Everything you need to know about the upcoming GCC Financial Forum in 5 points

You asked and the Bahrain Economic Development Board delivered! An entire event, for two days, it’s going to be all about FinTech, innovation, blockchain, AI and every technology that’s too cool to exist.

Brought to you by EuroMoney Conferences and co-hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the seventh GCC Financial Forum will give C-level financial professionals from the Gulf and beyond an excellent strategic overview of how technology changes and advancements play a major part in affecting businesses. The event is going to be held during EDB’s Fintastic Week on 21st and 22nd February. 

There are going to be some awesome local, regional and international speakers from top notch companies such as Khalid Al-Rumaihi, Chief Executive of EDB, Hadyah Fathalla Executive Director at C5 Accelerate, Soo Lee, Worldwide Public Sector Financial Services at Amazon Web Services, J.K. Khalil, Country Manager of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Mastercard, and many more speakers that are simply going to mind blow you, we promise!

Still think being a couch potato and Netflix-ing is a better alternative than going to this once in a lifetime event? It’s a tempting alternative, we admit, but what if we tell that there’s so much at stake if you didn’t come?

We at Startup MGZN compiled you with 5 happenings at the GCC Financial Forum that you won’t be able to turn your head away from. Here they are:

1. Keynote interviews & discussions: Are CEOs and Chief Executives merely iconic figures, or do they actually play an important role in companies? This is your perfect opportunity to come and get a glimpse on what Senior level executives have to say about the future of financial services. These interviews include:
   1. Keynote Address and Town Hall Discussion with Mohammed El Erian, Chief Economic Advisor at Allianz, and Christopher Garnett, Senior External Advisor, at Euromoney Conferences on Tuesday, 20th February, at 9 AM.
   2. Keynote Interview with Lord Mervyn King, Economist and Former Governor of Bank of England, and Charlie Corbett, Editorial Director at Euromoney Conferences on Tuesday, 20th February, at 10:30 AM.
   3. Keynote Interview with H.E Mr. Khalid Al-Rumaihi, Chief Executive at Bahrain Economic Development Board, and Christopher Garnett, Senior External Advisor at Euromoney Conferences on Tuesday, 20th February at 11:30 AM.
   4. Keynote Interview with H.E Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance, and Charlie Corbett, Editorial Director at Euromoney Conferences on Wednesday 21st February, at 9:10 AM.
   5. Keynote Interview with Mahmood H. Alkooheji, Chief Executive Officer at Mumtalakat and Christopher Garnett, Senior External Advisor, at Euromoney Conferences on Wednesday, 21st February, at 9:40 AM.
   6. Keynote Interview with H.E Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and Charlie Charlie Corbett, Editorial Director at Euromoney Conferences on Wednesday, 21st February, at 12:45 PM.
   7. Town Hall Discussion with H.E Mr. Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, Governor of Central Bank of Bahrain and Richard Banks, Consulting Editor at Euromoney Conferences on Tuesday, 20th February, at 11:50 AM.
2. Panel Discussions: This is where the real game begins. Here’s something that’s going to probe your mind: Three-panel discussions are going to be held that are going to cover the topics of innovation and finance, payments, and the policies surrounding it. Here are the intriguing panel discussions along with the panelists:
   1. Panel I: Innovation and the shape of the financial system of the future with Sael Al Waary, Chairman AFS and Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer at Bank ABC Group, Hadyah Fathalla, Executive Director of C5 Accelerate, Soo J Lee, Worldwide Public Sector Financial Services of Amazon Web Services, Pawel Stefanski, Financial Services Sector Leader at IBM Global Markets and moderated by Charlie Corbett, Editorial Director at Euromoney Conferences, on Tuesday, 20th February, at 12:30 PM.
   2. Panel II: Payments – at the heart of the system with Ali Abulhasan, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tap, J.K. Khalil, Cluster Head, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Mastercard, Steve Naude, Head Middle East and Africa at TransferWise and moderated by Charlie Corbett, Editorial Director at Euromoney Conferences, on Wednesday, 21th February, at 10:10 AM.
   3. Panel III: Creating an environment for innovation with Omar Rana, Co-Founder and Director of Finalytix, Chin Hwee Tan, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific at Trafigura, Peter Tavener, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer at Beehive, Gerben Visser Founder of FinTech Consortium, and moderated by Christopher Garnett, Senior External Advisor at Euromoney Conferences, on Wednesday, 21th February, at 11:55 AM.
3. The Big Debate: Digital Currencies and the Blockchain – niche or game changer? Blockchain has been the talk of the century so far. But how’s it actually going to affect the financial sector? Well, now is your chance to know. The speakers include Dave Chapman, Managing Director at Octagon Strategy Limited and Christopher Garnett, Senior External Advisor at Euromoney Conferences and it will be held on Tuesday, 20th February, at 1:20 PM.
4. Join us for a small talk on why your organization is terrible at cybersecurity. We’ve been crazy about utilizing advanced technology for a while now, but we rarely think about the security measures that come with technology. This session aims at discussing key points of why organizations need to be extra cautious when it comes to data security. The session is going to be conducted by Matt Suiche, Founder and Managing Director at Comae Technologie on Wednesday, 21st February, at 11:30 AM.
5. The official opening of Bahrain FinTech Bay. The time has finally come! Come witness the official opening of the largest dedicated FinTech hub in the Middle East and Africa. The hub is launched in partnership with the Bahrain Economic Development Board and FinTech Consortium. The opening is going to be on Wednesday 21st February, at 3 PM, in Arcapita’s Building.  

Did you register for the event? What are you waiting for, hurry up and save your seats! Even if it’s just for an hour or two, trust us, you are going to learn a lot, and might gain so many connections out of it. And don’t forget to follow @startupmgzn on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for the full live coverage of the event!