Ahmed Allam is a Senior Financial Expert at H.H. the Ruler’s Court of Dubai, he specializes in financial fraud investigation especially related to virtual assets and cryptocurrencies, Allam got his Doctorate in Finance, and his research focuses on Cryptocurrency as a new generation of money and its impact on the monetary system. Allam is a lecturer for finance and professional certificates at different universities. He initiated feasibility studies and business valuation to identify the fair value for multiple companies within the MENA region.
Alaa AlRousan is Head of SWIFT in the Middle East and North Africa Region. He is responsible for driving SWIFT’s initiatives in the region and working with banking communities and regulators to provide solutions to regional industry challenges such as payments innovation, operational excellence and cyber security.
Alaa specializes in payments solutions design, financial messaging, RTGS, ACH and instant payment networks. Alaa has been with SWIFT for more than nine years, during which he has held the positions of Technical Expert & Solution Designer for the Middle East, Turkey & Africa, and Country Manager of some of the largest markets in the region. Prior to joining SWIFT, he worked in consulting and project management roles across the financial services industry. Alaa holds an MBA degree from Bayes Business School and an Engineering degree in Computers & Control Systems.
A professional Chief Compliance Officer with 30+ years in banking and non-banking financial services. A degree holder in Banking and Finance, an MBA from University of Liverpool, and CAMS, CGSS, and CCAS certifications from ACAMS. An executive management record of directing a diversified team of Compliance/RegTech/FinTech professionals and a Board member within Lulu Financial Group, chairing the Compliance, Audit and Risk Committees in all Lulu Financial Group companies in GCC and APAC regions. A specialist in Payment Services, Crypto Assets, Regulatory and AML/CFT Compliance, Sanctions, Advanced Analytics and Forensics. A great career also as an adjunct lecturer for the Chartered Bankers Institute, Professional Academies, and Universities/Colleges in Europe and Middle East. An active member of the Public-Private Partnership Committee (ACPF) of the UAE, and member of the ACAMS Task Force as a subject matter expert for certifications and conferences.
Malaz Mubaid is the Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer of Wall Street Exchange, bringing 20 years of experience in the remittance industry. His expertise encompasses cross-border payments, payment solutions, fintech, sales, and retail operations, with a focus on driving strategic business growth across diverse markets.
Malaz held key positions at UAE Exchange as the Head of Growth Markets for the Middle East and Africa region and at Tiqmo Payments Holding as the Head of Business Development. In these roles, he led the exploration of new business opportunities, analyzed market trends, and established strategic partnerships and services.
Malaz’s visionary leadership has been instrumental in steering Wall Street Exchange toward sustained success and excellence in the remittance industry. Under his guidance, the company has strategically leveraged cutting-edge technology to redefine global remittances, ensuring faster transactions, and superior customer satisfaction.
A distinguished leader in the field of growth marketing and business transformation, with over 20 years of experience, Mir has excelled as a Chief Business Officer, Marketing Director, and Growth Marketing Specialist, driving the products and services marketing for renowned brands across sectors of retail, consumer electronics, telecom, cross border payments and payment solutions in India and the Middle East.
Well-connected in the payment solutions industry, he collaborates closely with ecosystem partners, banks, fintechs, startups, accelerators, aggregators, regulators, and established incumbents, leveraging his extensive knowledge of markets in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. His commitment to innovation and strategic alignment has yielded impressive results, including significant increases in market share and revenue.
His expertise encompasses various domains, including marketing strategies, project management, digital initiatives, brand management, e-commerce, and strategic planning. Recognized as one of ‘Asia’s 100 Power Leaders in Marketing & Communications 2022’ and awarded “CMO of the Year 2021” by the World Marketing Congress, Mir is known for his ability to lead organizations toward sustainable growth while managing P&L effectively.
Among his many accolades, he has also received the SIBA Emirates Business Leader Marketing Award 2023 and was recognized in Forbes Magazine for his contributions in marketing, communications, and business strategies.
Osama Al Rahma has performed leadership roles across the financial sector and other organizations and currently at Emirates Investment Bank as Head of Business Development and Wealth Management. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services.
