Latest news with #DubaiFinTechSummit2025
Al Etihad
26-05-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Alibaba Cloud MENA chief bullish on expansion in UAE and region
27 May 2025 00:38 MAITHEM AL ANBARI (ABU DHABI)Alibaba Cloud recently made a significant impact at the Dubai FinTech Summit 2025 by announcing partnerships with LuLu Financial Holdings and Ant Digital Technologies. These collaborations aim to enhance financial innovation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through advanced cloud solutions and generative AI technologies. Aletihad met with Eric Wan, Vice President of Alibaba Cloud International and General Manager for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, to discuss the company's plans for expansion in the region. Here are excerpts from the interview: Alibaba Cloud is recognised as one of the largest online and mobile commerce enterprises globally. How would you describe Alibaba Cloud's participation in the Fintech Summit in the UAE?Alibaba Cloud has benefited from robust participation at the Dubai FinTech Summit 2025. We announced strategic partnerships with LuLu Financial Holdings and Ant Digital Technologies during the summit. We also hosted a panel discussion at the summit focused on the future of financial services in an AI-powered world. The panel featured industry experts, including executives from Lulu Financial Holdings, Wio Bank and Zand Bank. How would you characterise Alibaba Cloud's position within the fintech market, and what are the anticipated developments for the future?Alibaba Cloud holds a significant strategic position in the fintech market, owing to its robust cloud infrastructure and advanced technologies that can empower financial institutions with high performance and scalability. Once companies delegate infrastructure management to the cloud, they can focus their efforts on their core competencies. We are recognised as a leading cloud provider globally and in the region and have been expanding our footprint in the fintech sector through various strategic partnerships and innovative solutions. Here in the MENA region, we offer a wide range of cloud-based services. These solutions provide the necessary agility, scalability, and security required by financial institutions to innovate and grow. Integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and data analytics into our cloud offerings allows fintech companies to enhance customer experiences, improve operational efficiencies, and ensure regulatory compliance. Given our global presence – in 87 zones across 29 regions – we support fintech companies in scaling up their operations. In the UAE, besides the recent partnerships with Lulu Financial Holdings and Ant Digital Technologies, we also announced our collaboration with Zand Bank, the first fully licensed all-digital bank in the UAE. This partnership focuses on leveraging generative AI, blockchain, and payment technologies to boost the bank's digital capabilities. What insights can you offer regarding Alibaba Cloud's expansion in the UAE and the agreements it has established with local counterparts?The UAE is a key market due to its thriving economy, tech-savvy population, and strategic location as a global trade hub. Alibaba Cloud is fully committed to long-term investment and expansion in the region, and we have our sights set on more strategic partnerships and investments in digital infrastructure. We believe our strengths in technologies such as AI and cloud computing, and industry solutions in e-commerce, fintech, media, gaming, etc., will likely play a crucial role in supporting the UAE's vision for a diversified and innovative economy. As a first mover in public cloud computing, Alibaba Cloud established a presence here by opening a data centre in Dubai Internet City back in November 2016. With a goal to provide local businesses with robust, secure, and high-performing capabilities, this data centre underwent an upgrade to include state-of-the-art cloud infrastructure, enhanced analytics, databases, industry solutions, and AI services. We have been serving hundreds of customers from different sectors, especially retail, finance, media, gaming, and internet, in the UAE market. In March 2024, we also launched the MEA region's Alibaba Cloud Academy Training Centre. The centre empowers our ecosystem partners and customers by delivering physical and virtual training workshops and certification courses to equip them with the skills needed to thrive in a digital economy. We partnered with Mawdoo3, the GCC's largest online content publisher, to provide the platform with a cost-effective and high-performance cloud infrastructure, including services such as Elastic Computing Service and Relational Database Service (RDS). Another significant project involved the implementation of Alibaba Cloud's Web Application Firewall (WAF) for WEMART, a prominent supermarket chain in the Middle East, taking its business from offline to online during the COVID-19 pandemic. As Alibaba Cloud is being chosen by more and more local businesses as their trusted cloud service provider, we are positive that we will continue to grow. What are the forthcoming initiatives for Alibaba as a group, including Alibaba's cloud business, international expansion, or trends in financial performance?Looking ahead, Alibaba Cloud views the Middle East as a region ripe with opportunities, driven by its rapid digital transformation across various sectors. I want to emphasise Alibaba Cloud's long-term commitment to investing in the market and to contributing to the success of our local customers and partners. We will continue to introduce leading products and proven solutions in the AI and cloud computing sector to serve our local customers. We will expand our ecosystem with more local partners on board to address sector-specific pain points. We also plan to collaborate with more universities to enhance digital talent training.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alona Shevtsova of Sends Highlights the Future of Responsible AI at Dubai FinTech Summit 2025
