised assets and fractional ownership are changing who can invest, what can become investable and how opportunities reach the market.These technologies promise wider participation, but access alone does not guarantee suitability, understanding or better financial outcomes.This conversation examines how investment products will be created, selected and distributed in a more automated market, and whether the next capital system will expand meaningful ownership or simply expose more consumers to products they do not fully understand.

Next-Gen Money

Wednesday 16 September, 03:00 PM—03:45 PM (45 min)

Panel Discussion : Next Capital Market: Automation, Tokenisation, and the Future of Investing

Automated investment tools, tokenised assets and fractional ownership are changing who can invest, what can become investable and how opportunities reach the market. These technologies promise wider participation, but access alone does not guarantee suitability, understanding or better financial outcomes. This conversation examines how investment products will be created, selected and distributed in a more automated market, and whether the next capital system will expand meaningful ownership or simply expose more consumers to products they do not fully understand.

Speakers

Hanna Raftell

Founding Partner | Stratum 3

Maha Al-Saadi

Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Expert | Independent

Nawaf Almaskati

Co-Founder and CEO of KSA | Tanami

Afzal Hussain Mohammed Nakheeb

Founder & Chairman | T57.AI

Joshua Klayman

Firm-Wide Co-Lead of Digital Assets, Blockchain & Custody | Ashurst Perkins Coie

Executive Summit

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

Fireside Chat : Rewriting the Risk: Insurance's Role in Strengthening MENA’s Financial Future

For too long, insurance has been treated as a regulatory obligation rather than an economic engine. This is changing fast. A combination of Vision 2030 mandates, rising climate exposure, an expanding middle class and the arrival of AI-powered underwriting is creating conditions for the region's most significant insurance transformation in a generation.Hear first-hand from the leaders setting the terms for the next decade.

Speakers

Muhammad Imran Bashir

Chief Corporate Development Officer | Al Rajhi Takaful

Richard Dean

Presenter | Roar Media

3:10 PM

Off The Record

Wednesday 16 September, 03:10 PM—03:20 PM (10 min)

Networking : Networking Break

The Bridge

Wednesday 16 September, 03:10 PM—03:30 PM (20 min)

FIRESIDE : Creating Value in Connected Financial Ecosystems

Amex Saudi Arabia brings value to merchants joining its networks & acquiring partners (banks and fintechs), thanks to initiatives and services aimed at increasing business & satisfaction for both partners and customers. Amex Cards are accepted at more places than ever before, meaning there is greater choice of businesses where Cardmembers can pay with Amex. We support the local tourism and economy through dedicated local projects and initiatives that bring unique value for merchants and consumers.

Speakers

Sanjiv Purushotham

CEO & Founder | Bridge Solutions

Abdullah Alassaf

Deputy Chief Commercial Officer | American Express Saudi Arabia

3:20 PM

Off The Record

Wednesday 16 September, 03:20 PM—03:50 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Keep Your “AI” On The Prize

AI is booming, cybersecurity is essential, and fintech is evolving. Explore what top investors are backing, what sectors are being overlooked and where they see the next billion-dollar opportunities

Speakers

Anmol Goel

CEO & Managing Partner | Gacs Multi-Family Office Ltd

Tasawar Ulhaq

Shareholder, CEO | Basirah

Executive Summit

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

Panel Discussion : The MENA Advantage: How the Region is Winning the FinTech Race

As financial services continue to evolve, the Middle East and North Africa is emerging as one of the world's most dynamic fintech regions. Driven by ambitious national strategies such as Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, progressive regulation and rapid digital adoption, the region is accelerating innovation and redefining the future of financial services. This session explores the competitive advantages positioning MENA as a global fintech leader and what it will take to sustain its momentum.

Speakers

Basem Aljedai

Co-Founder | Moyasar

Mohamed Aladdin

General Partner | Development Partners International (DPI) VC

Nameer Khan

Chairman and Founding Board Member | MENA Fintech Association

Abdullah Alzayni

Chief Growth Officer | Tamam

3:30 PM

The Capital

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

Closing Remarks

Speaker

Natalie Lindo

Founder | NLM

The Bridge

Banking Journey

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

Panel Discussion : Monetizing Openness: The Future of Financial Ecosystems

Open finance was built on access. The next phase is about value. As data, identity, payments, and financial services become increasingly interconnected, where will the biggest commercial opportunities emerge and who will capture them?

Speakers

Bassel Ojjeh

CEO | LigaDATA

Todd Schweitzer

CEO and Founder | Brankas

Amira Abdelaziz

Senior Data, AI & Fintech Innovation Leader | Central Bank of Egypt

Richard Healy

Commercial VP APAC | Dlocal

Khalid K. Alsohaim

Director, Payments Business Operations | Saudi Central Bank

Abdullah Alassaf

Deputy Chief Commercial Officer | American Express Saudi Arabia

3:50 PM

Off The Record

Wednesday 16 September, 03:50 PM—04:20 PM (30 min)

Panel Discussion : AI vs Crime: Who gets Smarter First?

The next frontier in financial crime isn't detection, it's prediction. As AI enables institutions to anticipate fraud before it happens, criminals are harnessing the same technology to launch faster, smarter, and more sophisticated attacks. In a race where every second matters, who will outsmart whom, and can AI stay one step ahead of the criminals it's designed to stop?

