Fintech continues its momentum in the Middle East with fintech companies attracting 12% of all digital startups deals in 2018 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, according to the latest report from Magnitt, a Dubai-based entrepreneurs’ network.
MENA fintech, which barely existed a few years ago, is now a US$2 billion market. Some of 2018’s major fintech deals in the region include an US$8 million capital injection in Dubai-based financial comparison platform Yallacompare, Jordanian cloud-based, point-of-sale (POS) software provider POSRocket’s US$1.5 million round, Dubai-based automated investment-advisory platform Sarwa’s US$1.3 million funding round.
As the Middle East pursues its fintech ambitions, the following conferences are some of most anticipated fintech events in MENA that will help industry participants keep up with the region’s burgeoning fintech scene:
Fintech Week Tel Aviv 2019
March 4 – 6, 2019
Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Tel Aviv, Israel
Fintech Week Tel Aviv 2019 is a multiple events focused on fintech, blockchain and cybersecurity.
The first conference will be all about crypto, blockchain, tokenization and distributed ledger technology (DLT). It will be exploring the evolution of blockchain from crypto to ICOs, and will look at the emerging themes and future trends from top innovators and influencers in the global space.
The second conference will focus on all things fintech including wealth, regulation, money, retail, banking, security, ID management and more.
Finally, the third conference will look at how the industry can foster an ecosystem that functions and recruits more diversely. A hackathon will also bring male and female ecosystems together to find ways to do this.
FINTEX Middle East
March 5 – 6, 2019
Gulf Convention Centre, Bahrain
Hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, FINTEX Middle East is set to feature the largest gathering of world-class companies offering the latest in banking innovation, including digital banking software, cloud computing, data analytics, to artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, blockchain, payments and biometrics.
Alongside an exhibition, FINTEX Middle East will include an industry-leading conference will present game-changing ideas from insightful speakers, with a laser focus on issues relevant to the MENASA region. In addition, a rich social program will provide networking opportunities in a fun and relaxed environment.
IFN World Leaders Summit
March 10, 2019
Ritz Carlton DIFC, Dubai
Returning in 2019, IFN will bring the World Leaders Summit, a one-day event designed to celebrate the latest developments and biggest achievements in the Islamic financial market space, to Dubai.
Topics covered during the event will include Islamic finance and investment, regulatory frameworks, global capital markets, fintech ecosystems, the role of technology in finance, the global Islamic asset management industry, and more.
New Age Banking Confex 2019
March 13 – 14, 2019
Dubai, UAE
The New Age Banking Confex 2019 conference will discuss the latest trends in banking security, the rise of open banking in the Middle East and its impact on the existing banking system. The event is set to host 250+ banking and financial services leaders from the Middle East Region.
FINSEC Day, on March 13, will focus on cybersecurity in the BFSI sector and will gather information security professionals to discover the latest technologies, developments and strategies to protect their organizations against cybercrime.
On March 14, Open Banking Day will focus on the biggest questions, challenges and opportunities faced by the banks as they gear up for the open banking era.
Jordan Blockchain & Fintech Summit 2019
March 13 – 14, 2019
King Hussein Convention Center, Dead Sea, Jordan
The Jordan Blockchain & Fintech Summit 2019 will focus on the development of the fintech, cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors, their current states and potentials, key challenges, problems and their solutions.
The conference will allow the discussion of aspects of digital currency regulation in the country and main areas of decentralized technology integration including government, fintech, insurance, trading and more.
Finnovex Middle East
March 19, 2019
Dubai, UAE
The Finnovex Middle East, a one-day summit, will bring together fintech influencers, senior banking experts and financial industry leaders to network, collaborate and discuss the innovation excellence in future of the banking and financial services industry.
The summit will focus on the developments in the financial services industry, with an emphasis on the impact of technology and innovation in this sector. The event will feature networking sessions, presentations, demos from premium sponsors, roundtable discussions, board room briefing, and fireside chats on a range of carefully curated topics.
Future Blockchain Summit
April 2 – 3, 2019
Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE
The second edition of the Future Blockchain Summit, which claims to be the world’s largest blockchain festival, is set to bring to the forefront government visionaries, blockchain revolutionists, startups, investors and the brightest disruptors to marry business sense with opportunity and set the global blockchain agenda.
The Future Blockchain Summit, hosted by the Smart Dubai organization, aims to be the gateway to the latest innovative thinking and applications in blockchain, and an inspirational meeting ground for industry leaders and startups from the blockchain ecosystem. This year, the event is expected to bring together more than 14,000 participants from all around the world.
Financial Innovation Summit
April 2 – 3, 2019
Doha, Qatar
The Financial Innovation Summit will bring together the who’s who from the local and international banking and fintech industries to share their experiences and use cases digital transformation which would lead to a cashless society.
The summit will address the greatest challenges and opportunities for Qatar’s fintech and digital banking industry by providing insights on investing fully into fintech for economic diversification as per the National Vision 2030, enhancing regulations in an effective manner to attract fintech development, positioning Qatar to become a fully cashless society by the FIFA World Cup 2022 to promote world-class digital banking facilities, effectively utilizing advanced digitalization such as AI, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and much more, to enhance the customer’s banking experience across all business verticals, and more.
