As the Middle East witnesses the emergence of a thriving fintech ecosystem, an increasing number of events and conferences are being held in the region to showcase its innovative products and latest initiatives.
The followings are some of the Middle East’s upcoming fintech and blockchain events scheduled for the coming months:
Fintech: A Land Of Opportunities
October 8, 2018, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
BDD @1075 Rooftop, Beirut Digital District, Lebanon
The Fintech: A Land Of Opportunities masterclass, on October 8, will explore some of Fintech major trends globally, from three main points of view: technology, “smart” investment, and career opportunities.
The event aims to examine the new technologies, such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cybersecurity, the cloud, mobile networks and Internet-of-Things (IoT), and new business models that are transforming the financial landscape.
Monetizing Innovation
October 9, 2018, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Greek Campus, 28 Al Falki, Room 109, Ad Dawawin, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Monetizing Innovation will see Martin Janzen, CEO of Simon-Kucher & partners (Egypt), and Todd O’Brien, CEO for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region of Startupbootcamp, answer the dazzling question: how to build a fintech smart business model in the digital age.
3rd Global Chief Innovation Officer Summit
October 11, 2018, 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Fairmont Hotel Istanbul, Büyükdere Caddesi, 76 B Mecidiyeköy, 34394 İstanbul, Turkey
The 3rd Global Chief Innovation Officer Summit will feature presentations, panel discussions and workshops exploring the impact of innovation across all industries, including financial services. Topics will include blockchain, AI, and more. Confirmed speakers include executives representing the likes of Medici, Swisscom, Bloomberg, and more.
Kuwait Fintech Conference & Exhibition
October 23 – 25, 2018
The Palms Beach Hotel, Nassima Hall, Kuwait
The Kuwait Fintech Conference & Exhibition is a two full-day event that’s expected to attract senior financial, banking and technology executives, government leaders, expert analysts, innovative entrepreneurs, and other industry leaders from around the world to discuss the rise of fintech into a global movement.
The event will cover key topics such as blockchain, seamless payments, fintech, cloud banking solutions, cryptocurrencies, cybersecurity, the IoT, and more.
International Waqf & Blockchain Forum
October 30, 2018, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Gulf Hotel Bahrain, Road No 3801, Manama, Capital Governorate, Bahrain
The International Waqf & Blockchain Forum, organized by Finterra, will showcase new opportunities and possibilities available through the use of blockchain technology to facilitate the development and sustainability of waqf. Recognized as the most notable expression of Islamic philanthropy, waqf is the voluntary, permanent and irrevocable dedication of a portion of one’s wealth – in cash or kind – to Allah.
With the theme of “Harnessing the Power of Blockchain technology for the Global Development of Waqf”, this forum aims to serve as a platform to explore the boundaries of new waqf developments and initiatives. It will shed light on new thoughts and ideas, in the quest for transformation and management of a sustainable socio-economic path for Muslim nations across the entire globe.
The overall objective of International Waqf and Blockchain Forum 2018 is to establish clarity and a collective understanding of the potential of blockchain technology for supporting the facilitation and development of waqf on a global scale whilst also promoting new economy alternatives to enhance Muslim unity.
Fintech Summit 2018
October 30, 2018, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Queen Elizabeth 2, Mina Rashid, Dubai 6769, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The Fintech Summit, organized by Naseba in association with the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), aims to facilitate knowledge sharing, high-level networking, and most importantly, pre-scheduled one-to-one business meetings between banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) leaders and top-tier solution providers who are ready to transform the digital future of BFSI enterprises in the region.
The summit is set to bring together BFSI decision makers that want to win in their industry by digitizing processes, securing critical assets, analyzing data and making tactical decisions. Topics to be covered will include AI, regulation, data science, blockchain, payments, cybersecurity, and more. Confirmed speakers include representatives from Citi, Sharjah Islamic Bank, the Capital Markets Authority of Lebanon, Mashreq Bank, the DFSA, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
World Islamic Fintech Summit
November 1, 2018, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Dubai United Arab Emirates, madinat jumeirah, Dubai, UAE
The World Islamic Fintech Summit, a one-day conference, is set to be a premium platform for international and regional fintech industry experts and the Islamic banking community to network and learn from informative keynote sessions, panel discussions and interactive dialog.
The World Islamic Fintech Summit will explore and showcase the immense possibilities of the fintech in the Islamic domain. The summit will focus specifically on bringing together the regional and global Islamic fintech and banking ecosystem to understand and discuss about the future of a new age Islamic economy driven by digital innovation.
