Harnessing partnerships and innovation for transformative impact at Fintech Surge, GITEX GLOBAL 2023
November 21, 2023 | By Amnah Ajmal
When the 43rd edition of GITEX GLOBAL, the world’s largest and most inclusive tech event, opened its doors in Dubai, my colleagues from Mastercard EEMEA (and beyond) and I were there to explore opportunities to harness partnerships and innovation for transformative impact.
We kicked off our participation at Fintech Surge under the theme "The Year to Imagine AI in Everything," introducing our SME in a Box platform and highlighting how we work with fintech companies under Mastercard Accelerate.
Over the four days, Mastercard Gateway, Mastercard Send, data, acceptance, AI for payments as well as our open banking offerings, card products and various ‘-as-a-Service’ solutions took turns on the center stage at Dubai Harbour. We also hosted a panel session with fintech and climate tech experts on how their innovative ideas can work together to amplify positive impact.
In addition, we brought together thought leaders in the AI space to examine how technologies can disrupt the world of traditional finance and payments.
We also discussed ways in which partnerships between fintech and banks fuel the growth of entrepreneurship and SMEs. The session highlighted the potential of embedded finance to power the global digital economy and took a close look at payments transformation in the hyper-growth MENA market.
Aligned with the event theme was my panel discussion - AI for social good. I took a deep dive into the future of fintech, spoke about financing innovation, diversity and social impact, and explored the role of partnerships in driving MENA’s global competitiveness.
To top it up, all the way from New York, our Deputy Chief Security Officer Alissa ‘Dr Jay’ Abdullah delved into data safety in a digital city, in a fascinating panel session on the main stage of GITEX Global titled ‘Big Brother is watching’.
