In Egypt, fintech is set to play a key role in providing basic financial services to the large pool of unbanked people, according to experts and industry observers. Egypt is the most populous nation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with nearly 100 million people, 52% of which are below the age of 25. But only 14% of adults had a formal bank account as of 2014, accordingto the World Bank Global Findex database. Egypt’s young population, large pool of unbanked and high mobile penetration rate (more mobile subscriptions – 110 million – than its population) represent an opportunity…

From its origin as a 90-startup, US$13 million capital sector, the Israeli fintech industry has grown to include approximately 500 fintech startups, collectively raising an estimated total of US$500-650 million to date. According to a report by Deloitte, Israel is quickly becoming a premier fintech hub in line with Silicon Valley, Singapore and London. Israeli fintech ecosystem Israel, often nicknamed “startup nation,” is today considered a country with a promising future in technology, with over 7,000 active startups, and more specifically in fintech. Among the main drivers of this thriving startup ecosystem, industry experts and observers have pointed out Israel’s unique conditions…

Over the past year, Bahrain’s fintech ecosystem has witnessed several key developments including the launch of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) dedicated Fintech and Innovation Unit and regulatory sandbox, two initiatives that highlight the growing market demand and interest in Bahrain for fintech solutions. Traditional financial institutions pushing fintech innovation in Bahrain Several factors have contributed to the growth of fintech in Bahrain including Bahrain’s established financial services industry, its role as a leading Islamic finance hub, and the financial services industry’s desire to provide digital banking services, says the inaugural Bahrain Fintech Ecosystem 2018 report released last week…

Bahrain is looking to move the country’s economy away from oil, leveraging its financial hub credentials to attract fintech companies. In partnership with government ministries and other public sector agencies, the Economic Development Board (EDB) is pushing to develop a globally innovative and competitive economic model. “Today, Bahrain’s economy is 80% non-oil. [But nearly] 17% of total GDP is made up of financial services because the country has been a regional hub since the 1970s,” Khalid Al Rumaihi, chief executive of EDB, told the Banker. “So we want to protect and develop that position while preparing for a future in…

Abu Dhabi, the capital and second most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), continues to move forward with its fintech agenda, with the Abu Dhabi Global Marketplace (ADGM) driving the strategy. Fintech in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi has recently been recognized as the top fintech hub in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The city is known for having launched the first fintech regulatory regime in MENA, but also the first fintech Regulatory Laboratory, and for being the second globally most active regulatory fintech sandbox, preceded only by London. The ADGM is playing a key role…

An Overview about Fintech in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), and in particular the city of Dubai, is poised to become a regional fintech hub as the country looks to take the lead in the digital race. Backed by government initiatives to encourage greater use of digital tools and platforms, the UAE has undergone a digital revolution in a short period of time. And already, the country is outperforming the UK in percentage terms for connected devices, according to Jason Stokes, the chief executive of Eastside Co., a digital website agency. Figures by BMI Research suggest that the UAE’s e-commerce…

The fintech market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is predicted to enter a new era of growth. By 2022, startups in the region are set to attract US$2.5 billion in deals, according to a new study by MENA Research Partners (MRP). The research estimates that the MENA fintech market will witness an annual growth of US$125 million until 2022, driven by investors interest in the region’s fintech opportunity. By 2020, MENA is predicted to be hosting some 252 startups. “In the last six years, the landscape of major funding players has been changing,” said Anthony Hobeika,…

Here are selected Fintech Events in the Middle East to attend in 2018. If an important event is missing (there are so many), send us an Email or comment on this post. 15-16 April Seamless Middle East 2018 Dubai Read more 16-17 April World Blockchain Forum: Investments & ICOs Dubai Read more 23-24 April 3rd RegTech MENA Dubai Read more 30 April New Age Banking Summit Oman 5th Edition Oman Read more 02-03 May Future Blockchain Summit Dubai Read more 02-03 May Blockchain Oman 2018 Oman Read more 03-06 May Futurama Blockchain Innovators…

mada, Saudi Arabia’s domestic payment network, and Mastercard announced the launch of a joint partnership initiative to enable online payments using Mastercard’s Payment Gateway Services technology. Furthermore, all local online merchants will be enabled to accept mada cards as a primary mode of payment on their websites. Opening up online payments via the mada network will drive economic growth by offering mada cardholders and domestic merchants the opportunity to transact online. “mada represents the innovative generation of electronic payments in Saudi Arabia and one of the fastest growing payment systems in the world. Utilizing Mastercard’s technology to facilitate online payments via…

In the Middle East, fintech sandboxes and government driven initiatives have supported the growing base of fintech startups, which more doubled in size between 2013 and 2015, rising from only 46 fintech startups based in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to 105 startups, according to the State of Fintech in MENA report. Fintech in the Middle East In MENA, the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt have arguably the most advanced fintech sectors, hosting to them four 75% of the region’s fintech startups. The UAE is the most dynamic hub, accounting for half of all of MENA’s fintech…

