Egypt will host, for the first time, the financial technology (fintech) conference titled Seamless North Africa on Tuesday and Wednesday, in partnership with the Council of Arab Economic Unity, the League of Arab States, and the Arab Federation for e-Commerce.
The conference will be held under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, with the participation of Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Governor Tarek Amer, as well as a number of ministers, banking sector leaders, top state officials, and 500 local and international experts.
The conference will also include representatives of companies known for offering the latest innovative technologies worldwide, and ways to launch their latest innovations in the Egyptian market. The economic meetup will tackle three key issues: fintech, e-payments, and e-commerce. It seeks to attract more major companies in innovative and emerging financial technology applications, such as financial institutions, startups, venture capital funds, accelerators, and incubators, with a view to establishing an integrated fintech ecosystem.
The conference comes in the framework of the state’s keenness to keep pace with the latest international financial technologies, with an aim to transform into a digital economy and hence, enhancing the financial inclusion concept. ”Hosting this conference in Egypt delivers an important and clear message about the unique opportunities available for this growing industry in the promising Egyptian market.
The fintech conference represents the starting point towards growing the use of fintech applications in Egypt, led by the CBE,” Amer said in a statement.
“Holding the conference under the president’s auspices also reflects the Egyptian state’s interest in transforming into a regional investment centre using innovative financial technology,” Amer added. A competition will be held on the sidelines of the conference, among local and international fintech startups, to pitch their innovative ideas that could revolutionise the Egyptian fintech industry.
One of the conference sponsors will offer a cash prize of EGP 250,000 for the best innovative idea to be applied in the Egyptian market, as per the criteria and conditions announced.
In addition, a free invitation to the next Seamless Middle East in Dubai will be awarded, and a closed hearing session with experts from the CBE will be held for the winner to explore the options of launching its solution in the Egyptian market