2023 Agenda

10/10/2023 9:00 am - 9:30 am Ballroom Reception Area

Registration & Welcome Coffee

10/10/2023 9:30 am - 10:00 am Main Ballroom

Opening Session

Malik Shishtawi
Malik Shishtawi President / Arab Fintech Forum
Mohammed Al-Emadi
Mohammed Al-Emadi Senior Manager of Investment / Qatar Development Bank
10/10/2023 10:00 am - 11:00 am Main Ballroom

Shaping the Future of FinTech in MENA Region

Erdem Çakar
Erdem Çakar Country Manager Qatar and Kuwait / Mastercard
Nile Younis
Nile Younis Senior Regional Director of Strategic Products / HyperPay
Dr. Konstantinos Tsanis, Chartered FCSI
Dr. Konstantinos Tsanis, Chartered FCSI Digital Transformation & FinTech Industry Specialist at IFC - International Finance Corporation / Head of Growth at 3S Money
Fadi Saab (Moderator)
Fadi Saab (Moderator) Chairman and CEO / Trans Capital Finance
10/10/2023 11:00 am - 11:30 am Ballroom Reception Area

Networking Coffee Break

10/10/2023 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Conference Main Ballroom

AI & Blockchain in Financial Services: Realizing the Potential

Maximilian Plank
Maximilian Plank Executive Board Member / TRUST SQUARE
Giorgio Torre
Giorgio Torre National Strategic and Technology Advisor / GCC Governments
Mazen El-Masri, PhD
Mazen El-Masri, PhD CEO / Genesis Technologies
Hani Al Khatib
Hani Al Khatib Founder / Web3Qatar
Abhishek Bhattacharya (Moderator)
Abhishek Bhattacharya (Moderator) 3x Entrepreneur and a 2x Author / Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2022
10/10/2023 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Conference Main Ballroom

Networking Lunch

10/10/2023 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Banquet Area

Open Banking and Financial Inclusion

Bryan D'Souza
Bryan D'Souza Strategic Alliances & Partner Ecosystem Lead - EMEA / R3
Lauren Jones
Lauren Jones Director, Market Development / Open Banking Exchange
Ahmet Faruk Aysan
Ahmet Faruk Aysan Associate Dean for Research / Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Johnny Maalouf
Johnny Maalouf Principal solutions Director / eMcREY
Joyce Abourizk (Moderator)
Joyce Abourizk (Moderator) Senior Manager - FS Technology Consulting / EY
10/10/2023 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Ballroom Reception Area

Fintech Startups: Challenges & Opportunities

Thuraya Nasser Al-Mulla  
Thuraya Nasser Al-Mulla   Founder / Receipts LLC
Mohammed Suleiman
Mohammed Suleiman Co-Founder / KARTY
Salman Surti
Salman Surti Program Lead / Qatar FinTech Hub
Mo Salah
Mo Salah Country Manager / Startup Grind (Jordan and Oman)
Vugar Rustamli, PMP, PMI-ACP, CD-F (Moderator)
Vugar Rustamli, PMP, PMI-ACP, CD-F (Moderator) Co-Founder / PMWILL
10/10/2023 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Conference Main Ballroom

Closing Session

Malik Shishtawi
Malik Shishtawi President / Arab Fintech Forum
10/11/2023 9:00 am - 9:30 am Plenary Room A

Workshop #1: Open Banking Around the World: What does it mean for Qatar?

Lauren Jones
Lauren Jones Director, Market Development / Open Banking Exchange
Hani Al Khatib
Hani Al Khatib Founder / Web3Qatar
10/11/2023 9:30 am - 10:00 am Plenary Room A

Workshop #2: Financial Inclusion across Asia & Europe using DeFi & NFTs

Abhishek Bhattacharya (Moderator)
Abhishek Bhattacharya (Moderator) 3x Entrepreneur and a 2x Author / Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2022
10/11/2023 10:00 am - 10:30 am Ballroom Reception Area

Networking Coffee Break

10/11/2023 10:30 am - 11:30 am Plenary Room A

Workshop #3 Part-1: Scaling Up the Fintechs With the Power of Agile (Fundamentals)

Vugar Rustamli, PMP, PMI-ACP, CD-F (Moderator)
Vugar Rustamli, PMP, PMI-ACP, CD-F (Moderator) Co-Founder / PMWILL
10/11/2023 11:30 am - 12:00 pm

Networking Coffee Break

10/11/2023 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Plenary Room A

Workshop #3 Part-2: Scaling Up the Fintechs With the Power of Agile (Practices)