Prior to Emirates Investment Bank, Osama worked at Al Fardan Exchange LLC and Al Fardan Group since 1993 in many leadership roles and was CEO since 2011 and Director at the Group. He has occupied other roles such as EX-Chairman of Foreign Exchange and Remittance Group ( FERG) under Dubai Chamber of Commerce and currently act as Advisor to the board . He was a former Vice Chairman of Dubai Quality Group. He is an Independent Director and Advisor to other Fintech and payment companies.
He holds a degree in Electronics Engineering and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies from the University of Hull. He is also an alumnus of J.F. Kennedy School of Governments Executive Program in Leadership of Harvard University and holds a Harvard Fintech Certificate. HE has Diploma in Corporate Governance from the Corporate Governance Institute in Dublin.
Professional Background
Pradeep Negi currently serves as the Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager for the Payments and Compliance portfolio at the National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah (RAKBANK). In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of payment systems and Compliance Programs across the Bank, ensuring that they are not only efficient and reliable but also fully compliant with the regulatory standards. Under his leadership, RAKBANK has successfully implemented cutting-edge payment solutions, enhancing the bank’s capabilities and customer satisfaction.
Industry Experience
Pradeep’s career in the payments & Compliance ecosystem has been marked by his association with some of the most renowned organizations in the industry. His journey with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), where he played a key role in developing and implementing National-level payment systems that have transformed India’s banking landscape.
In addition to NPCI, Pradeep has worked with industry giants such as Ministry Of Finance-eDhiram Program(UAE)Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Polaris, where he was involved in various projects that spanned multiple aspects of the payment systems, from design and implementation to testing and compliance.
Global Exposure
Pradeep’s expertise is not confined to a single market; he has extensive international experience, having worked in Canada, India, Singapore, Indonesia, and the UAE. This global exposure has provided him with a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in different markets, allowing him to adapt and implement payment solutions that are tailored to the specific requirements of each region. His ability to navigate diverse regulatory environments and understand the intricacies of different banking systems has made him a valuable asset in any project he undertakes.
Expertise in Real-Time Payments and Compliance
One of Pradeep’s key areas of expertise is real-time payments, a domain that has seen rapid growth and innovation in recent years. He has been at the forefront of implementing real-time payment systems that offer speed, security, and reliability, ensuring that customers can conduct transactions seamlessly. His deep understanding of compliance requirements further complements his technical expertise, ensuring that the payment solutions he implements are not only cutting-edge but also adhere to the highest standards of regulatory compliance.
Stanford is a seasoned AML Director with a passion for demystifying crypto and the Blockchain, bringing over 15 years of experience in designing, embedding, and managing effective compliance systems. He is an expert in navigating the complexities of the crypto landscape, adept at crafting robust compliance frameworks and processes that safeguard businesses and their customers. He is driven by a commitment to fostering a culture of compliance and ethical practices within the crypto industry.
Surendra Dwivedi is an experienced banker with over 20 years of expertise in banking and investment. Currently serves as the Chief Representative Officer and Head of NRI Services at ICICI Bank in UAE. Hailing from Lucknow, India, he holds a strong academic background with a B.Tech and an MBA.
Zameer has more than 20 years of experience in Remittance Industry ranging from Money Exchange houses to Banks in UAE and Saudi Arabia.
He has been involved in setting up the remittance products, managing them and bringing various innovations to it.
With Mashreq, for the last 7 years, he has been Heading the Remittance Business for Mashreq Retail Banking Group in his current position.
Sauod Almutawa is a seasoned leader in financial crime investigation and analysis, currently serving as an international consultant specializing in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorism Financing (CFT), and Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML). With over a decade of experience in financial crime compliance, forensic analysis, and regulatory assessment, he is recognized as one of the UAE’s foremost AML/CFT experts.
Throughout his career, Almutawa has held pivotal roles in law enforcement and regulatory compliance, including serving as a Senior Public Prosecutor, where he led high-profile investigations and prosecutions of financial crimes. He later became the Head of the Criminal Financial Analysis Centre, overseeing multi-disciplinary teams engaged in tracing illicit financial flows, forensic financial analysis, and asset recovery. His strategic leadership in this role positioned him at the forefront of combatting financial crime in the UAE.
Founder and CEO of Al Maryah Community Bank, the first independent digital bank in the UAE.
