We’re looking for engaging speakers and subject matter experts to help shape the conversation at the 2027 BAFT MENA Forum, January 26–27 in Dubai, UAE. If you have insights, experience or a fresh perspective to share on the trends and issues impacting transaction banking, trade and payments across the region, we want to hear from you.
Explore the topics below and submit your interest to speak by Friday, September 25, 2026.
We are seeking speakers for the following session topics:
| Session Title | Session Brief |
| At the Center of the Shift: MENA in a Multipolar World | As economic and political relationships become increasingly multipolar, MENA sits at the intersection of some of the world’s most consequential shifts. Deepening ties with Asia and Africa, evolving relationships with traditional Western partners, energy security, regional conflicts and changing global alliances are creating both complexity and opportunity. This session will examine how these forces are affecting the region’s financial institutions and their clients—and what they mean for cross-border banking, trade, payments and investment in the years ahead. |
| The Correspondent Banking Squeeze: Who Wins the Flow? | Banks are facing competitive pressure from both ends of the correspondent banking market. Non-bank providers are increasingly capturing lower-value flows through price and convenience, while consolidation among global clearing banks is reshaping access to higher-value flows. Drawing on market data and regional perspectives, this session will examine how these dynamics are changing the economics of correspondent banking, what they mean for banks across MENA, and where opportunities remain to compete and differentiate. |
| The New De-Risking Equation: Risk, Revenue and Competition | De-risking is no longer driven by risk and compliance considerations alone. As FinTechs, payment service providers and money transfer operators capture a growing share of cross-border payment flows, declining revenues and tighter margins are increasingly influencing decisions about which correspondent relationships banks maintain. At the same time, some of these non-bank competitors depend on banks for the very account access needed to operate. This session brings correspondent banks, compliance leaders and licensed non-bank payment providers together to examine the intersection of risk, revenue and competition—and what is really driving de-risking decisions today. |
| AI in Transaction Banking: Use Cases and Lessons Learned | Banks are moving beyond experimentation with AI, but where is it delivering measurable value? This session will examine concrete AI applications across transaction banking, with international and regional banks sharing specific use cases, results, and lessons learned. From operational efficiency and client service to payments, trade, compliance and fraud, the discussion will explore where AI is producing returns, where it has fallen short, and what banks in the MENA region can learn as they determine where to invest and deploy next. |
| AI in the Cloud: Who Controls Your Data? | As banks accelerate their use of cloud-based AI tools and models, questions around data security, privacy and control are becoming increasingly important. What information is being shared with AI providers, where does that data go, and how can institutions take advantage of AI without compromising sensitive client or transaction data? This session will explore the security, governance and data considerations banks need to address as AI becomes embedded across their operations. |
| The Capital Equation: Basel IV and the Future of Trade Finance | As Basel IV implementation advances, what will the changing capital framework mean for the economics and availability of trade finance across MENA? This session will examine how new capital requirements could influence banks’ appetite for financing regional trade, emerging-market and higher-risk exposures, correspondent and FI relationships, and SME and corporate clients. The discussion will explore which trade products and transactions may become more or less attractive, how banks are adapting pricing and portfolio strategies, and whether capital constraints could widen financing gaps in parts of the region. Most importantly, how can MENA banks optimize scarce capital while continuing to support the region’s growing trade ambitions and cross-border connectivity? |
| The Future of Money in MENA: What Will Banks Use to Settle? | The payments landscape across MENA is evolving as central banks, commercial banks and new market entrants experiment with new forms of digital money alongside existing and emerging regional payment systems. But which innovations are actually gaining traction in the region, and what problems are they solving that today’s infrastructure cannot? This session will examine where tokenized deposits, stablecoins and CBDCs are being used or piloted across MENA; what could drive a bank to choose one form of settlement over another; and how these new models could coexist with conventional commercial bank deposits and regional payment systems. The discussion will also consider what interoperability will be needed as the landscape evolves and tackle a fundamental question for transaction banks: Are stablecoins a competitive threat, a new payment rail, or another form of money that banks will ultimately intermediate? |
| Rewiring Cross-Border Payments in MENA: Beyond Correspondent Banking? | MENA is investing in regional payment infrastructure and greater cross-border connectivity, but can the region build an ecosystem that relies less heavily on traditional correspondent banking? Initiatives such as Buna and AFAQ offer new pathways for moving money across borders, yet significant barriers remain—from fragmented regulation and multiple currencies to liquidity and pre-funding requirements, duplicative compliance processes, and uneven infrastructure across markets. This session will examine what is working today, where regional payment systems can genuinely replace or complement correspondent banking, and what still needs to change to achieve greater scale and interoperability. Ultimately, what could a more connected MENA payments ecosystem look like—and what role will correspondent banks continue to play? |
| Trade Finance Under Stress: Shipping, Supply Chains and Regional Disruption | How geopolitical developments, changing shipping routes and emerging maritime risks are reshaping international trade flows and creating new challenges for financial institutions. The session will examine the outlook for global shipping and supply chains before turning to the practical implications for trade finance—including rerouting, sanctions, insurance, documentation, pricing, risk appetite and transaction execution. |
| Private Credit and Trade Finance: Competitor, Partner or New Source of Capital? | Private credit is playing a growing role in financing businesses and trade globally, but what does its expansion mean for trade finance in MENA? As the region seeks to finance growing trade and investment while addressing funding gaps across certain markets, sectors and counterparties, private capital could provide an additional source of liquidity and risk capacity. This session will examine where private credit is gaining traction in MENA trade finance, which transactions and borrowers are attracting non-bank capital, and where private lenders may compete directly with banks. It will also explore opportunities for collaboration—from risk sharing and distribution to co-financing—and whether private credit can help MENA banks extend their capacity to support transactions, markets or clients that may otherwise be difficult to finance. |
| Digital Trade After the Pilot: Electronic Documents, Guarantees and Interoperability | With electronic bills of lading, electronic guarantees and digital transferable records moving from concept to implementation, what is still preventing digital trade from scaling? Examine actual transactions, remaining manual processes, legal and interoperability barriers, and what banks, corporates and other ecosystem participants need to do differently to drive adoption. |
| Carbon, Trade and Capital: Financing MENA’s Transition in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) Era | Examine how carbon-related trade requirements affect MENA exporters and bank financing of hard-to-abate sectors. |
The sessions above may not reflect the final conference program. The BAFT program planning committee reserves the right to make session changes to best align with the overall conference theme and its objectives.
Please do not submit a speaker if you cannot comply with the above speaker guidelines.
Due to the anticipated volume of submissions, only selected speakers will be contacted. Notifications will be sent by the end of November 2026. We appreciate your patience as the program planning committee carefully reviews each submission and evaluates its fit with the overall program.
