Abu Dhabi, UAE: Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, has brought together a dynamic line-up of global FinTech leaders, innovators, financial regulators and trend-setters at the upcoming FinTech Abu Dhabi in October 2017. This will also be the first appearance in the Middle East region for many of the key speakers. FinTech Abu Dhabi Summit promises to be an exciting exchange of new ideas, experience and business opportunities

Taking place between 22 and 23 October 2017, the Summit will feature several regional and international industry-leading experts and entrepreneurs including: Fadi Ghandour, Executive Chairman, Wamda Capital; Elizabeth Lumley, Global FinTech Commentator; Ambareen Musa, Founder, Souqalmal.com; Clive Cooke, Managing Director, R3; Matteo Rizzi, FinTech investor and many others.

Executive Chairman of Wamda Capital, Fadi Ghandour will also participate in the event as a panelist on ‘Transforming the MENA Region into an International Innovation Hub’. Fadi is also the founder of logistics and transportation giant Aramex, the first Arab world company to list on the NASDAQ. He also started early-stage startup angel fund MENA Venture Investments (MVI), so has a wealth of varied experience that will surely lead to a spirited discussion with his fellow eminent panelists.

The line-up goes global with the addition of internationally renowned FinTech commentator, Elizabeth Lumley, fondly known as 'The Godmother of FinTech'. Having spent over 20 years working in the financial technology space, Liz will be part of the international panel on ‘Thriving Ecosystems: Global FinTech Update’ which will discuss creating and growing ecosystems that foster FinTech innovation.

Yobie Benjamin, the co-founder & CTO of Token, an open banking platform that allows financial institutions, businesses, and people to instantly and securely move money wherever they are located, will be hosting a fireside chat on ‘Connectivity of The Future’ with a focus on open APIs and distributed ledger technology.

On the panel ‘Innovation for the Un(der)banked, Ambareen Musa, founder of Souqalmal.com, will share leading initiatives and FinTech solutions to reach low-income and geographically-isolated consumers alongside her fellow panelists. Musa is also the co-author of ‘Entrepreneurial Opportunities On The Internet’.

As part of the panel on ‘Investing in Innovation: The Next Frontier of FinTech’, Matteo Rizzi, FinTech Investor and Clive Cooke, Managing Director & Head of Business Development at R3, an enterprise software firm, will join leading investors to identify the next major areas of disruption and innovation in FinTech.

Matteo Rizzi has been actively engaged in the FinTech space for over 20 years and has valuable connections amongst global banks executives, startups and investors. He founded swiftcommunity.net, the communication platform 2.0 that fosters interactive dialogue in the financial community and co­founded Innotribe, the innovation arm of SWIFT. And Clive Cooke has extensive experience of managing businesses in the financial markets, having worked in all of the major financial centers. Clive was also a founding partner at Williams, Cooke, Lott and Kissack Ltd, the first electronic broker of UK Government bonds.

Updates of the FinTech Abu Dhabi programme and speakers available at www.fintechabudhabi.com  

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About FinTech Abu Dhabi 2017
Bringing together global and local financial institutions, FinTech start-ups, investors, regulatory agencies and the business community to network,  collaborate  and  exchange  expertise  and knowledge in FinTech developments in Abu Dhabi, the wider MENA region and internationally. For more details of the ADGM’s FinTech Abu Dhabi event, visit www.fintechabudhabi.com  to register interest and follow us on @FinTechAD, #FinTechAD and #InnovationChallengeAD

About Abu Dhabi Global Market
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), an international financial centre located in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, opened for business on 21 October 2015.

In line with the Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision, ADGM is a natural extension of Abu Dhabi’s role as a reliable and responsible member of the global financial community. Strategically situated in Abu Dhabi, home to one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, ADGM plays a pivotal role in positioning Abu Dhabi as a global centre for business and finance that connects the growing economies of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

ADGM’s three independent authorities, the Registration Authority, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority and ADGM Courts, enable registered companies to conduct business in a zero-percent tax environment and operate with confidence within an international regulatory framework with its own independent judicial system and legislative infrastructure based on the Common Law.

Established by a UAE Federal Decree as a broad based financial centre, ADGM’s foundation is anchored on three of Abu Dhabi’s strategic strengths - private banking, wealth management and asset management and will continually expand its financial services in response to the needs of its businesses and marketplace. For more details of ADGM, please visit www.adgm.com or follow us on Twitter: @adglobalmarket, @FinTechAD,

#FinTechAD, and LinkedIn: ADGM

© Press Release 2017