Dubai’s Fintech Surge set to accelerate MENA region’s rapid FinTech growth

By Leandra Monteiro

Fintech Surge 2022, the MENA region’s leading finance and innovation conference, is set to return to the Dubai World Trade Centre from 10th- 13th October 2022.

An integral part of GITEX Global 2022, the world’s biggest tech and startup event of the year featuring over 4,500 tech and digital companies from 170 countries, the four-day event is poised to be the premier hub for Fintech entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, regulators, and will accelerate the growth of PayTech, WealthTech, InsurTech, and RegTech in the MENA region.

Fintech Surge 2022 comes at an opportune time for the MENA region’s Fintech development; the UAE is currently home to 24% of all FinTechs in the region, with FinTechs accounting for 41% of the MENA region’s $864 million start-up funding in the first quarter of 2021. The platform will see some of the world’s most innovative companies and industry players including Fintech innovators, thought leaders and VCs gather at Dubai’s flagship industry event.

The Summit is set to provide a major international meeting point for the Fintech investor community, welcoming more than 600 investors, offering finance innovators an unrivalled opportunity to accelerate their growth. Day four of the Summit will play host to the North Star Dubai Supernova Challenge, the biggest pitch competition in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, offering start-ups the opportunity to pitch to an audience of global investors and earn potentially transformative capital.

Leading Fintech innovators including Mastercard, Mashreq, TAP, Geidea, Telr, Refinitiv and RASAN are all set to exhibit at the Summit.

As part of its industry-leading conference programme, Fintech Surge will host the Digital Finance Summit, the CX Forum, which will explore the future of customer experience, as well as expert-led workshops on opportunities in Web3, the metaverse and ESG initiatives.

Fintech Surge 2022 has enlisted over 100 distinguished speakers from global regulators, financial institutions and unicorns who will give path-breaking talks on redefining Fintech strategy in the region. Top speakers include Renier Lemmens, Group CEO, Geidea; Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA, Mastercard; Arik Shtilman, CEO & Co-Founder, Rapyd and Rushikant Shastri, VP Technology, State Bank of India.