London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - May 15, 2025) - Sends, a British payment provider, participated in Dubai FinTech Summit 2025, which occurred on May 12-13 at Madinat Jumeirah. Organised by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the event draws over 9,000 attendees from 120+ countries, including top investors, founders, regulators, and fintech leaders. Sends To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Representing Sends, CEO Alona Shevtsova participated in a discussion on How regulators are shaping the future of AI in finance. The session addressed the balance between innovation and oversight in a rapidly evolving tech-driven industry. "Responsible AI is the future of finance. As AI rapidly transforms the financial sector, the role of regulators becomes crucial in setting ethical, transparent, and innovation-friendly frameworks. Clear and adaptive regulation protects consumers and market integrity and gives fintechs the confidence to build AI-driven solutions responsibly. Collaboration between innovators and regulators is the key to unlocking AI's full potential in finance," said Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends. This year's "FinTech for All" summit spotlights key topics such as AI, blockchain, digital economies, and sustainable finance. Sends showcases its latest innovations in cross-border payments, regulatory technology, and embedded financial infrastructure, underscoring its commitment to building a transparent, secure, and inclusive financial system. Given the growing influence of the Dubai Fintech Summit and the strategic role of Dubai as a fintech hub, it is expected to continue as an annual event, fostering innovation and collaboration in the financial technology sector. Sends is a valuable financial tool for both business and personal use. This spring, the company launched a zero-fee personal account opening offer. Learn more Contact Information For media inquiries or support, contact:support@ | contact@ Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No. 11070048). Address: Office 39.18, Level39, One Canada Square, London, England, E14 5AB Marketing Department contacts: pr@ Contact: Anastasiia Pervushyna To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Perfios Launches an AI-Powered Solution for Mortgage Operational Excellence at Dubai FinTech Summit 2025
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Perfios, a leading global B2B SaaS TechFin, today announced the launch of ' Switch ', an AI-powered solution for mortgage operational excellence, at Dubai FinTech Summit 2025. This innovative platform aims to empower all stakeholders of the mortgage industry by transforming traditional mortgage processes and enabling a frictionless mortgage process. With 5+ years in the UAE, Perfios has established a strong presence in the banking sector with its flagship products adopted by top banks in the UAE. Perfios now onboards Lion Mortgage, a leading Mortgage Broker in the UAE, as the first client to adopt Perfios' Switch platform. Switch, built on Perfios' proven Credit Gateway and Nexus 360 technology, is an out-of-the-box independent platform that delivers an intelligent, automated mortgage cycle management system. The platform seamlessly connects multiple key stakeholders in the mortgage journey, starting with the broker, developer, valuer, and banks, while offering comprehensive features, including: Automated Lead Management AI-based Mortgage Proposal Generation based on client profiles Automated Forms generation Eligibility Calculations and Decision Engine Real-time Updates and Reporting Integrated Solutions for Bank Statement Analysis, KYC, and more Speaking at the unveiling ceremony at DFS, Pramod Veturi, International CEO, Perfios, said, 'Switch is a thoughtfully engineered platform that brings intelligence, speed, and transparency to the mortgage process, solving some of the most persistent pain points in the industry. Its AI-driven architecture enables smarter decision-making and operational efficiency for all banks, brokers and network partners. We're delighted to welcome Lion Mortgage as our first customer. This partnership marks a strong beginning for Switch, extends our relationships from Banks to Mortgage stakeholders, and also reflects the trust leading institutions place in our technology. We're happy to officially launch Switch at the Dubai FinTech Summit, a global stage for financial innovation!' Gaurav Gambhir, MD, Lion Mortgage, expressed enthusiasm about being the first to adopt Switch: 'At Lion Mortgage, we are committed to staying ahead of the curve by embracing technologies that enhance operational efficiency and elevate client experience. Switch, with its AI-driven workflows, real-time insights, and integration-ready design, has empowered us to deliver measurable value driven outcomes during the trial period