Mawarid Finance convened industry leaders, financial experts, technology innovators and investors in Dubai for the fourth edition of the Mawarid FinTech & Innovation Summit, held at Meydan Grandstand, Meydan Gallery. Centred on the theme “The Power Shift – What Will Define the Future of Finance,” the summit examined the trends, technologies and strategic partnerships transforming the financial services landscape.
The event provided a platform for industry stakeholders to exchange insights on the opportunities and challenges shaping the next generation of financial services, with discussions spanning Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), regulatory developments, artificial intelligence (AI), embedded finance, digital identity and tokenisation.
A key focus was the evolving relationship between financial institutions, technology providers and customers as digital innovation reshapes how financial products are developed, delivered and accessed. Discussions on Open Finance explored its potential to transform customer relationships, enhance the delivery of financial services and create new opportunities for collaboration across the ecosystem.
The programme also addressed FinTech investment, business growth and lessons learned from implementing emerging technologies, highlighting the importance of scalable business models, effective regulation and strategic partnerships in translating innovation into practical solutions.
The summit opened with an address by Rashid Al Qubaisi, CEO of Mawarid Finance, and featured a distinguished line-up of speakers, including Nameer Khan, Chairman of the MENA FinTech Association; Mithat Perkoz, Global Vice President – Digital Products at Mastercard; Pankaj Kundra, CEO of Geidea; Mohammed Rizwan Khan, Managing Director – Acquiring, UAE & Oman at Arab Financial Services (AFS); Chetan Parekh, Managing Partner – MENA FinTech Practice at Cedar Management Consulting; and Gopalakrishnan, MEA BFSI Director at Oracle, who sat on the judging panel of the Use Case Challenge, alongside founders, investors and leaders from across the region’s FinTech ecosystem.
Beyond the discussions, the summit featured the FinTech Innovation & Ecosystem Recognition initiative and a Use Case Challenge, spotlighting innovation and practical applications designed to address real-world industry needs. Product showcases, partnership announcements and signing ceremonies formed an important part of the event, highlighting new collaborations and reinforcing the role of strategic partnerships in advancing financial innovation.
A highlight of the summit was the signing of 16 partnership agreements between Mawarid Finance and partners from across the ecosystem. The agreements span co-branded card programmes, payment solutions, digital financing, technology infrastructure and call centre services, supporting Mawarid Finance’s Banking-as-a-Service model and expanding access to innovative, Shariah-compliant financial solutions for individuals and businesses across the UAE.
Mawarid Finance also marked the occasion with the launch of two new products developed with FinTech partners: with nstFi, a family prepaid card offering supplementary cards; and with Liabify, an SME financing solution alongside prepaid cards for individuals. The launches reflect the company’s continued investment in digital, customer-centric financial services delivered in partnership with the FinTech ecosystem.
The summit was supported by co-host partners Mastercard, the MENA FinTech Association, Arab Financial Services (AFS) and Cedar-IBSi FinTech Lab, and powered by IST BML Technology, OGold and Pay10, together with gold sponsors areeba, Huru, KamelPay and Paymentology.
Commenting on the summit, Rashid Al Qubaisi, CEO of Mawarid Finance, said: “The financial services industry is evolving rapidly, driven by emerging technologies, changing customer expectations and new opportunities for collaboration. At Mawarid Finance, we believe that the future of finance will be shaped by our ability to embrace innovation, build strategic partnerships and deliver solutions that create meaningful value for businesses and customers. The summit provides an important platform for industry leaders to exchange ideas, explore opportunities and strengthen collaboration. The signing ceremonies and partnership initiatives further demonstrate how bringing stakeholders together can help turn innovative ideas into practical solutions and contribute to the continued growth of the UAE’s FinTech ecosystem.”
The fourth edition of the Mawarid FinTech & Innovation Summit reflects the growing importance of collaboration in an increasingly technology-driven financial sector. By bringing together key stakeholders to discuss emerging opportunities, showcase innovative solutions, formalise 16 partnerships through signing ceremonies and launch two new products, Mawarid Finance continues to contribute to the dialogue surrounding financial innovation and the evolution of the UAE’s FinTech ecosystem.
