The Council is the MENA FinTech Association's senior leadership platform for advancing dialogue, collaboration, and policy thinking at the intersection of financial innovation, regulation, and economic transformation.
Established at Investopia 2023, under the patronage of H.E. Abdullah Ahmad Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, The Council was conceived as an exclusive platform bringing together senior fintech leaders, policymakers, regulators, academics, and industry experts from across the Middle East and North Africa.
In 2026, The Council entered its next phase with the formal constitution of the Council for Policy & Regulation Working Group, establishing a dedicated platform to examine the regulatory, institutional, and policy questions shaping the next generation of financial services across MENA.
The Council is designed for leaders who do not simply respond to change, but help shape what comes next.
Financial innovation is moving faster than traditional regulatory frameworks.
Digital assets, stablecoins, artificial intelligence, open banking, embedded finance, cross-border payments, and new financial infrastructure are reshaping how capital moves, how businesses operate, and how consumers access financial services.
The Council provides a trusted environment for senior stakeholders to engage with these developments at the highest level, bringing industry expertise and regulatory perspectives into the same conversation.
Its purpose is not to advocate for a single sector or technology, but to facilitate informed dialogue around the frameworks, policies, and institutional approaches required to support responsible innovation and sustainable growth.
The Council was first unveiled during Investopia 2023 in Abu Dhabi as one of the key outcomes of the global investment platform.
Its launch brought together influential fintech leaders and experts from across MENA around a shared objective: creating a structured environment for collaboration and the exchange of ideas on the future of financial services.
Three years later, that vision has evolved into a formally constituted platform within MFTA.
The Council is launched at Investopia, establishing an invitation-only forum for senior fintech leaders and experts across MENA.
The Council for Policy & Regulation Working Group is formally constituted, creating a dedicated platform focused on policy, regulatory frameworks, and the evolving financial network.
The Council continues to expand its network of senior leaders, strengthening cross-border dialogue and contributing to the development of a more connected and innovation-ready MENA financial system.
The Council is intentionally selective.
Its membership brings together individuals with direct experience across regulation, financial services, fintech, digital assets, payments, legal and compliance, academia, and financial infrastructure.
The Council focuses on the strategic questions that sit at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and economic growth.
Exploring opportunities to improve regulatory alignment and interoperability across MENA markets while recognising the distinct mandates of individual jurisdictions.
Assessing the regulatory implications of technologies transforming financial services, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital assets, tokenisation, and embedded finance.
Examining regulatory approaches to digital assets, stablecoins, tokenised financial infrastructure, and their role within the future financial system.
Supporting dialogue around open banking, data-sharing frameworks, payments infrastructure, and the evolution of digitally enabled financial services.
Addressing emerging compliance challenges and developing perspectives on how regulatory frameworks can remain effective as financial products and business models evolve.
Facilitating dialogue between stakeholders across jurisdictions to identify opportunities for greater regulatory cooperation and cross-border innovation.
Exploring how financial regulation can support investment, competitiveness, financial inclusion, and the development of future-ready economies across MENA.
The Council convenes on a quarterly, invitation-only basis, creating a confidential environment for senior stakeholders to engage openly on complex issues affecting the financial services network.
Sessions are designed around substantive dialogue rather than conventional conference programming.
Members are brought together to:
Share first-hand insights from across markets, institutions, and regulatory environments.
Surface regulatory and policy issues before they become barriers to responsible innovation.
Explore areas where industry, regulators, and policymakers can move toward greater alignment.
Create relationships and pathways for cross-border cooperation across the MENA network.
Contribute industry expertise and institutional perspectives to conversations shaping the next generation of financial services.
The next generation of financial services will not be shaped by technology alone.
It will be shaped by the interaction between innovation, regulation, capital, institutions, and people.
The Council brings these perspectives into the same room.