Speakers

Angaj Bhandari

Senior Vice President, EMEA | Fime

Charles Lobo

SVP & Risk & CEMEA | Visa Inc

Petra Janež

Financial Controller | Ministry of Finance, Republic of Slovenia

Andrew Morfill

Director | Alvarez & Marsal

4:00 PM

Executive Summit

Wednesday 16 September, 04:00 PM—04:15 PM (15 min)

Closing Keynote

Speaker

H.E. Abdulelah A. Aldeheem

Vice Governor for Executive Affairs | Saudi Central Bank

4:05 PM

Next-Gen Money

Payments and commerce Journey

Wednesday 16 September, 04:05 PM—04:50 PM (45 min)

Panel Discussion : Beyond Cards: Will QR Become the Default Way the World Pays?

Cards became dominant because they created a familiar experience across merchants and markets. QR payments are now challenging that model, particularly in economies where wallets, bank accounts and super apps connect directly at checkout. This panel examines whether QR-based payments can move from strong domestic adoption to become a global consumer payment model. It explores why merchants and consumers choose QR, whether cards can retain their position as account-to-account payments expand, and what the next dominant checkout experience will look like.

Speakers

Vimal Kumar

CEO | Omnispay

Waleed Sadek

Founder & CEO | FinTra Holding

Sandra Mianda

Founder & CEO | Paypr.work

Sandeep Indurkar

CEO | Bharat Pe- Payments

Eduardo Abreu

CPO & CEO of EBANX Singapore | Ebanx

Mohammed K. Omar

Director, Payment Market Development | Saudi Central Bank

4:10 PM

The Bridge

Wednesday 16 September, 04:10 PM—04:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : Everyone's an Investor Now

Wealth-Building Foundations for the Many, Not the FewRobo-advice, fractional access and private-market platforms are opening wealth-building to everyone.

The Bridge

Wednesday 16 September, 04:10 PM—04:30 PM (20 min)

Fireside Chat : When Agents Pay Agents

The transaction architecture behind autonomous commerce. Soon the buyer and the seller may both be software, settling value without a human in the loop. This session explores what that does to payment infrastructure, authorisation and network design. The focus is the rails being built for machine-to-machine money, not the shopper.

Speakers

Nicole Sandler

Chief Ecosystem Officer | Ubyx

Dinara Abdizhaparova

CEO & Co-founder | askAlem

4:15 PM

Executive Summit

Wednesday 16 September, 04:15 PM—06:00 PM (1 h 45 min)

Pitch Finale : MoneySurge

Speakers

Lizzie Champan

Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer | Baystreet Advisors Private Limited

Abdulaziz Alomran

CEO | Impact46

4:20 PM

Off The Record

Wednesday 16 September, 04:20 PM—04:20 PM ()

Closing Remarks

4:30 PM

The Bridge

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

Fireside Chat : From Garage to Tadawul: Building the on-ramp for the next generation of listings

What does it actually take to move a company from founding to public markets? Saudi has quietly built one of the region's most complete on-ramps to public capital, and the Nomu parallel market is its beating heart. This session follows a company's journey from equity crowdfunding and private rounds through a Nomu listing to a main-market graduation. The focus is the system that makes capital formation reachable, not just the IPO at the end.

The Bridge

Cyber & Trust Journey

Wednesday 16 September, 04:30 PM—05:00 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : Cyber as systemic resilience

Securing What Comes NextAgent-driven, always-on finance opens attack surfaces that didn't exist a year ago. This session looks ahead at how security must evolve to protect autonomous, real-time systems. It frames resilience as the work of staying ahead, not catching up.

4:50 PM

Next-Gen Money

Wednesday 16 September, 04:50 PM—05:20 PM (30 min)

Deep Dive : From Access to Prosperity: Is the Financial System Delivering Better Outcomes?

Access stopped being a sufficient measure of success some time ago. A person can hold an account, use a wallet, qualify for digital credit and buy a fractional investment while remaining exactly as financially fragile as before. AI, embedded finance, digital identity and new investment products are all reshaping participation. Whether they produce economic mobility or simply more financial activity is a different question, and rarely the one being measured. The panel pushes on measurement itself: what the new financial system has to deliver beyond access, which outcomes are worth reporting, and who answers for the gap when inclusion statistics improve and household prosperity does not move.

Speakers

Bassel Ojjeh

CEO | LigaDATA

Laura Estefania

Founder & CEO | Conquista PR

Howard Chang

Chief Strategy Officer | EssentaTor Inc.

The Bridge

Financial Inclusion Journey

Wednesday 16 September, 04:50 PM—05:20 PM (30 min)

Fireside Chat : The End of the Credit Score?

Credit without a credit score is already a reality for millions who never fit the traditional model. This session unpacks how alternative data and AI are rewriting who gets access and how fairly. The lens is system design: the rails, signals and safeguards behind the next generation of lending.

Speakers

Anshul Johri

Group CTO | Validus Investment Holdings

Valerie Kontor

Founder | Black in FinTech

5:20 PM

Next-Gen Money

Wednesday 16 September, 05:20 PM—05:25 PM (5 min)

Closing Remarks

Speaker

Eliott Gotkine

Master of Ceremonies

The Bridge

Wednesday 16 September, 05:20 PM—05:20 PM ()

Closing Remarks

6:00 PM

Executive Summit

Wednesday 16 September, 06:00 PM—06:05 PM (5 min)

Close : End of Executive Summit