Techstars Startup Weekend Bahrain
November 15, 2018, 6:00 PM – November 17, 2018, 10:00 PM
Bahrain Fintech Bay, 3rd Floor, Arcapita Building, Bahrain Bay, Manama, Capital Governorate, Bahrain
Techstars Startup Weekends are 54-hour events designed to provide superior experiential education for technical and non-technical entrepreneurs.
Beginning with Friday night pitches and continuing through brainstorming, business plan development, and basic prototype creation, Techstars Startup Weekends culminate in Sunday night demos and presentations.
Participants create working startups during the event and are able to collaborate with like-minded individuals outside of their daily networks. All teams hear talks by industry leaders and receive valuable feedback from local entrepreneurs.
The weekend is centered around action, innovation, and education.
BlockOne 2018
November 22nd, 2018, Time: 0830-1730 (UTC+03.00)
Wyndham Grand Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
BlockOn is a blockchain conference for corporate incubation projects consisting of seminars including panels, keynotes and fireside chats accompanied by roundtables and demos to and from the blockchain community. It aims to act as a platform enabling knowledge exchange, fostering synergies among market players to find solutions, and implementing and promoting best innovative blockchain practices in a collaborative, open and transparent manner.
The event is set to bring together the global community to investigate the challenges and opportunities of blockchain technology on multiple perspectives. Topics to be covered will include collaboration, competition, culture and regulation of blockchain. Live panel and roundtable discussions will probe deeper into what it takes for blockchain solutions to be successful and how this new and exciting technology can be applied for data integrity, trust and accessibility.
Saudi Fintech Forum
November 26, 2018, 8:00 AM – November 27, 2018, 6:00 PM
Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Fintech Forum will bring together 200+ business leaders and technology innovators from banks, insurance companies, brokers, bancassurance, and fintech companies to collaborate on the re-invention of technologies, processes and products through digital transformation. The forum will explore how to increase efficiency and agility with operational excellence, while creating customer-obsessed experiences that grow revenue and re-invigorate your business.
Blockchain Summit Dubai
November 27, 2018
Dubai Marina, Dubai, UAE
The Blockchain Summit Dubai is a one-day conference and exhibition that’s set to connect over 350 industry leaders, business decision makers, tech innovators and investors. The Dubai Summit is part of one of the largest dedicated blockchain event series in the world.
The Blockchain Summit Dubai will cover some key themes including Dubai’s blockchain vision, blockchain regulation, as well as blockchain in healthcare, tourism and supply chains.
The event will also feature cutting edge case studies which will offer a “how-to” approach to deploying blockchain technologies across industries like finance, insurance, logistics, utilities, media and entertainment, and more. Roundtable discussions and hosted networking sessions will provide exceptional opportunities for attendees to connect with peers and deep-dive into topics.
What is blockchain and why is it important in financial services?
December 10, 2018, 3:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Alhamrani Companies Group Head Office, 7949 Abdullah Aba Al Khayl, Al Khalidiyah District, Jeddah 23423, jeddah, western 200684, Saudi Arabia
The What is blockchain and why is it important in financial services? event, by Ateon Tech Co., will look at the development of fintech with a special focus on blockchain technology. The event will offer an opportunity for the audiences to better understand the technology. Speakers will also highlight specific use cases that can potentially impact the financial services, as known to us today.
AIM Startup 2019
April 8 – 10, 2019
Dubai, UAE
On April 8 – 10, 2018, AIM Startup will host the third edition of its annual Innovation Showcase and Pitch competition in Dubai, UAE, in conjunction with the annual Investment Meeting and Future Cities Show.
This year, 500+ promising startups is set to convene under one roof to meet with investors, corporates, government representatives and industry experts and will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their ground breaking solutions to a global audience over 20,000.
Launched in 2017, AIM Startup is an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Economy that aims to connect promising startups with investors and business partners from all around the world. It is set in the heart of UAE’s Annual Investment Meeting, the world’s leading FDI platform for emerging markets and held under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
Seamless Middle East 2019
April 10 – 11, 2019
Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center, Dubai, UAE
Seamless, one of the region’s leading payments and commerce technology conference and exhibition, is expected to attract over 10 000 visitors, 400 speakers and 350+ exhibitors across payments, e-commerce and retail.
The event will feature separate conference agendas covering the world of payments, fintech, e-commerce, retail and identity, and will include one shared exhibition hosting 350 of the region’s leading technology providers.
