H.E. Dr. Ahmed Abdulkarim Alkholifey, the Governor of Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority (SAMA) will officially open MEFTECH, on 24th February 2019, 9:00 am at the Four Seasons Hotel, Riyadh presenting the opening speech at the leading two-day banking, Fintech and payments conference and exhibition.
MEFTECH initiated, in collaboration with mada, the national payment network, and SADAD Payment brings together leading industry experts who will address industry trends and issues around mobile payments in the region, digital transformation in banking, driving cashless payments in Saudi Arabia, artificial intelligence within the e-commerce industry, impact of blockchain on payments and the future of digital currencies.
In recognition of the fast-paced developments in the sector, the inaugural MEFTECH Innovation Awards will take place next week celebrating achievements and innovations in the Saudi Arabian Fintech ecosystem. The shortlisted entries from leading banks and financial institutions have been announced across the following categories: Best digital product of the year; Best use of emerging or innovative technology; Most innovative solution for banking customer authentication; Fintech leader of the year and Fintech marketing campaign of the year.
The Saudi Investment Bank for their smart kiosk, to instantly issue and print embossed credit cards;
Bank AlBilad – for their digital bank account opening service and POS terminal to remit funds;
HyperPay for Hyperbill their digital invoicing system;
PointCheckout for their payments gateway for loyalty points;
Alhamrani Universal for their use of biometrics to identify customer access at ATMs;
Alinma Bank for their service to open bank account via mobile apps;
HalalaH for the first licensed digital wallet in KSA;
STC Pay for their digital wallet;
Saudi Payments for advancement with technology in payment systems.
Innovations and future transformation will present a core theme at MEFTECH 2019 with a dedicated Fintech Start-Up Zone for early stage start-ups from across the MENA region to exhibit and present their ideas or products to potential investors, Government officials and industry experts.
Joining the lineup of esteemed speakers and panelists at next week’s MEFTECH 2019 will be:
Saeed A Siddiki, Head of Digital Reinvention, IBM who in his keynote titled “KSA Digital Banking: the now and forward” will share his perspective on transformations in digital banking and expected trends. Esam Alnahdi, Co-founder & CEO, HalalaH, Saudi’s first & leading e-wallet based in Riyadh, will host a panel discussion about “Building the optimal fintech ecosystem”.
Chris Skinner, renowned international Fintech commentator, will discuss wearable devices, following last year’s launch by Riyadh Bank of the Kingdom’s first-ever range of contactless payment wristbands, as he hosts a panel discussion on the opportunities in the country for similar wearable devices as a mode of cashless payments and also the challenges that may arise.
Blockchain developments and adoption by the banking industry will also be addressed as Nouf Alhaqbani, CEO, Dar Bedaya Advisors; Saqr Ereiqat, Innovation and Healthcare, IBM; Ramana Kumar A, SVP – Head of Payments, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Muhammed Mahmoud, Nexxus Payment Group come together to debate on digital identity, data protection, privacy, and the potential risks of distributed ledgers.
Judges for MEFTECH Awards 2019:
For full details on the conference programme which is FREE to attend, register at
Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik
