Finnovex Middle East 2025 Concludes with Record-Breaking Participation and Industry-Shaping Insights
Dubai, UAE- Finnovex Middle East 2025, one of the region’s most influential financial technology summits, concluded on November 12 at the Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel, marking its most successful edition yet. Organised by Exibex, the two-day event drew more than 300 senior regulators, banking executives, digital transformation leaders, and technology innovators from across the GCC and wider MENA region.
This year also marked the seventh anniversary of the Finnovex Global Series, a platform known for enabling high-impact dialogue, strategic partnerships, and forward-thinking innovation across global financial ecosystems.
Day 1 Highlights- Reimagining the Digital Banking Blueprint
The summit opened with a Welcome Address from Exibex, followed by insights from Muhammed Zeeshan Haider of Al Wathba Insurance, emphasizing a trust-first, AI-powered financial future.
Keynote Moments:
- Mohammed Wassim Khayata, CEO, Al Maryah Community Bank, explored the UAE’s Digital Dirham and programmable currencies.
- Gorinov Alexandr, Alfa-Bank Russia, unpacked the transition from cash to advanced digital payments.
CXO Deep Dive: The Fintech Metamorphosis Playbook
Moderated by Alberto Diez (COO, Emirates Development Bank), the panel featured top leaders including:
Vladislavs Mironovs (Commercial Bank of Dubai), Mohammed Abdel Razek (Mashreq), Yan Bechet (HSBC), Abdulla Al-Awadi (Kuwait International Bank), Dr. Waleed Saied (Cubic Information Systems), and Venkat Reddy Kandimalla (Posidex Technologies).
The discussion centered on digital agility, secure ecosystems, and customer-centric innovation.
Additional sessions examined SME credit transformation, composable trade finance, and intelligent operations with insights from experts at Softwire, Fimple, and global banking thought leaders.
A dynamic Payments Innovation Townhall, moderated by Ramkumar Balasubramaniam—brought together leaders from HSBC, Al Maryah Community Bank, Sends, and RAKBANK to explore seamless, secure, and compliant payment architectures.
Day 2 Highlights- AI, Cybersecurity & Sustainable Finance Take Center Stage
The second day featured powerful keynote sessions from:
- Yan Bechet on HSBC’s AI-led collaborations
- Abdullah Alawadi on agentic AI and operational optimization
- Alberto Diez on agility transformation in BFSI
- Dr. Hani Alghanem (Uniphore) on the measurable impact of conversational AI
Industry Expert Panel- From Insight to Action
Moderated by Walid Salem (Zurich), the panel brought together leaders from Bank of Sharjah, Sukoon Insurance, Mashreq, CIB, and Commercial Bank of Dubai. Discussions focused on embedding sustainability, human-centric design, and integrated technology models to build future-ready financial institutions.
Celebrating Excellence- Finnovex Awards 2025
The Finnovex Awards honoured institutions and individuals driving transformation in fintech, digital banking, payments, cybersecurity, and customer experience.
Notable institutional winners included:
- ADIB – Excellence in Customer Experience
- Mashreq – Excellence in Mobile Banking
- Commercial Bank of Dubai – Excellence in Digital Banking
- FAB – Excellence in AI-Powered Banking
- RAKBANK, Emirates NBD, Alfa-Bank, D360 Bank, Bank AlJazira, and Fimple across various innovation categories.
Individual winners included:
Michael Power (RAKBANK), Sunil Dixit (FAB), Dr. Abdulla AlTaee (UAB), Mohamed Abdel Razek (Mashreq), Olivier Busolini (Mashreq), Abdulla Al-Awadi (KIB), Alberto Diez (EDB), Sreedhar Suragouni (Sukoon), and Alona Shevtsova (Sends).
Looking Ahead
“Finnovex Middle East 2025 wasn’t just an event, it was a moment,” said Shabaz Ahmed, Executive Director, Exibex. “A moment where leaders questioned boldly and sparked ideas that will travel far beyond these halls.”
Finnovex will continue its global journey across Africa, Europe, and Asia, fostering deeper collaboration and innovation across financial landscapes.
About Finnovex
Finnovex is a globally trusted platform redefining the future of financial services. Through chapters across MENA, Africa, Europe, and Asia, it brings together regulators, innovators, and C-level executives to shape the next era of banking and digital finance.
For participation and sponsorship enquiries, visit me.finnovex.com or contact info@exibex.com, +971 585518437, +91 9980028128.
