2025 was the year of AI experimentation in Middle East banking. Banks ran pilots, tested chatbots, and explored use cases.
But 2026 will separate the winners from the followers – those who can move from experimentation to execution at scale.
We spoke with Neil Budd, the newly appointed CEO of Finshape, a leading company specialising in digital banking solutions and a partner of Dubai Islamic Bank, about bridging this execution gap.
You’ve just been appointed CEO of Finshape, with a strategic partnership with Dubai Islamic Bank. What’s your vision for the Middle East?
The Middle East has emerged as a global hotspot for digital banking.
Regulators like the Central Bank of the UAE and the Saudi Central Bank are enabling Open Finance frameworks, while governments are accelerating AI adoption through national strategies.
This attracts both regional champions, such as STC Bank and Wio Bank, and global players, such as Revolut.
We already work with major institutions, including Dubai Islamic Bank, Arab National Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD, and Riyadh Bank.
Despite this momentum, the core challenge is execution, not ambition. Most banks have clear digital visions, yet remain constrained by legacy systems that won’t be replaced soon.
My vision for Finshape is to help banks bridge that gap between business ambition and technology capability.
Our Agentic Digital Bank Operating System sits above legacy systems as a layer, allowing banks to innovate rapidly without destabilising their core.
Critically, we ensure digital sovereignty – banks retain full ownership of their digital journeys and data, avoiding vendor dependency.
Every digital banking vendor talks about AI. What’s Finshape’s approach?
2025 was about experimentation – banks ran pilots and assessed outcomes.
Now they can make informed decisions about where to invest. AI sits on both sides of the equation: revenue generation and cost optimization.
At Finshape, we’re investing heavily in our Agentic Digital Bank Operating System to accelerate customer outcomes.
Early client engagements are very encouraging. The key is moving beyond pilots to production-ready solutions that deliver measurable business impact.
Looking ahead to 2026-2027, what are the defining challenges for banks in the Middle East?
The defining challenge is closing the gap between ambition and execution.
Incremental improvements won’t suffice. Banks need a true Agentic Digital Operating System, not fragmented solutions. AI readiness is critical.
Many banks remain constrained by fragmented data and legacy architectures, which reduce AI’s value. Without a strong data foundation and orchestration, AI remains experimental.
Banks also can’t unlock AI’s potential with outdated operating models.
AI-enabled banking requires faster decision-making, continuous experimentation, and alignment between business and technology teams.
Finally, compliance and trust around agentic AI will be defined. Banks need enterprise-grade governance while upskilling their workforce. Our Digital Bank Operating System helps banks level up the customer experience.
You acquired the Realtime-XLS loyalty platform. How does this fit where customer expectations are exceptionally high?
User-friendly apps can delight customers, but if they don’t truly improve their lives, that experience is short-lived. Trust is built over time through the bank-customer relationship.
The Loyalty solution is a natural extension of our digital banking platform.
Having it integrated into our Digital Bank Operating System enhances banks’ innovation potential while preserving their sovereignty.
Customer expectations in the Middle East are exceptionally high. Deep understanding of needs, hyper-personalised interactions, and precisely targeted loyalty programmes create a winning formula in this demanding market.
Where do you see the most significant opportunities for banks’ growth in MENA?
The market has evolved rapidly through Vision 2030 and the UAE fintech strategies.
It’s now extremely competitive, with challenger banks and strong propositions from players like Mashreq reshaping expectations. Two major opportunities exist.
First, banks constrained by legacy technology can use AI-enabled transformation to gain a competitive advantage – leapfrogging stages without wholesale core system replacement.
Second, sustainable growth comes from hyperpersonalisation that feels human.
Banks must move beyond generic journeys to use AI for conversational, contextual interactions that proactively help customers achieve financial goals.
The biggest opportunity is enabling banks to compete on experience and speed – not just products.
Those combining strong foundations with personalised, AI-driven engagement will win in one of the world’s most competitive markets.
What made DIB choose a European provider over regional or global competitors?
DIB’s decision was driven by alignment and experience, not geography.
We combine 30+ years of digital banking experience with an approach that starts by listening to the bank’s ambitions and vision – not imposing one-size-fits-all solutions.
This contrasts with large global vendors, which offer rigid platforms that limit customisation and future-readiness for banks.
Our Agentic Digital Bank Operating System enables banks to build truly distinctive propositions aligned with their brand while retaining the flexibility to evolve.
Equally important was our partnership model. We bring a relentless customer success focus with senior engagement that larger vendors struggle to sustain.
We build 10+ year partnerships, supporting customers continuously as their ambitions grow.
Finshape is a leading provider of digital banking solutions with 30+ years of experience. The company serves 100+ financial institutions in 44 countries across four continents, supported by 600+ experts. For more information about Finshare, visit their website.