Vugar Rustamli, PMP, PMI-ACP, CD-F (Moderator)
Vugar Rustamli, PMP, PMI-ACP, CD-F (Moderator) Co-Founder / PMWILL
10/11/2023 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Main Ballroom

The Pitch Pit (5 Startups, 5 Minutes Pitch, 5 Investors)

10/11/2023 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Main Ballroom

Awards Ceremony & Closing Session

Malik Shishtawi
Malik Shishtawi President / Arab Fintech Forum

2023 Speakers

Erdem Çakar
Erdem Çakar
Country Manager Qatar and Kuwait Mastercard
Mohammed Al-Emadi
Mohammed Al-Emadi
Senior Manager of Investment Qatar Development Bank
Nile Younis
Nile Younis
Senior Regional Director of Strategic Products HyperPay
Dr. Konstantinos Tsanis, Chartered FCSI
Dr. Konstantinos Tsanis, Chartered FCSI
Digital Transformation & FinTech Industry Specialist at IFC - International Finance Corporation Head of Growth at 3S Money
Thuraya Nasser Al-Mulla  
Thuraya Nasser Al-Mulla  
Founder Receipts LLC
Bryan D’Souza
Bryan D’Souza
Strategic Alliances & Partner Ecosystem Lead - EMEA R3
Lauren Jones
Lauren Jones
Director, Market Development Open Banking Exchange
Mohammed Suleiman
Mohammed Suleiman
Co-Founder KARTY
Joyce Abourizk (Moderator)
Joyce Abourizk (Moderator)
Senior Manager - FS Technology Consulting EY
Maximilian Plank
Maximilian Plank
Executive Board Member TRUST SQUARE
Ahmet Faruk Aysan
Ahmet Faruk Aysan
Associate Dean for Research Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Abhishek Bhattacharya (Moderator)
Abhishek Bhattacharya (Moderator)
3x Entrepreneur and a 2x Author Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2022
Mazen El-Masri, PhD
Mazen El-Masri, PhD
CEO Genesis Technologies
Salman Surti
Salman Surti
Program Lead Qatar FinTech Hub
Giorgio Torre
Giorgio Torre
National Strategic and Technology Advisor GCC Governments
Mo Salah
Mo Salah
Country Manager Startup Grind (Jordan and Oman)
Johnny Maalouf
Johnny Maalouf
Principal solutions Director eMcREY
Fadi Saab (Moderator)
Fadi Saab (Moderator)
Chairman and CEO Trans Capital Finance
Hani Al Khatib
Hani Al Khatib
Founder Web3Qatar
Vugar Rustamli, PMP, PMI-ACP, CD-F (Moderator)
Vugar Rustamli, PMP, PMI-ACP, CD-F (Moderator)
Co-Founder PMWILL
Malik Shishtawi
Malik Shishtawi
President Arab Fintech Forum

2023 Testimonials

Erdem Cakar
Erdem Cakar
Country Manager (Qatar & Kuwait), Mastercard

As a Platinum Sponsor of the event, Mastercard was proud to support the Arab Fintech Forum. Events like these are vital to fostering dialogue, deepening relationships, and driving innovation across our industry. The organizers brought together regional leaders from across the financial technology space to drive conversations that will ultimately fuel the ongoing evolution of MENA’s fintech ecosystem.

Nile Younis
Nile Younis
Senior Regional Director of Strategic Products, Hyperpay

It was a fantastic regional Fintech event. Thank you, Malik Shishtawi, and the entire MANGUSTEEN team for curating and organizing this important forum. Hyperpay is proud to be part of and contribute to the regional Fintech ecosystem and look forward to the next chapter.

Maximilian Plank
Maximilian Plank
Executive Board Member, TRUSTSQUARE

Excellent event, I think it is very valuable what you do here for the region and necessary. Let’s establish a vibrant ecosystem in Qatar!

Official Venue

RITZ CARLTON DOHA HOTEL

Re-imagined to present a new era in its legacy, The Ritz-Carlton, Doha celebrates the city's progressive spirit with distinctive features that include the largest chandelier in the Middle East, this 5-star luxury hotel bridges the past with the present to create a rich, multicultural experience defined by extraordinary elegance. The Ritz Carlton Doha offers state of the art facilities including: 374 luxury rooms & suites with views of the city or Arabian Gulf, a private beach, outdoor pool and temperature-controlled indoor pool in addition to 7 exceptional restaurants and bars featuring fine local and international cuisines.