Fintech Summit Returns in Its Fifth Edition in Partnership with Ooredoo Kuwait

Al-Qabas newspaper announced a strategic partnership with Ooredoo Kuwait, the leading telecommunications and technology company in Kuwait and the region, to organize the fifth edition of the MoneyTech Summit, scheduled for Sunday, November 1, 2026, at the St. Regis Kuwait hotel.

This year’s summit focuses on companies and leaders who have navigated exceptional disruptions, maintained business continuity, and opened new pathways for growth. The event will attract more than 17 leaders, including wealth managers, technology executives, and investors from Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, alongside representatives from global investment institutions such as BlackRock and The Carlyle Group, amid rapidly escalating global market volatility and uncertainty.

The agenda features nine main sessions, ranging from opening remarks and live dialogues to specialized discussions on mergers and acquisitions, investing in challenging conditions, and the localization of Gulf wealth.

Abdulaziz Yaqoub Al-Babtain, CEO of Ooredoo Kuwait, will deliver the opening address, followed by a keynote speech by Haitham Al-Turkiet, Executive Vice President of Transformation, Technology, and Operations at Kuwait Finance House. The agenda also includes live dialogues with Mohammed Al-Othman, CEO of Personal and Digital Banking at National Bank of Kuwait; Nour Al-Bahr, Managing Director of Talabat; and Bader Al-Attar, Executive Director of Planning and Finance at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

The first panel discussion, titled “Mergers and Acquisitions: A Step for Survival or an Opportunity for Buyers?”, will bring together a select group of dealmakers and financial sector leaders from Al-Milz Finance, ADNOC Drilling, Al Ahli Wealth Management, and Kufpec Technology.

The second session, “Investing Amid Uncertainty: Resilience, Risks, and Opportunities,” featuring high-level representatives from BlackRock and Carlyle, will examine whether current market uncertainty represents a new long-term reality and how major investors are adapting to it. The discussions will also explore ways to enhance portfolio resilience across listed and unlisted assets, identify risks not fully reflected in prices, and seize opportunities during periods of stress. The session will conclude by highlighting the factors that position Kuwait as a natural destination for long-term capital.

The closing session will pose a pivotal question: “Is the time right for the return of wealth?” Gulf investors have long held a significant portion of their assets abroad.

Speakers from Kuwait Investment Company, Kuwait Financial Centre (KuFE), KFIC Invest, and KAMCO Invest, who manage these assets on a daily basis, will discuss whether the time has come to redirect a larger share of these wealth pools back to the region, what the regional markets currently offer, and what is required to retain capital within them.

Key themes of the 2026 WealthTech Summit:

- Mergers and Acquisitions in Volatile Markets: How valuations are determined, and the differences between forced exits and strategic acquisitions.

- Investing Amid Uncertainty: Whether the current challenging market conditions represent a new long-term reality, and how major investors are adapting to them.

- Risk Monitoring and Opportunity Capture During Periods of Stress, with Kuwait positioned as a natural destination for long-term capital.

- The Return of Gulf Wealth: What the regional markets currently offer, and what is required to retain capital within them.

- Leadership Insights from the Banking, Energy, and Digital Economy Sectors.

Key Speakers at the Summit:

- Abdulaziz Yaqoub Al-Babtain – Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Kuwait.

- Haitham Al-Turki – Executive Vice President for Transformation, Technology, and Operations, Kuwait Finance House.

- Hassan Al-Jishi – Chief Executive Officer, Malaz Capital.

- Abdullah bin Dasman – Vice President of Investments, ADNOC Drilling.

- Sherif Al-Rafaei – Chief Executive Officer, ABK Wealth Management.

- Ali Al-Ibrahim – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, COFE Tech.

- Mohammed Al-Othman – Chief Executive Officer for Personal and Digital Banking, National Bank of Kuwait Group.

- Ali Al-Qadi – Head of BlackRock Kuwait, BlackRock.

- Ahmed Al-Bushra – Executive Director, The Carlyle Group.

- Noura Al-Abdulkarim – Head of Markets Sector, Kuwait Stock Exchange.

- Nour Al-Bahr – General Manager, Talabat Kuwait.

- Bader Al-Attar – Managing Director for Planning and Finance, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

- Abdullah Abulqasem – Vice President – Wealth Management, Kuwait Investment Company.

- Rahaf Al-Rashed – Vice President – Wealth Management and Business Development, Kuwait Financial Centre (KuFE).

- Ziad Al-Farhan – Portfolio Manager – Asset Management, KFIC Invest.

- Fawaz Al-Mutawa – Assistant Vice President – Private Investments Management, KAMCO Invest.

- Johnny Awad – Chief Executive Officer – Kuwait, CFI.