President of MENA Fintech and Insurtech Festival Malik Shishtawi, Director General/CEO of NITDA, Federal Republic of Nigeria Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi with other dignitaries during the opening of the event.
Doha, Qatar: The 4th edition of the MENA Fintech & Insurtech Festival 2025 which kicked off yesterday highlighted innovations redefining financial technology landscape. The event is held for two days under the theme ‘Driving the Future of Finance and Insurance: Innovation, Inclusion, and Sustainability’ brought together leading industry figures, global innovators, investors, and policymakers for an in-depth exploration of emerging trends and opportunities shaping the fintech and insurtech sectors across the MENA region.
Delivering the opening remarks, President of MENA Fintech and Insurtech Festival Malik Shishtawi said, “As the fintech landscape evolves at an unprecedented pace, our goal is to create a platform that accelerates collaboration, innovation, and regulatory clarity across the MENA region.”
The MENA Fintech & Insurtech Festival 2025 brings together the brightest minds, the most forward-thinking institutions, and the next generation of startups driving the digital economy, he added.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the event, Shishtawi said, “Every year we try to ensure that we have international delegations and representation from around the world to bridge a gateway between the world and the MENA region when it comes to fintech and insurtech.”
“We had an African delegation from government of Nigeria discussing the potential of bringing bigger delegations as well as taking extension of the edition of the exhibition and the conference to Nigeria. We have Startup Hive which is aiming to connect people from startups at the event with investors for investment opportunities.
“We are trying to balance between general high-level non-technical sessions for people interested to know more about fintech and insurtech and we also have the technical elements about deep conversations like tokenisation, digital assets, open banking and Islamic fintech for advanced technical people. We look forward to add value and create impact,” he said.
Making a reference to the $1bn Fund of Funds, a strategic investment programme designed as a catalyst to further strengthen the venture capital landscape in Qatar, Shishtawi noted that fintech is among one of the key pillars. He pointed out this is why we believe in the importance of this event as it leads to the national vision of the country.
The Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi delivered the opening keynote entitled ‘The Role of Innovation in Driving Economic Growth and Financial Inclusion’ which emphasised policy, technology, and collaboration as catalysts for inclusive growth. It addressed how innovation fuels national competitiveness, enhances productivity, and expands financial access for underserved populations.
In a presentation he shared how the digital innovation is reshaping finance at an unprecedented speed, outpacing traditional banking growth significantly.
Abdullahi said, Nigeria and the Middle East have opportunity as “we have young populations which are digitally natives. He discussed how to work together to build digital fintech corridors.”
“We have so many things in common in terms of young age, in terms of emerging as an economy and market. So when we bridge this, it will help us in creating prosperity and deepening the connection.”
“You can easily cross-pollinate between, for example, Lagos and Doha, which we have so much in common. So the digital innovation can help us improve productivity, drive access, build trust, and be innovative in the way we deliver the financial services. “We have so much we can do together in terms of building infrastructure policy and share experience. We can learn from you and have a policy that can help cross-border data flow and transaction. We can build on ethical financing and also exchange in terms of talent,” Abdullahi added.
The event also featured panel discussions and workshops. Participants explored key themes such as the transformative power of fintech, shifting regulatory landscapes, and the rise of Real World Assets as one of the industry’s most promising new trends.
The second day will also showcase an impressive lineup of distinguished speakers and panelists who will share expert perspectives on topics ranging from the impact of emerging technologies on financial services, to the role of AI in Islamic fintech, blockchain innovation, embedded insurance, and more.
