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Building a connected financial ecosystem for 2027 will require clear regulations, shared accountability and smarter systems, rather than technology alone, experts say at FINNOVEX Middle East Chapter 39 summit, marking the grand finale of the FINNOVEX Global Series 2026 for innovation in the banking and fintech sector.
As financial institutions accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), the conference focused on strong governance frameworks, interoperability and the flexibility to switch between AI model providers without rebuilding existing products as that will be critical to managing risks and delivering sustainable value. s
Organised by Exibex, FINNOVEX Middle East featured top thought leaders and decision-makers in the industry, with discussions focusing on creating connected customer value, managing the risks of artificial intelligence, and maintaining trust as payments, credit, data and tokenisation evolve. Organisations need to set clear business goals, put strong oversight in place and simplify their processes, rather than relying on the technology alone.
Dr
Omar Reda, Head of Investment and Risk Management at the UAE Ministry of Finance, shared his insights on the UAE financial ecosystem and the need for agility in a digital economy, and the realities that reshape the region’s financial services sector.
Opening the conference, Kulsum Umme, Project Head at Exibex, said, “We are immensely encouraged by the depth of insights shared and discussed during the two-day conference that witnessed participation by top voices and executives from the industry this year.”
“Over the past eight years, FINNOVEX has grown through the people, partnerships and conversations that have shaped this platform. Chapter 39 celebrates that journey while looking ahead to the opportunities and responsibilities facing our industry. Our new look reflects that progress, and our purpose remains clear: to bring leaders together for meaningful conversations that help shape the future of finance,” she added.
Delivering his keynote address on governing AI in the banking industry, Dmitry Ruzanov, Head of Machine Learning and AI Department at Alfa-Bank, said, “Governance matters the most now with the evolution of generative AI. Banks should be able to switch model providers without rebuilding their products. The challenge now is governing AI at scale, as it becomes successful with the right foundations, common standards, and alignment with measurable business outcomes. Governance is what transforms isolated AI projects into enterprise-wide transformation.”
Maryam Saeed, Global Head of Growth at Sardine AI, agentic risk platform for banking and finance sector worldwide to stop fraud, delivered her keynote address titled “Fighting the Good Fight: Mankind vs. Machine”, exploring the role of people and technology in tackling financial crime.
,Alexis Haessler, Managing Director GCC of BPC, and Ali Nanhi, Managing Director, Commercial Group for GCC, BPC delivered a presentation on how financial institutions can modernise without disruption.
The opening panel titled “The UAE Bank of 2027: From Channels to Connected Customer Value,” discussed open banking, embedded finance, AI adoption and the future of digital banking, featuring representatives from Habib Bank AG Zurich, Al Masraf, HSBC UAE, Vision Bank, Sends and Kuwait International Bank.
Another panel on the topic “AI as a systemic risk”, focused on discussing the regulatory, security and operational challenges of increasingly autonomous systems, featuring leaders from Barclays, National Bank of Fujairah, Emirates Islamic, Ajman Bank, Mashreq and Alfa-Bank. The third discussion addressed “Payments, data intelligence, credit, tokenisation and trust”, sharing perspectives from Al Wathba Insurance, United Arab Bank, RAKBANK, Bank of Sharjah, Posidex Technologies, eSanad and Sends.
Shabaz Ahmed, Executive Director of Exibex, said, “The conversations throughout the summit emphasised that financial institutions are no longer asking whether they should adopt AI, but rather how they can do so responsibly, effectively, and at scale. From governance and customer experience to risk management and innovation, the ideas shared today will help shape the future direction of financial services across the region and beyond.”
The FINNOVEX ME Awards recognised organisations and individuals for excellence in advancing innovation across financial services. Organisational winners included Alfa-Bank (AI Leadership), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (AI-Driven Customer Experience), Citibank UAE (AI-Driven Customer Experience), Mashreq (Data-Driven Enterprise), United Arab Bank (Cards Transformation), Liv by Emirates NBD (Digital Banking Innovation), Commercial Bank of Dubai (Open Banking) and First Abu Dhabi Bank (Sustainable Finance Implementation).
Individual honours recognised Hariprasad Chede (CISO of the Year), Rohit Garg (CDO of the Year), Khawer Khaliq (COO of the Year), Sasi Nair (Disruptive Techblazer of the Year) and Gyan Prakash Srivastava (Chief Data Officer 2026) for their contributions to technology, data and financial services leadership.
Alfa-Bank was the Diamond Sponsor of the summit, contributing to its AI agenda. Sardine AI, agentic risk platform for the banking and finance sector worldwide to stop fraud, was the Gold Sponsor
FINNOVEX ME 2026 Chapter 39 brought the industry together around a shared ambition to build more connected financial services while strengthening the governance, resilience and trust needed to sustain them.