Conference theme of "Insights to Opportunities" highlights need for partnerships that drive synergistic growth

Addresses opportunities and challenges for payments industry in wider MENA region

Dubai, May 1, 2013: The 6th User Conference, organised recently by Network International, the largest acquirer and one of the leading payment solutions providers in the region, came to a successful close with all participants endorsing the need to further unlock the potential of the payments industry in the wider MENA region.

"We are at the crossroads of a technological and innovation revolution in payment methodologies that will transform the way customers make payments," said Abdulla Qassem, Chairman, Network International, in his opening remarks. Asserting that the next decade would prove to be a defining one in the regional payments space, he said: "In this age of partnership and collaboration, we look forward to working with our partners to leverage these developments, for the benefit of our customers. The User Conference has proven to be a catalyst in building stronger relationships amongst our partners, and enabled us to develop greater understanding of our roles in the world of payment solutions."

Held in Lisbon, Portugal, the 2013 edition of the Network International User Conference was organised under the theme "Insights to Opportunities," and witnessed participation from Network International's banking, merchant and government partners, industry experts and leading names in the global and regional payments industry.

Eminent speakers, included Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations; Dilip Ratha, Head - Migration and Remittances Unit, World Bank, Tony Hayes, Partner at Oliver Wyman and Frank Abagnale, an American security consultant known for his history as a former confidence trickster and escape artist, and the ghost writer and subject of the acclaimed book and film, Catch Me If You Can. Drawing upon his own life experiences, Abgnale's presentation focused on fraud, its perpetration and prevention in the payments industry. Dilip Ratha from World Bank provided a detailed overview of global remittance trends and the untapped potential that exist in the remittance space in his presentation titled 'Global and Regional Remittance Trends.'

"2012 has been a crucial one for Network International, as we laid the foundations for our new growth phase as the infrastructure provider for the payment space," said Bhairav Trivedi, Chief Executive Officer, Network International. "Our three strategic objectives for 2013 include driving core business growth in a market that is growing organically at 20 per cent per year, exploring new technologies with the objective to offer customers the convenience of making payments at the point of delivery rather than at point of sale and further strengthen the Network International brand in international markets."

This year, Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, served as the Platinum sponsor of the user conference, while Diners Club was the Gold Sponsor. "Offsite networking forums of this kind are essential for the synergistic growth of an industry - in particular one that is witnessing such a rapid pace of change," said Suvo Sarkar, General Manager - Retail Banking, Emirates NBD. "A conference of all payment industry stakeholders will serve to further boost and streamline the change presently occurring in the payments space. As a leading financial services provider, Emirates NBD is pleased to support this event."

Network International's annual flagship event is aimed at enhancing awareness and understanding about industry trends and developments amongst its partners, including merchants, banks and other financial institutions, and is designed to create constructive dialogue on the future direction of the payment card industry.

About Network International:
Established in 1994, Network International LLC is the largest acquirer, and one of the leading payment solutions providers in the Middle East, geared to meet the needs of banks, financial institutions and large and individual retailers. It is a Principal Member of Visa International and MasterCard International for the UAE, offering customers the most comprehensive range of payment products and services for both the Issuing and Acquiring segment of the card payment industry. Offerings include credit and debit card processing services, ATM management and monitoring, merchant acquiring plus consumer finance applications. Network International provides consultancy services ranging from planning and designing, to developing of new card and consumer finance products and services.

Network International is the first independent vendor certified by both Visa & MasterCard for card payments in the Middle East. It is the UAE's largest payment acquirer for Credit & Debit Cards and the largest third-party processing vendor offering complete EMV certified solutions as institutions migrate to EMV Smart Card technology

For further information, please contact:
Sudha Chandran / Ajith Henry
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 971-4-4507600
Fax: 971-4-4358040
Email: Sudha.chandran@bm.com / ajith.henry@bm.com

© Press Release 2013