Global Islamic Fintech Summit

Here I am after a long time with the article I wrote on Islamic fintech. For a while, I could not work on my article series due to the work I had done on different platforms in this field. In this article, I brought you some gratifying news, but first, I want to take you back to the past. Since about 2017, I have written many articles on financial technologies and the potential benefits and opportunities offered by financial technologies on Islamic finance. In 2020, I completed my master's thesis, which is also one of the first studies conducted in Türkiye on Islamic fintechs.

You know from my previous articles that until 2020, the effects of fintech on Islamic finance were not mentioned so frequently by anyone, except for certain institutions and individuals. Recently, however, universities, participation banks, public institutions, NGOs, and many institutions, especially the Finance Office of the Presidency of Türkiye and Participation Banks Association of Türkiye (TKBB), which are very valuable institutions of our country, have started to conduct studies, arrange organizations and publish reports, and most importantly, take strategic decisions on Islamic fintech. Developments and data on financial technologies in the field of Islamic finance, which were briefly mentioned in handbooks and reports before 2020, are now presented to the ecosystem in more detail. A development reflecting these improvements and makes me very happy is that the 3rd Global Islamic Fintech Summit is going to take place in our country under the sponsorship of TKBB. Another delighting issue is that guests and speakers who are very important in the international area will be participating at the Global Islamic Fintech Summit.

Why is this summit so important? You are probably asking, "What kind of topics will be discussed, who will participate in the event?" I am going to fill you in about this right now. First of all, it stands out as the first summit with participants from different countries and Islamic fintech companies and actors from the participation finance sector in our country. I believe it will act as a catalyst for the industry and the ecosystem, and Islamic fintech summits, organized by Turkish companies, will be taking place in the upcoming days. The Global Islamic Fintech Summit is held by Elmangos Ventures under the leadership of Abd Elmohaimen Mansi, Founder & CEO of Elmangos Ventures. The summit will be held in a hybrid model close to the center of the ecosystem, consisting of 2 days. 

The following topics will be covered at the summit.

Participation Banking: Vision for 2025
Alternative Payment Methods
Neobanks
Cyber Security
Participation Banks and Fintech Collaborations
Technology and Takaful Industry
Blockchain Technology Beyond Crypto

Topics covered in the Global Islamic Fintech Summit will address changing customer habits of Islamic fintech, how Islamic fintech is providing new financial solutions to the millennials from the perspective of change in generations and the unbanked globally and how the regulatory environment is adapting to create a safe environment for investors. It is expected to be a summit that will showcase the promising and innovative fintech actors that make up the new face of Islamic finance.

The Summit will find participation by Selim Taştan, Digital Transformation and Innovation Manager at Kuveyt Türk, Sabri Ulus, Executive Vice President responsible for Treasury and Strategy at Vakıf Katılım Bankası A.Ş., and Metin Özdemir, Board Member of ADFIMI and General Manager of Ziraat Katılım Bankası. Tarık Akın from the Finance Office of the Presidency is among the participants.

From the international arena, Junaid Vahedna from the United Kingdom, Founder & CEO of Wahed Investment, which we know very well, Umar Suleman, Board Member of the Islamic Finance Council, Halid Fuad, Board Member of Ethis, whom we know very well, and Dr. Moutaz Abojeib, Islamic Fintech expert from Malaysia, will participate in the event and from our country, Bülent Tekmen, Co-founder of Colendi, and many other important people will attend the summit. 

Burak Aktürk