of the last 3 months. These include a significantly enhanced client experience through superior service delivery, a notable reduction in error rate and turn around time, a productivity boost and a 25% increase in business volumes. We view this as a strategic leap forward in redefining the way mortgages are delivered in the UAE.' Perfios has been at the forefront of enabling global financial inclusion by empowering financial institutions with real-time credit decisioning, analytics, onboarding automation, due diligence, monitoring, and more. The launch of Switch in the UAE market further strengthens this commitment, representing a strategic expansion that builds on Perfios' success in serving over 1000+ financial institutions across 19 countries. The platform's scalable architecture ensures seamless adaptability across different geographies while maintaining strict compliance with local regulations, making it a truly global solution for operations excellence. About Perfios: Founded in 2008, Perfios is a global B2B SaaS company serving the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance industry in 19 countries, empowering 1000+ financial institutions. Through their pioneering software platforms and products, Perfios helps financial institutions to take big leaps by shaping their origination, onboarding, decisioning, underwriting and monitoring processes at scale and speed. Perfios delivers 8.2 billion data points to banks and financial institutions every year to facilitate faster decisioning, and significantly accelerates access to credit and financial services for their clients' customers. Headquartered in Bangalore, with offices worldwide and with 75+ products and platforms, and over 500+ APIs, in Perfios, their clients have a confident and a robust start-to-end tech platform. To know more, visit and follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram. About Lion Mortgage: Lion Mortgage is a leading independent mortgage solutions provider based in Dubai. Established in 2013 by seasoned bankers, each bringing over 20 years of experience from top-tier financial institutions, the firm has helped over 8,000 UAE residents and international clients secure home financing with confidence. With a client-first philosophy and deep market expertise, Lion Mortgage delivers tailored mortgage advisory services that simplify the financing process, ensuring clarity, compliance, and peace of mind. The company is driven by a commitment to long-term financial wellbeing, consistently delivering exceptional client and partner experiences, operational excellence, and performance all enabled by smart, forward-thinking technology.
Hi Dubai
14-05-2025
- Business
- Hi Dubai
DFSA Hosts Inaugural Regulatory College to Strengthen Global Fintech Oversight
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) brought together global regulators for its first-ever Regulatory College during the Dubai FinTech Summit 2025, tackling the urgent need for international cooperation on cybersecurity and AI oversight. Held behind closed doors under the theme 'Innovation with integrity,' the high-level session welcomed over 30 regulators from 18 authorities across the UAE, the GCC, and beyond. Discussions focused on emerging technological risks, such as post-quantum cryptography and agentic AI, and how evolving regulatory frameworks can safeguard financial stability in a rapidly digitising world. The full-day event aimed to enhance supervisory alignment and knowledge-sharing across jurisdictions. Justin Baldacchino, Managing Director of Supervision at DFSA, emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, 'Technology is transforming financial services at an unprecedented pace, and it is vital that regulators keep pace – not in isolation, but together.' The DFSA's initiative supports its broader commitment to responsible innovation. Its Innovation Testing Licence, which now includes tokenisation, and its active role in global regulatory groups such as the IOSCO FinTech Taskforce, underline Dubai's ambitions to become a global centre for innovation rooted in regulatory integrity. By hosting this Regulatory College, the DFSA reinforced its position as a driving force behind international dialogue and policy shaping, in line with Dubai's strategy to lead the future of finance while maintaining investor protection and financial market resilience. News Source: Emirates News Agency
Kuwait Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Mohammed Al-Othman participates in Dubai FinTech Summit 2025
NBK official addresses a global audience of financial pioneers, investors and innovators KUWAIT: Mohammed Al-Othman, CEO, Consumer and Digital Banking at National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), took part in Dubai FinTech Summit 2025, held under the theme 'FinTech for All.' The event brought together global leaders from the financial sector, alongside investors and innovators, to examine emerging trends, pressing challenges, and transformative opportunities shaping the future of financial technology. The third edition of the Dubai FinTech Summit 2025, the region's premier event for the fintech sector, was held over two days from May 12 to 13. Organized by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the summit explored key topics including digital banking, the growing role of artificial intelligence in finance, open banking, sustainable finance, and regulatory frameworks. The summit drew the participation of