Visa Backs Arab FinTech Forum Set to Address Financial Inclusion

Global payments processing giant Visa will be partnering with the first edition of the Arab Fintech Forum on Oct. 10 in Qatar, The FinTech Times reported Monday (Sept 20).

The event will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops to address challenges and opportunities faced by Fintechs. It will be centered around the key role of financial inclusion in ensuring global economic stability, recovery, and growth.

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With about 2 billion unbanked people worldwide and 200 million micro and small businesses lacking access to financial services, streamlining the digitization of cash, enabling contactless payments and innovating new payment solutions have become crucial to financial inclusion. 

Commenting on the announcement, President and Founder of the Arab Fintech Forum, Malik Shishtawi, said that the demand for secure and innovative digital commerce solutions is gaining traction, “requiring FinTechs to evolve and grow faster than ever due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He added that “working alongside startups, financial companies and leading payments technology companies such as Visa will ensure we can address these challenges and innovate new solutions that will drive financial inclusion across the GCC region.”

See also: ReceiptHero Partners With Mastercard, Visa to Accelerate Digital Receipt Adoption

Otto Williams, head of product and solutions for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Visa, said the need for new payment methods is becoming increasingly important amid the global shift to digital services. 

“We are proud to be a sponsor to the first edition of the Arab Fintech Forum and very much looking forward to working together and providing real-time solutions to meet the needs of individuals and businesses across the region.”

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