Leading Fintech Experts to Gather in Riyadh for MEFTECH 2019

MEFTECH 2019, 24 – 25 February 2019, Four Seasons, Riyadh

11 February 2019, Riyadh, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – MEFTECH, the longest running Banking & Financial Technology event in the MENA region, has announced its lineup of industry expert speakers on Fintech from across the world ahead of the two-day conference at the Four Seasons, Riyadh from 24th – 25th February 2019.

Industry experts confirmed to speak at MEFTECH 2019 include: Chris Skinner renowned independent commentator on the financial markets and fintech; Yasar Yilmaz, Head of Financial Services Industry, Middle East & Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, Microsoft; Janti Abdallah, General Manager, STS PayOne; Mirna Sleiman, Founder & CEO Fintech Galaxy; Eleni Kitra, Head of Financial Services, Facebook; and Dr Fadi Chehaye, Senior Technology Advisor, Samba Financial Group.

MEFTECH will include panel discussions and keynote speeches addressing industry trends and issues around mobile payments in the region, digital transformation in banking, driving cashless payments in Saudi Arabia, impact of blockchain on payments and the future of digital currencies.

Chris Skinner, who will provide a keynote address at MEFTECH 2019 said, “Digital transformation continues to be a key focus within the financial industry, and we have experienced significant changes in the last five years. We are witnessing a more pronounced collaboration between banks and the Fintech community as they are working actively to partner and collaborate with each other to create new structures, products and services. Saudi Arabia is emerging as a leading digital banking market in Middle East and North Africa as they continue to drive new and innovative banking models to support economic growth and diversification.”

An example of this will be provided by Ahmed Alenazi, Business VP, STC Pay who in his opening keynote speech will present a case study on the role digital payment providers are playing in Saudi Arabia and the wider region by pushing for a cashless society.

With the recent announcement by UAE Central Bank and Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) of the pilot programme, Project “Aber” the joint digital currency based on blockchain technology to facilitate cross-border payments between the two countries Mastercard’s Vice President of Blockchain Product Development & Innovation Kamran Shahin will present on “Revolutionising remittance: blockchain across border payments’ that will focus on the pilot programme and share his perspectives about how banks and fintech incubators in the region can prepare for the future of remittance.

Alaeddin El Majed, Payments Services Director, HyperPay; and John Schlesinger, Chief Enterprise Architect, Temenos and Rob Flaws, Legal Director, Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications (Middle East), CMS will also discuss the future of digital currencies in the region and shed light on SAMA’s ban on digital currencies, including but not limited to Bitcoin, in the Kingdom and its impact.

Eleni Kitra, Head of Financial Services, Facebook will share her insights on the effects of digitization on the retail banking industry and how that has affected marketing strategies and the customer-centric experience.

Mirna Sleiman, Founder & CEO Fintech Galaxy will host a panel discussion on the role of AI and how its applications are creating a paradigm shift in the global financial markets and expanding opportunities for consumer financial well-being. She will also discuss the enormous financial savings that banks, insurance companies and investment management firms could make by incorporation of systematic investment in AI technologies and their business models specific to the Kingdom.

MEFTECH 2019 will have a dedicated Fintech Start-Up Zone in partnership with Fintech Galaxy – a MENA-focused digital crowdsourcing platform that connects Fintech entrepreneurs to financial institutions. The Fintech Start-Up Zone provides a platform to 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.

MEFTECH is initiated by mada, the national payment network, and SADAD Payment. To find out more about the conference agenda, showcase your company’s products and solutions or to participate in round-table discussions, competition and awards, visit:
www.meftechksa.com