Realizing that their dependency on oil has put them in a precarious position, Middle Eastern economies have begun exploring other sectors for greater diversification. Many of these such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are putting their focus on technology and innovation. Saudi Arabia, for instance, has launched Vision 2030, a wide-ranging and ambitious plan to rebalance the kingdom and focus on technology and innovation. Dubai too has a similar initiative called Smart Dubai, a plan that use and leveraging cutting-edge technology to turn Dubai into “the world’s smartest and happiest city.” Fintech has been named as…

With 11% of the population having a formal banking account, the lowest number of ATMs in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA), and a smartphone penetration of just 17%, the lowest in the region, Iraq is not what we would qualify as a natural ideal territory for fintech products and ventures. But according to Hussein Kanber agha, the founder of Ideal Payments, there is no reason for Iraq to be left in the dust of its neighbors and as the world moves towards greater digitalization. “A bottleneck is created by cash-on-delivery and it is preventing lots of things from…

The fintech sector in the Middle East, despite being relatively small when compared with the likes of the US or Europe, has grown tremendously these past years with locations such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but also Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon emerging as regional fintech hubs. Several local startups have expanded regionally and experiencing rapid growth. Many have even caught the eye of foreign investors who have begun pouring millions to fuel their growth. Here is our list of the top eight fintech startups in the Middle East to keep an eye on in…

Accuity, a global provider of risk and compliance, payments and know your customer solutions has been selected by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) to provide integrated global sanctions screening and data. First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE’s largest bank and one of the world’s largest and safest financial institutions, is going to use Accuity’s Fircosoft data and technology solutions to strengthen its transaction, customer and third-party screening processes. The banking industry is experiencing unprecedented levels of change driven by three factors: relentless expansion of international regulation to combat financial crime and prevent the funding of terrorism; technology and regulatory-based…

2017 was the year initial coin offerings (ICOs) became mainstream. The fundraising method has raised in popularity and is now being used by an increasing number of startups in blockchain and cryptocurrency space looking for capital. In 2017 alone, startups raised more than US$3.5 billion was raised through token sales. While the ICO phenomenon has taken off in most parts of the world, startups in the Middle East still mostly rely on traditional venture capital funding. UAE-based Arabianchain raised US$817,000 last year from Ahmad Abdullah Bugshan, a board member of Arabian Bugshan and the vice president of the House of…

Spending on blockchain solutions in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is set to more than double this year, according to the latest insights from International Data Corporation. The global technology research and consulting firm’s recently launched Worldwide Semiannual Blockchain Spending Guide shows spending in the region totalling $80.8 million for 2018, up 107% on the $38.9 million spent in 2017. “There is clearly an immense amount of interest around distributed ledger technologies (DLT) in the region,” says Megha Kumar, IDC’s research director for software in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. “This is being driven by the pressing need for…

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, announces the initiation and development of an electronic-Know-Your-Customer (e-KYC) utility in close collaboration with a key team of the UAE’s largest financial institutions. This initiative follows the first Regional Regulators’ Roundtable for MENA regulators hosted by ADGM at its FinTech Abu Dhabi Festival in October 2017 and forms part of an inclusive programme of ADGM’s institutional-focused projects for 2018. An industry consortium*, comprising Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Al Ansari Exchange, Al Fardan Exchange, First Abu Dhabi Bank,…

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), peer-to-peer (P2P) lending has emerged as a way to support local small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), many of which have been rejected by conventional banks. According to data from Khalifa Fund, approximately 50-70% of SMEs applications for funding are declined by traditional banks. Loans to SMEs account for less than 4% of the outstanding bank credit in the UAE, below the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region average of 9.3%. Lenders are sometimes unwilling or unable to serve SMEs given their limited assets or lack of proven record of company operations. This makes…

The Middle East’s fintech ecosystem grew significantly in 2017 and further development is expected in the coming years fueled by government support and increasing demand for accessible, cheap, tech-enabled financial solutions. Fintech startups have raised over US$100 million in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the last 10 years but the number of startups launched and investments raised will more than double by 2020, said an industry expert. “105 fintech startups were launched in the region in 2016, and it will rise to 250 by 2020. The region is small when compared to the global proposition in…

The Turkish fintech ecosystem has shown strong growth with the support of a solid banking industry, a thriving startup scene, and a growing young population. In particular, Istanbul, the most populous city in Turkey and the country’s economic, cultural and historic center, is quickly emerging as a global financial center, thanks to its geographical proximity to leading markets such as London and Dubai, strong Internet infrastructure and large pool of well-educated, tech-literate of talents. Istanbul is already the startup hub in Turkey with venture capital funding growing year on year and a continuously growing number of young people entering the…