Bank ABC set to host MEA Fintech Forum

MANAMA: The path to recovery in the aftermath of Covid-19 and the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence and big data-driven digital innovation in banking will be among the main topics at the upcoming fourth edition of the MEA Fintech Forum, held under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain and hosted by Bank ABC.

Themed ‘Banking Beyond Digital’, the 2-day event will be streamed live on a state-of-the-art virtual event platform on November 24 and 25.

With more than 2,000 participants including regulators, financial services and fintech leaders expected to attend; the event will explore financial services beyond digital and ways to navigate the current economic crisis, possible paths to recovery, and uncover new and exciting opportunities to drive positive change in the financial services sector.

One of the focal topics of the conference will be the emergence of the “bank of the future” in light of the pandemic which has prompted a seismic shift in the global economy, as customers and businesses demonstrate a heightened level of engagement with fintech.

Key discussion themes in this area will include the Digital-Powered Path to Recovery in 2021, Redefining Banking using Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Sustainability and inclusion.

Bank ABC Deputy Group chief executive Sael Al Waary said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has caused major changes to the way we live and work and forced us to form new habits to adapt to the ‘new- normal’. The pandemic has accelerated digitisation at a rate which we could never have predicted. We are at a critical junction for the future of banks and financial services and how we choose to respond to these challenges will play a key role in shaping the future not only of the finance industry, but of the entire ecosystem. We must embrace the opportunities that have been created to adapt and innovate in these difficult times as we look beyond 2020 to economic recovery and the future of Banking Beyond Digital. We are excited to host the 4th MEA Fintech Forum.”

Among prominent speakers lined up for the event are: Central Bank of Bahrain Governor Rasheed Al Maraj, Bank ABC Group CEO Dr Khaled Kawan, Mr Al Waary, BBC HardTalk presenter Stephen Sackur, AI scientist Inma Martinez, HSBC MENA CEO Martin Tricaud, and Goldman Sachs global head of transaction banking Hari Moorthy.

A separate CEOs panel moderated by Financial Times US editorial board chairman and America editor-at-large Dr Gillian Tett on day-1 of the forum will see Dr Kawan, Citi Bank Middle East & Africa CEO Atiq Ur Rehman, and Mr Tricaud, discuss how incumbent banks are responding to the demand for digital banking, the future of banking, how banks are responding to the double threat of COVID-19, and the acceleration of digital banking, among many other critical topics.

The MEA Fintech Forum underlines Bank ABC’s commitment and Bahrain’s vision to becoming a leading fintech hub.

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