During his 29 years in senior positions with leading banks and innovative financial institutions in the UAE suchas National Bank of Abu Dhabi, First Gulf Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Finance House and CAPM investment,he has delivered exceptional retail banking products like the first Credit Card in the UAE back in 1994, anddeveloped progressive and out of the box corporate banking solutions for diverse segments.
Mr. Khayata has very significant presence in the capital and equity markets. He has lead formation of multiplegreenfield entities in financial sector and has managed multiple corporate transformations. He has been inequity and IPO market for over 25 years, with special focus on IPO Advisory, IPO Management and participatedin starting Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange. In most recent IPO for Fertiglobe, he handled all external stakeholdersand provided strategic, professional and operational guidance to Al Maryah Community bank team. He ensuredthe vision of the first fully digital IPO is achieved and ensured great investor / customer experience.
With strong footing in customer orientation, blended with focus on technology and blockchain, Mr. Khayata isnow continuing his journey to make Al Maryah Community Bank a premier hub of innovation and prestige.
Mr. Khayata holds Master’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Hull (UK), and is an Alumna ofHarvard Business School in Leadership Management.
Linoy Kidd is an accomplished and award-winning technologist with extensive experience spanning five countries. With over 18 years at HSBC, she has made significant contributions across the globe, starting her journey in the UK in Foreign Exchange Options as an analyst, before moving on to roles as Head of FXO APAC based out of Hong Kong, She then went on to build the Murex Centre of excellence in China, before moving to Mexico to take up the role of; GBM CIO, and currently serving as the MSS CIO of MENAT based in the UAE.
Linoy is renowned for her proactive leadership approach; Linoy excels in cultivating teams in diverse locations. Beyond her corporate responsibilities.
Linoy is deeply committed to philanthropy, dedicating her time to building schools in underserved regions. To date, she has established nine schools in Africa, Haiti, Nicaragua, Nepal and a house for the homeless in Mexico, demonstrating her passion for making a tangible difference in communities worldwide.
Linoy’s exceptional achievements have earned her several prestigious accolades, including: Global Enterprise CIOs from the ICMG, Top Global Women Transforming Enterprises from the ICMG, the Exito Award for Digital Excellence, recognition as CIO of the Year at the CXO DX awards for her innovative approach to sustainable work practices, and the Finnovex Award for her influential role in the financial sector. Additionally, she was honoured as Qatar’s CIO of the Year at the Finnovex Awards, she was also published in the DT50 honouring powerful leaders driving technology forward.
Linoy Kidd continues to inspire through her technological expertise, philanthropic endeavours, and commitment to driving positive change on both local and global scales.
Sultan AlMahmoud is a seasoned leader with over 22 years of experience spanning management, payments, digital transformation, marketing and branding, strategy, and business development. Since his appointment as CEO of Instant Cash in 2020, Sultan has been instrumental in driving the company’s substantial growth and spearheading its global expansion. His focus on integrating advanced technologies has enhanced the company’s operational efficiency and expanded its global reach.
Before entering the remittance and payments industry, Sultan held various leadership positions at 7X (formerly known as Emirates Post Group Company PJSC, including Director of Sales and Retail. He also holds a Master’s in Quality Management from the University of Wollongong in Dubai.
As a visionary leader and key player in the fintech space, Sultan continues to shape the future of financial services, driving transformation, growth, and success across the organizations he leads.
Andrew McCormack is an experienced payments executive with over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Al Etihad Payments, the national payment system operator in the United Arab Emirates. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and is recognized as a thought leader in the payments space.
Prior to joining Al Etihad Payments, Andrew served as Centre Head of the Singapore BIS Innovation Hub, where he led a research portfolio on cross-border payments, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and regtech/suptech.
Andrew holds an Executive MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and a Bachelor of Computer Science from Carleton University.
Jonathan is a Digital Leader, Technologist and Banking Enthusiast, he is currently leading the creation of Open Finance for the UAE, working for its central operator Nebras Open finance following his role shaping the initiative with the Central Bank of the UAE. He has held c-suite and executive positions in digital, strategy and operations in addition to banking roles in coverage (relationship banking), credit risk and change. He has been selected in the top 60 Fintech leaders in the world, on more than one occasion.
He’s a mechanical engineer by undergraduate degree and has a masters’ in banking management and practice. He researched and wrote his masters’ dissertation, using scale social data in credit risk modelling, using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), which was a global first.