Doha: After the incredible success of its first edition, the MENA Insurtech Summit returns to Doha, Qatar for on May 20-22, under the theme ‘MENA Insurtech Rising’ with a program packed with forward-looking panel discussions and workshops featuring 90 expert international and regional speakers from across the spectrum of the insurance, technology and financial industries who will dive into topics including ‘the current insurtech landscape in the MENA region’, ‘ESG, fintech, VC investment strategies, digital health, blockchain’ and more.
The Summit is organised by the MENA Insurtech Association, a membership based association founded in 2022 to build the regional insurtech ecosystem through connecting innovations, talents, partners, and capital.
Last year, its founding member, Qatar Insurance Group, through its latest venture - QIC Digital Venture Partners unit (QIC DVP) - in partnership with Deloitte and Google Cloud organised the first ever MENA insurtech Summit. The first of its kind hybrid event, drew over 250 attendees from the region and around the world with more than 500 live viewers interacting online including technology leaders, investors and insurance innovators and earned a place as a not-to-be-missed industry event.
“QIC Group leveraged its strong regional and international influence to establish the MENA Insurtech Association, a critical and transformative initiative for the region. Our esteemed partners and we convene once more, dedicating three enriching days to dialogue, inspiration, and a renewed pledge to our shared mission of shaping the digital insurance landscape in the region,” said Salem Al Mannai, Group CEO of QIC Group and Chairman of the MENA Insurtech Association.
“The magnitude of this year’s summit has seen a remarkable tenfold escalation, signifying a transformative leap in our organisation’s ability to inspire, collaborate, and lead on a much grander scale. This exponential growth not only underscores our commitment to continuous innovation and advancement, but also serves as a testament to our unyielding pursuit of excellence and ambition,” Al Mannai added.
Group CEO of QIC Group and Chairman of the MENA Insurtech Association, Salem Al Mannai
Some of this year’s speakers include Caribou Honig, Chairman of Insurtech Connect; Lana Khalaf, Microsoft Country Manager; Jonathan Rawling, CEO of Yalla Compare; Delfin Rueda Arroyo, CEO and General Partner of Mundi Venture; Noureddine Tayebi, Founder CEO of Yassir Mobility; Drew Aldrich, Managing Partner of Viewpoint Ventures; Karn Saroya, CEO of RE and Rabih I. Khoury, Managing Partner and CEO of Middle East Venture Partners.
In February this year, the Association launched the “MENA Insurtech Startup Competition”, a regional initiative that seeks to provide a platform for the most innovative ideas and technologies, while promoting entrepreneurship in the MENA region.
A series of competitions took place in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman and Egypt in addition to virtual competitions that allowed startups to participate from the wider MENA region and beyond. Startups were judged on the quality of the problem statement fit, the level of innovation, the solution feasibility in the MENA region and the team composition.
The summit that is taking place in Park Hyatt Msheireb Downtown, will hold the final leg of the competition where the shortlisted startups will present to an audience of potential investors and industry leaders for an opportunity to access mentorship, market visibility and potential business agreements with QIC Digital Venture Partners unit.
The MENA Insurtech Summit 2023 is powered by QIC Group and its ecosystem partners Deloitte and FLAT6LABS in partnership with Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRDI), Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Msheireb, Qatar Development Bank (QDB), Epicure, OQIC, Antares – QIC Subsidiaries and QLM, CNBC, Microsoft, Msheireb, Insurtech Gateway, Insurtech Asia, India Insurtech Association, Insurtech Lab, Scventure, McKinsey & Company, Luimo, Kojo, Qatar Financial Centre, Insurtech Connect, Insurtech Insight and FS Brew.
