The third edition of the MENA Fintech Festival concluded yesterday, following a three day affair that saw fintech leaders and key players coming together to remark on the financial landscape across the region. The opening ceremony of the three-day event witnessed the participation of the Assistant Governor for Financial Instruments and Payment Systems at Qatar Central Bank (QCB), H E Sheikh Ahmed Bin Khalid Al Thani, and the President of MENA Fintech Festival Malik Shishtawi among other officials. During the keynote speech, H E Sheikh Ahmed stated: Mena Fintech Festival showcases exciting opportunities and empowers financial technology, driving the economy of Qatar and the region.” He added: “This dynamic sector is not just a project of technological advancement. It’s about empowering individuals, fostering economic growth, and creating new opportunities.” HE also emphasized that the QCB, in line with the national strategic vision 2030, is transforming Qatar into a robust ecosystem stimulating innovation, insurance, stability, security, and confidence in the financial system. He also noted the fintech strategy launched by QCB last year for innovation across the financial service sector. “The strategy reflects positioning Qatar as a global hub for tech and innovation. However, we recognise that this journey cannot embark upon alone. Collaboration with the stakeholder investors and policymakers will be essential for creating a sustainable and driving fintech ecosystem,” HE Sheikh Ahmed stated. He further added “By working together, we can shape the future that benefit not only Qatar but also the wider region and beyond. As you engage in the discussion today, let us remember that Fintech is not just about technology – it is also about people and using innovation to create a financial sector more inclusive, resilient, and capable of adapting to challenges and opportunities tomorrow. “ The President of the MENA Fintech Festival Malik Shishtawi stated “Qatar’s FinTech ecosystem stands as a testament to the power of vision and strategic investment. Guided by the forward-thinking policies of the Qatar Central Bank and supported by key stakeholders (Qatar FinTech Hub and Qatar Financial Centre), we are witnessing the transformation of financial services—not just for today but for generations to come.” He added: “Qatar’s value proposition in the FinTech landscape is clear: a commitment to fostering innovation, regulatory frameworks that enable growth, and a supportive environment for startups and global players alike. With initiatives like the Regulatory Sandbox and the National FinTech Strategy, Qatar is not just keeping pace with global trends; it is setting new benchmarks.” Shishtawi highlighted that the leadership of QCB has been “instrumental” in creating an ecosystem where creativity meets compliance. He also stressed that partners in government entities, private sector stakeholders, and international collaborators are charting a bold course for sustainable economic growth through FinTech. He highlighted that attendees will gain insights into various cutting-edge ideas, and impactful partnerships, and ignite discussions shaping the future of the financial landscape.
The three-day event featured keynote speeches, panels and workshops that brought together investors and decision-makers involved in on the challenges and opportunities in the industry, especially in the MENA region, and concluded with a riveting panel discussion with H.E. Mr. Margus Tsahnka, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
The Republic of Estonia, about Estonia’s journey to becoming a European and Global leader in the digitization of public services.
During another panel session, the Founder and CEO at HyperPay, Muhanad Ebwini; the CEO of Spendwisor, Safarudheen Farook; Executive Producer at Fintekrs, Mohamed Mounir El-Ahwal; and Venture Partner GCC, Tenity, Maximilian Plank emphasized the opportunities, challenges, and risk of the financial technology sector.
The CEO at HyperPay, Muhanad Ebwini noted that Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is working on numerous initiatives to unlock “huge” opportunities provided the state-of-the-art infrastructure and mindset to transform the future of fintech. He said “The huge opportunities today include $8.5bn digital transaction in Qatar and I think it’s easy to go up to $100bn in a very few years. What I’m seeing today is that our market is very dynamic and new opportunities come every minute.” Elucidating on the market outside Qatar, he stated that the most important consumer products in the past few years are in Saudi and the UAE. “In Saudi, we can see for some merchants around 70 percent of the transaction just moved to ‘Buy-Now-Pay-Later’ today in our payment,” Ebwini said.