leading financial institutions, fintech start-ups, investors, regulators, decision-makers, and technology providers — gathered to explore breakthrough innovations, forge strategic partnerships, and shape the future of fintech and the broader financial landscape. Al-Othman took part in a panel discussion focused on the transformation of the banking sector and the next wave of innovation, where he highlighted NBK's leadership in driving digital transformation. He emphasized the bank's role in launching a wide range of innovative services that have redefined the future of banking in Kuwait and across the region. Al-Othman highlighted NBK's pioneering role in adopting the latest technologies to deliver exceptional digital services tailored to customer aspirations — often surpassing expectations. He noted that NBK's name has become synonymous with innovation and leadership in the realm of digital banking products and services. DUBAI: Mohammed Al-Othman takes part in Dubai FinTech Summit 2025. Sharing his vision for the future and the role of AI in banking, Al-Othman emphasized: 'We adopt a proactive approach that ensures continuous innovation and responsiveness to the rapid changes in the digital landscape. As part of our forward-looking strategy, we are committed to enhancing the banking experience for our customers by leveraging the latest technologies, with a strong focus on data analytics and AI-driven solutions to deliver greater value.' Al-Othman emphasized that NBK remains firmly committed to redefining the banking experience, leveraging its advanced technological infrastructure and cutting-edge digital innovations to deliver increasingly sophisticated, customer-focused solutions. This sustained commitment not only elevates customers' journey and keeps pace with rising expectations but also cements the bank's leadership in digital banking and sets new benchmarks for the future of the financial industry. Furthermore, Al-Othman highlighted NBK's strategic approach to navigating the rapid evolution of the fintech landscape, emphasizing that the bank views these developments not as obstacles, but as valuable opportunities to strengthen its competitive edge and deliver greater value to its customers. He explained that NBK's strategic approach is rooted in a deep understanding of evolving market needs and a deliberate investment in emerging technologies that support the bank's long-term objectives. This approach is anchored in upholding the highest standards of security and reliability, while consistently striving to maintain superior levels of customer satisfaction across all services and products. Commenting on the dynamic between banks and fintech startups in Kuwait, Al-Othman stated: 'The relationship between banks and fintech companies is more complementary than competitive.' Moreover, Al-Othman emphasized the remarkable success of Weyay, Kuwait's first fully digital bank, stating: 'Since its launch in 2021, Weyay Bank has set new benchmarks in the banking industry, securing a leadership position in the digital banking sector. This achievement is attributed to the innovative products and services it offers, along with a seamless, round-the-clock banking experience that caters to a wide range of age groups, particularly the youth.' He noted that Weyay Bank stands as a prime example of the success of the bank's vision and strategic direction. Since its inception, Weyay has delivered exceptional performance, surpassing the initial plans in both customer acquisition and balance sheet growth. He emphasized that Weyay represents a quantum leap in the banking sector, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver a seamless, user-friendly experience that has played a key role in expanding NBK's customer base. He further underscored that this success is rooted in a corporate culture spanning over seven decades — one that consistently aspires to excellence and accepts nothing but the best. Al-Othman also praised the pivotal role played by the regulatory initiatives led by CBK in enabling banks to adopt and implement digital initiatives more effectively, highlighting their contribution to creating a supportive ecosystem for innovation and transformation. 'Young customers increasingly seek fast and user-friendly digital banking services. That's why we continuously strive to stay ahead of technological trends, developing products that cater to the evolving needs of the rising digital generation. Most recently, we launched the 'Jeel' card — an innovative solution tailored specifically for youth aged 8 to 14. The card combines simplicity with smart digital features, empowering young users while fostering a sense of financial responsibility and literacy through a personalized banking experience and the usage of their banking mobile application,' he added. Al-Othman concluded his remarks with an eye on the future, forecasting that the upcoming regulatory developments — particularly in the areas of data analytics, AI, and cybersecurity — will be pivotal in driving the next wave of banking innovation. He emphasized that NBK is well-positioned to play a leading role in this new era, backed by its steadfast commitment to delivering secure, cutting-edge banking solutions that align with customer expectations and contribute to economic growth in Kuwait and across the region. Al-Othman was recently named MENA Retail Banker of the Year for the fourth consecutive year by MEED magazine, as part of the 2025 Banking Excellence Awards.
