Fintech Summit in Partnership with Ooredoo Kuwait
Fintech summit brings together 17 leaders from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to discuss mergers, acquisitions, and wealth localization
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Discussions on Mergers and Acquisitions, Investment Amid Uncertainty, and the Localization of Gulf Wealth
Al-Jarida 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 next Sunday 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 from wealth management, technology, and investment sectors from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, alongside executives from global investment institutions such as BlackRock and Carlyle Group, as global markets experience rapid volatility and heightened uncertainty. The agenda includes nine main sessions featuring opening remarks, live dialogues, and specialized discussions on mergers and acquisitions, investment in challenging conditions, and the localization of Gulf wealth.
Abdulaziz Al-Babtain, CEO of Ooredoo Kuwait, will deliver the opening address at the summit, followed by a keynote speech by Haitham Al-Turkiet, Executive Vice President for Transformation, Technology, and Operations at Kuwait Finance House. The agenda also features live dialogues with Mohammed Al-Othman, CEO of Personal and Digital Banking at National Bank of Kuwait, Nour Al-Bahr, General Manager of Talabat, and Badr Al-Attar, Managing Director for 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 Milaz 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 forced divestitures from strategic acquisitions, and where the next wave of mergers is likely to head.
The second session, “Investment Amid Uncertainty: Resilience, Risks, and Opportunities,” will feature high-level representatives from BlackRock and Carlyle. It will explore whether today’s market uncertainty represents a new long-term reality and how major investors are adapting to it. The discussion will also address 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 poses a pivotal question: “Is the time right for wealth to return?” Gulf investors have long held a significant portion of their assets abroad. Speakers from Kuwait Investment Company, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz), KEF Invest, and CAMCO Invest—who manage these assets daily—will discuss whether it is time to repatriate a larger share of these holdings to the region, what the regional markets currently offer, and what conditions are necessary to retain capital there.
The summit is organized by Al-Jarida newspaper, the leading media institution in Kuwait, in strategic partnership with Ooredoo Kuwait. It focuses on companies and leaders that have navigated exceptional disruptions, maintained business continuity, and opened new pathways for growth. The program brings together wealth managers, technology leaders, investors, venture capital firms, and entrepreneurs from across the Gulf to discuss mergers and acquisitions in volatile markets, investing amid uncertainty, and the viability of relocating regional wealth.
Investing Amid Uncertainty: Do the challenging conditions currently seen in markets represent a new long-term reality, and how are major investors adapting to them?
The Return of Gulf Wealth: What do regional markets offer today, and what is required to retain capital within them?
The agenda and registration can be accessed at moneytechme.com or by following the @moneytechme accounts on social media platforms.
