MoneyTech Summit returns for its fifth edition
The fifth MoneyTech Summit is being organized in Kuwait, with participation from leaders at BlackRock and Carlyle to discuss mergers and acquisitions.
Translated by Qiyas from النهار — Original source
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 executives from global investment institutions such as BlackRock and The Carlyle Group, amid rapid global market volatility and heightened 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 repatriation 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 for 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 Badr Al-Attar, Executive Director for Planning and Finance at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.
Key themes of the 2026 MoneyTech Summit include:
- Mergers and Acquisitions in Turbulent Markets: How valuations are determined and the differences between distressed exits and strategic acquisitions.
- Investing Amid Uncertainty: Whether the challenging market conditions represent a new long-term reality and how major investors are adapting to it.
- 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 regional markets currently offer, what is required to retain capital within them, and leadership insights from the banking, energy, and digital economy sectors.
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 Kove Technology. They will examine how to navigate M&A transactions in turbulent markets where some companies are forced to sell, while others see buying opportunities. Speakers will draw on their experiences from both the seller’s and buyer’s perspectives to discuss how valuations are determined in the current phase, what distinguishes distressed exits from strategic acquisitions, and where the next wave of mergers is likely to head.
The second session, “Investing Amid Uncertainty: Resilience, Risks, and Opportunities,” featuring high-level representatives from BlackRock and Carlyle, will explore whether today’s market uncertainty constitutes a new long-term reality and how major investors are adapting. Discussions will also cover ways to enhance portfolio resilience across listed and unlisted assets, identify risks not fully reflected in prices, and capture opportunities during periods of stress. The session will conclude by highlighting the factors that make Kuwait a natural destination for long-term capital.
The closing session poses a pivotal question: “Has the time come for the return of wealth?” Gulf investors have long held a significant share of their assets abroad. Speakers from Kuwait Investment Company, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz), KFIC Invest, and KAMCO Invest—who manage these assets on a daily basis—will discuss whether it is time to repatriate a larger portion of these funds to the region, what the regional markets currently offer, and what is required to retain capital within them.
Key speakers at the summit include:
- Abdulaziz Yaqoob Al-Babtain – Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Kuwait
- Haitham Al-Turkiet – Executive Vice President for Transformation, Technology and Operations, Kuwait Finance House
- Hassan Al-Jishi – Chief Executive Officer, Malaz Capital
- Abdullah bin Dasmal – Vice President of Investments, ADNOC Drilling
- Sharif Al-Rafaei – Chief Executive Officer, ABK Wealth Management
- Ali Al-Ibrahim – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, COFE Tech
- Mohammed Al-Othman – Chief Executive Officer of 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
- Badr Al-Attar – Managing Director for Planning and Finance, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
- Abdullah Abu Al-Qasim – Vice President, Wealth Management, Kuwait Investment Company
- Rahaf Al-Rashid – Vice President, Wealth Management and Business Development, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz)
- Ziad Al-Farhan – Portfolio Manager – Asset Management, KFIC Invest
- Fawaz Al-Mutawa – Assistant Vice President, Private Equity Investments Management, KAMCO Invest
- Johnny Awad – Chief Executive Officer – Kuwait, CFI
