Interview | Nameer Khan, Chairman & Co-Founder, MENA Fintech Association
A multi-award winner fintech influencer serving as an executive advisor to multiple institutions and the founding member and chairman of the MENA Fintech Association (MFTA). Strategically partnering with the regional regulators and central banks to establish a robust fintech framework, he has established and delivered AI and digital transformation programs for leading financial centers. His primary area of focus for 2022 is sustainability with a plan of launching his very own venture fully dedicated to embedding impact and sustainability into payment transactions and help to make the UAE a global sustainable fintech hub
Exclusive to The Technology Express
Q: Please tell us about the MENA FinTech Association
MENA Fintech Association is a platform or a community where all fintech regulators, policymakers, innovators, venture capitalists, and everything fintech comes under one roof and MENA Fintech Association’s main mission is to ensure that the voice of the fintech community reaches out to the right people, and apart from that ensuring that the environment for fintech in this region is more and more conducive because when the community grows, the fintech world grows.
Q: What should be the focus right now within MENA for fintech empowerment?
The important aspect of it is talent development. Talent is key. We are blessed to be in a country like UAE which is focusing on talent development not just for the region but on a global level, to ensure that we have the right global talent not just coming into the region, city, or country but also talent being nurtured from UAE and then going into other countries and making an impact.
Q: How do you think blockchain and crypto are affecting the growth of the fintech industries?
I think it’s a complementing segment. Blockchain and crypto have played a critical and pivotal role in the world of fintech and it’s only going to grow more and more if you look into it, the regulatory authority that has been set up in the UAE is in itself a strong precedent of what the country is looking towards and how the country is supporting the emergence of new financial technologies.
“We are focusing on what elements make up a complete FinTech ecosystem in the region, and what makes that conducive to growth”
Q: What upcoming trends do you see in fintech?
So, if you look into it, the overall market right now, multiple crypto exchanges and leading global crypto exchanges are coming into the country and setting up, why is it happening? It is because of the cases that are out there, the regulatory authorities that are there, and also the way I see it, crypto and alternate digital assets and alternate modes of finance are only going to grow and pick up in this region more and more. For this sector to grow, you need top leadership support which we again have.
Q: What suggestions do you have for our readers?
My suggestion to the readers is that fintech is something that you need to keep a strong eye on. Financial services are only going to get broader and broader. The future of finance is really exciting and that cannot happen without tech enthusiasts like you. So work with a fintech and financial community because this segment is going to get a lot more exciting than it is right now and especially in the MENA region.
