Fintech is one of the hottest industries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Since 2015, a total of US$237 million has been invested in MENA’s fintech startups through 181 deals, representing 7% of the total MENA startup funding between 2015 and 2019.
Over the last couple of years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as the region’s fintech leader, being home to 46% of all 310 fintech startups in MENA, and accounting for 47% of all deals and 69% of total funding in 2019.
As the Middle East’s fintech ecosystem rapidly evolves, we look today at the top 21 fintech events and conferences that are taking place in the region in the coming months that will help you stay up-to-date with this burgeoning industry.
Fintech Week Tel Aviv 2020
February 9 – 12, 2020
Tel Aviv, Israel
With a thriving entrepreneurial culture, deep pool of talent, penchant for disruptive innovation, Israel is a globally revered fintech hub. Fintech Week will give participants direct access to the Israeli ecosystem, and to Israeli innovation. The event will provide attendees with the opportunity to meet the success stories of tomorrow and learn about the trends and disruptions that will shape the future of the industry.
New Age Banking Summit Qatar 2020
February 12, 2020
Doha, Qatar
The 2020 edition of New Age Banking Summit in Qatar will provide a knowledge and networking platform to empower banks to devise strategies that will help them keep pace with the evolving financial ecosystem in this digital age.
New Age Banking Summit Qatar 2020 will convene the most powerful business and industry leaders to discuss the most important trends, challenges, and opportunities that define the future of the banking industry.
The event will bring together the smartest minds across government, business and finance from across the world to tackle challenges near and far bringing together global perspectives and local knowledge with a dynamic networking environment.
Meftech 2020
February 25 – 26, 2020
Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Meftech is the Middle East’s longest running banking, finance and fintech event. Since inception, it has assembled 12,000 senior executives and 1,000 innovative tech providers to conduct business.
Taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 25 and 26, 2020, Meftech 2020 will be held in partnership with mada & SADAD and title sponsor STC Pay. The event will feature two conference theatres, 6,000sqm exhibition, fintech competition, awards ceremony, and a gala dinner.
Top decision makers from government, banks, and large and small enterprises are expected to attend Meftech 2020 to discuss vibrant fintech ecosystems, e-commerce and payment strategies, and how financial technology can support all industries and assist in delivering the 2030 Vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
OpenX: The API Economy
February 27, 2020
Four Seasons Hotel, Bahrain Bay, Bahrain
As the financial services industry transforms further and the relationship with customers is enhanced, open banking will be one of the main drivers of this transformation.
Bahrain has already embarked on the open banking journey and other jurisdictions in the region are also assessing the opportunity.
Bahrain Fintech Bay’s OpenX: The API Economy event, taking place on February 27, 2020, aims to be the region’s leading platform from which the latest developments in open banking globally can be discussed, bringing together regulators, financial institutions, fintechs, technology players and others.
The conference, which is expected to attract over 300 delegates, will cover pertinent topics such as regulations monetization of open banking, APIs and data protection.
ICA Inaugural MENA Regulatory and Financial Crime Compliance Conference
POSTPONED
Fairmont Dubai, Dubai, UAE
The International Compliance Association (ICA)’s inaugural MENA Regulatory and Financial Crime Compliance Conference will allow industry participants to immerse themselves in compliance and financial crime prevention, learn from powerful brands and visionary individuals, and hear experts on future trends and their implications on their companies.
Participants will also get to arm themselves with new skills in information security, cryptocurrencies, the possibilities of regtech and much more.
Global Insurance Analytics and AI Summit
March 4 – 5, 2020
Dubai, UAE
The Global Insurance Analytics and AI Dubai Summit will bring together the analytics experts, artificial intelligence (AI) visionaries and the industry’s heavyweights to discuss how AI and advanced analytics will drive unparalleled performance, business growth, and truly actionable insights.
Through an information-packed two days, attendees will learn best practices and new ideas to help their organizations drive results, and build the foundation to deliver future-proof AI and machine learning across their organizations.
Finnovex Middle East 2020
March 11 – 12, 2020
Conrad Hotel, Dubai, UAE
Finnovex Middle East 2020 will discuss the roles of banking and non-banking institutions, financial organizations, investment firms, fintech companies, and other stakeholders in developing incentives to the paradigm shift in this sector.
