Global industry companies support GCC Financial Forum in Bahrain

Manama, Feb. 13 (BNA): As Bahrain continues to play a pivotal role in the global financial ecosystem, the annual GCC Financial Forum returns to Bahrain later this month, with leading regional and global industry heavyweights supporting the event. Al Salam Bank and global financial house BNP Paribas, to support the GCC Financial Forum, will join the Kingdom’s financial institution, BBK – one of the oldest in Bahrain – and the NBB, the country’s first locally owned bank. Co-hosted by Euromoney Conferences and the EDB, the Forum will bring together 800 global participants drawn from banks, policy bodies, regulators, government officials, academics and the wider FinTech sector for lively discussion, knowledge sharing and networking on how technology is redefining financial services around the world. Under the theme of the ‘Reinvention of Financial Services’, the Forum will analyse, among other things, responsible finance, women driving innovation in finance, open banking and expected FinTech trends in the Middle East. The keynote speaker will be Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computers and now a respected FinTech expert. “The GCC Financial Forum is the annual who’s who event for an industry undergoing dramatic reform. We are therefore delighted to welcome an illustrious list of local and international sponsors who are embracing technology in their businesses and welcome their invaluable insights in this fast-moving sector,” Victoria Behn, Director of Middle East and Africa at Euromoney Conferences, said. With many nations grappling with technological innovation amid economic pressures and an emerging regulatory landscape, the Forum will tackle these and many other issues. It will also look at how Bahrain is adapting to change and supporting an evolving FinTech ecosystem. Bahrain’s financial institutions are taking active steps towards adopting disruptive technology to drive greater efficiency and creating the optimal investment environment, making the Kingdom the perfect location to discuss the reinvention of financial services. Euromoney Conferences’ choice of hosting the GCC Financial Forum to Bahrain once again demonstrates its confidence in the Kingdom’s growing financial infrastructure as a regional hub. Bahrain has embraced innovation and technological disruption as part of its transformation drive towards creating a digital economy. A fast-developing ecosystem has allowed FinTech companies to flourish on the back of a dynamic financial services industry for over 40 years. The nation has built a modern legal framework with reforms in areas such as electronic communication and bankruptcy, and regulations on open banking and crypto currency that have supported the financial services infrastructure in Bahrain. During Fintastic Week, seminars will cover a range of subjects including Bahrain’s new Bankruptcy Law and its impact on the banking industry and start-ups which are positioning Bahrain at the forefront of the FinTech industry. Fintastic Week will include a conference on FinTech ecosystem partners to explore, exchange and collaborate to discuss best practice and innovative solutions; and a majlis-style debate for start-ups to meet venture capitalists and explore business opportunities.