Register now and get 10% off with the code FISFTN10.
Global Insurtech Summit
April 3 – 4, 2019
Istanbul, Turkey
The Global Insurtech Summit – Istanbul 2019 is set to feature the brightest minds in the insurance industry and the most innovative players on the market.
The event will tackle some of the hottest topics and promises to set the trends and build the pathway for the future. Topics covered will include digital transformation, customer experience, innovative tools, blockchain, AI in insurance, machine learning, cloud and data, automation, proof of collaboration and spotlight on life and health, claims, telematics, underwriting, bancassurance, distribution and disruption.
Annual Investment Meeting
April 8 – 10, 2019
Dubai, UAE
The Annual Investment Meeting is one of the world’s leading and most established gatherings of the international investment community, leading academics and experts showcasing up-to-date information, strategies and knowledge on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).
The event will offer a truly knowledge-based forum with cutting-edge information on the latest developments in FDI and related issues. It will serve as a unique platform to meet, network, and exchange experiences, explore business opportunities and sign cooperation agreements and partnerships.
In this 9th edition, the event will include a conference, an international exhibition, workshops, the AIM Startup event, the Investment Awards, the AIM Connect event, the Investors’ Hub, country presentations, and online/onsite business matchmaking.
AIM Startup 2019
April 8 – 10, 2019
Dubai, UAE
Launched in 2017, AIM Startup, an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Economy, 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 and held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai.
AIM Startup will act as a platform for startup companies looking to raise capital, expand into new markets and forge meaningful business relationships with major investors, business leaders, representatives of international institutions and government entities.
This year, the event is expected to bring together 500+ promising startups and a global audience of over 20,000.
IFINTEC Finance Technologies Conference and Exhibition
April 9 – 10, 2019
Istanbul, Turkey
The IFINTEC Finance Technologies Conference and Exhibition will be held on April 9 and 10, 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey. It promises to be one of the biggest and most important conferences in the EMEA region with its focus on retail banking, digital banking, core banking, payment systems, banking technologies, banking IT solutions, digital transformation and fintech.
The IFINTEC Conference aims to serve as a platform to introduce and demonstrate banking solutions and finance technology solutions including system, hardware, software, consultancy, training and service which are being developed for banks and financial institutions. Speakers will their experience, knowledge, visions and future forecasts.
The conference speeches will be either in Turkish or English and simultaneously will be translated to Turkish or English.
Seamless Middle East 2019
April 10 – 11, 2019
Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center, Dubai, UAE
Seamless Middle East 2019 will bring together the entire G2B/C, B2B and B2C BSFI ecosystem of investors to discuss, debate and evaluate an international showcase of new bleeding edge products and services, and tackle the biggest challenges and opportunities in the industry such as driving financial inclusion, digital banking, utilizing technologies with the greatest potential such as blockchain, robo-advisors, wealthtech, regtech, insurtech, AI, customer experience and engagement.
The event is expected to gather more than 10,000 visitors, 400 speakers and 350+ exhibitors.
FutureSec Summit 2019
April 17 – 18, 2019
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The FutureSec Summit 2019, Saudi’s first banking information security summit, will be hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on April 17 – 18, 2019, bringing together leading regional and international banking information and security officials to uncover latest ways to secure information, shape IT functions and drive technology implementations for their most critical security initiatives.
The summit will also bring together several solution providers and technology innovators to share their customer success stories and case studies with 150+ banking leaders and stakeholders from over 10+ countries.
Register here and enter the code FN10 for a 10% discount.
World Blockchain STO Summit
April 29 – 30, 2019
Dubai, UAE
The World Blockchain STO Summit, taking place in Dubai on April 29 and 30, 2019, will bring together the greatest world-class blockchain technology pioneers, security token offerings (STO) experts and providers of solutions who will present the many potential of STO through the uses of blockchain technology.
The summit will help attendees understand this innovative concept, and bring projects in this space to the mainstream. The event will have a strong focus on educating organizations on the value of blockchain and STO.
Token Fest 2019
June 3 – 4, 2019
David InterContinental Hotel, Tel Aviv, Israel
Token Fest is an exclusive, two-day networking event focused on the business and technology of tokenization. Attendees will gain a wealth of insights and information about the state of the token-based economy while networking with over 2,500 senior level decision makers.
Topics covered during the event will include applied cryptoeconomics, token design, token trading and the future of digital assets, the structure and dynamics of security tokens, ICO blueprint for token crowdfunding, commercialization of blockchain platforms, multi-industry case studies of decentralized platforms, obstacles to mainstream adoption, and more.
ATMIA Middle East 2019
June 25 – 26, 2019
Shangri-La Hotel, Dubai, UAE
The ATMIA Middle East 2019 conference will focus on global trends in next-gen ATMs and innovations in digital banking.
The ATM-dedicated conference will offer delegates and exhibitors the opportunity to share experiences and insights with their peers and industry experts from across the Gulf, Middle East and surrounding regions.
Featured image credit: Edited from Unsplash