Through focused panel discussions, keynote presentations and roundtable discussions, Finnovex will deliver a thorough, nuanced outline of what the future holds for the banking and financial sector in the Middle East as we head into the 2020s.
The event will also feature the Finnovex Awards, which will recognize and appreciate the effort of various individuals, institutions and service providers in the field of financial services.
Annual Investment Meeting 2020
March 24 – 26, 2020
Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE
The Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), the world’s leading investment platform in the Middle East and North Africa, will hold its 10th edition on March 24 – 26, 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE.
Under the theme “Investing for the Future: Shaping the Global Investment Strategies”, AIM will gather high-ranking government officials, decision makers, corporate leaders, policy makers, businessmen, regional and international investors, entrepreneurs, leading academics and investment experts to address the global challenges of securing viable investment aimed at contributing to economic growth.
Seamless Middle East 2020
Sept 8-9, 2020
Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE
Seamless is a multi-brand exhibition, with thousands annual attendees and a world leading strategic conference. The event has separate conference agendas covering the world of payments, fintech, e-commerce, retail, insurtech and identity.
Seamless Middle East 2020 will feature an exhibition with 500 of the region’s leading technology providers and startups, and a global 2-day conference with over 500 speakers and 13 dedicated conference tracks covering the trends, ideas and technologies transforming the entire commerce and payments ecosystem.
MENA Digital Economy Summit 2020
March 28 – 30, 2020
King Hussein Convention Center Dead Sea, Jordan
The 12th Jordan Economic Forum will be held under the title MENA Digital Economy Summit 2020. Several experts from the financial sector will meet in Dead Sea/Jordan on March 28 – 30, to discuss the latest developments in the market together.
Key topics covered will include the digital economy, blockchain, and fintech.
Iraq Finance Expo
April 2 – 3, 2020
Amman, Jordan
Officially co-hosted with the Central Bank of Iraq, Iraq Finance Expo showcases all the outstanding opportunities and latest technology in the country.
This year’s event will shine a spotlight on Iraq’s rapidly developing banking and financial services industries. New technologies are leading the charge towards greater financial inclusion and Iraq is poised to take advantage of these innovations.
Participants will get to discover an unrivaled line-up of banks, digital agencies, fintech startups, tech companies and software providers alongside a 2-day VIP conference program.
Future Blockchain Summit 2020
April 7 – 8, 2020
Dubai, UAE
Hosted by Smart Dubai and Dubai World Trade Centre, Future Blockchain Summit will be coming back for its third edition from April 7 and 8, 2020 in Dubai. The summit has been established to work with global governments, enterprises, startups, education institutions and individuals to move the UAE and the world into full scale blockchain adoption.
This year’s summit will include topics such as transport and supply chain, healthcare, finance, government, energy, and more.
EPay Summit 2020
April 8 – 9, 2020
Gulf Convention Center, Bahrain
The EPay Summit aims to be the leading senior meeting and exhibition purely focused on payments and online banking.
The event will offer unparalleled opportunities to both commercial and non-commercial organizations to showcase their products and services. It will include themed breakout sessions to provide participants with more in-depth learning and networking experiences for delegates. Sessions will feature roundtables, workshops, content-led receptions and catering functions across the two days. It’s expected to attract more than 400 senior managers and professionals across the financial, retail, technology and telecommunication industries. Speakers will include key policymakers, C-level banking industry executives, paytech experts and fintech entrepreneurs.
IFINTEC Finance Technologies Conference and Exhibition
April 21 – 22, 2020
Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Sisli (C3 Floor), 19 Mayis Cad. No 2 Sisli 34360 Istanbul Turkey
The IFINTEC Finance Technologies Conference and Exhibition will be held on April 21 and 22, 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey. IFINTEC is 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 finance technologies.
The conference aims to serve a perfect platform to introduce and demonstrate banking solutions and finance technology solutions including system, hardware, software, consultancy, training and service which are developed for banks and financial institutions.
Global Insurtech Summit 2020
April 21 – 22, 2020
Radisson Blu Vadistanbul, Istanbul, Turkey
The Global Insurtech Summit 2020 will take place on April 21 and 22, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants will get to learn and benchmark, discuss trending topics with different stakeholders in the insurance industry, as well as hear and meet some of the world’s most innovative players on the market.
The event is set to attract more than 350 delegates and will feature over 70 speakers representing the likes of Generali, Baloise Group, and more.
ATMINSEC ATM Security Conference and Exhibition
June 9 – 10, 2020
Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul, Sisli (C3 Floor), 19 Mayis Cad. No 2 Sisli 34360, Istanbul Turkey
ATMINSEC ATM Security Conference and Exhibition will be organized on June 9 and 10, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. ATMINSEC is a global and niche conference with its focus on ATM Security technologies and solutions. The conference presents a perfect platform for solution providers to introduce their solutions including platform, system, software, hardware, services and consultancy.
At ATMINSEC 2020, speakers will share their visions, experience, knowledge and forecasts with the attendees. The conference speeches will be either in Turkish or English and simultaneously will be translated to Turkish or English. The event will also feature an exhibition area where sponsor companies will introduce and demonstrate their solutions.
Topics covered will include ATM security, biometric, risk management, network security, and more.
3rd Middle East Banking AI & Analytics Summit 2020
June 15 – 16, 2020
Dubai, UAE
The 3rd edition of the Middle East Banking AI & Analytics Summit will take place on June 15 and 16, 2020 in Dubai. The event is set to bring together 300+ senior-level executives and decision-makers from the banking and financial services sector along with experts in AI, RPA, machine learning, big data and analytics.
The summit will feature real case studies, presentations, panel discussions and face to face meetings with technology experts.
CX Show Middle East
June 17 – 18, 2020
Dubai, UAE
The 2020 edition of the annual Customer Experience (CX) Show Middle East will feature never-before-seen presentations from industry leaders, networking opportunities and showcase of the best-in-class customer experience solutions and technologies.
Topics covered will include AI and the changing CX landscape, creating and driving customer-centric culture from the bottom, omni-channel experiences, and more.
FINTEX Middle East
June 23 – 24, 2020
Manama, Bahrain
Now in its 2nd edition, FINTEX Middle East is firmly established as the MENA region’s most influential event on banking and fintech innovation.
Bringing together more than 300 industry leaders from 15+ MENA countries, the event presents the very latest in banking and fintech innovation – everything from API platforms to cloud computing; data analytics to artificial intelligence; cyber security to blockchain; and payments to biometrics.
Alongside a highly focused exhibition, an industry-leading conference presents game-changing ideas from insightful speakers, with a laser focus on issues relevant to the MENA region. In addition, a rich social program provides networking opportunities in a fun and relaxed environment.
ENBANTEC Banking Technologies Conference and Exhibition
October 20 – 21, 2020
Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul, Sisli (C3 Floor), 19 Mayis Cad. No 2 Sisli 34360 Istanbul Turkey
ENBANTEC is a global and niche conference with its focus on banking technologies and solutions.
During the 2020 ENBANTEC conference, speakers will share their visions, experience, knowledge and forecasts with the attendees. Topics covered will include banking technologies, digital banking, open banking, digital transformation, lending solutions, and more.
The conference speeches will be either in Turkish or English and simultaneously will be translated to Turkish or English.
ENBANTEC 2020 will also have an exhibition area where sponsor companies will introduce and demonstrate their solutions.
Seamless Saudi Arabia 2020
November 17 – 18, 2020
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
On November 17 and 18, 2020, Seamless Saudi Arabia 2020 will be hosting one of the region’s largest payments and commerce technology conference and exhibition.
Seamless Saudi Arabia 2020 will feature separate conference agendas covering the world of payments, fintech, e-commerce and retail, and will include one shared free-to-attend exhibition hosting 150 of the region’s leading tech providers.
The event is set to bring together the entire banking and financial services industry to discuss, debate and evaluate the future of money across two days of keynote presentations, panels, case studies, interviews, demos, roundtables and workshops.
If you believe your fintech event should be on this list, contact us here
