The MENA FINTECH ASSOCIATION (MFTA) Qatar, successfully convened the Payments Boardroom on the Qatar Central Bank’s updated regulatory guidelines.
MFTA in collaboration with MANGUSTEEN, highlighted how these guidelines are paving the way for enhanced collaboration between fintech and banks in Qatar.
The discussion was led by Gaurav Sachddeva, Chair of MFTA Qatar and Salman Surti, Programs Lead at Qatar FinTech Hub.
During the session, participants emphasized the importance of creating a supportive regulatory environment to encourage innovation.
They also highlighted the growing importance of eKYC for seamless onboarding and the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions. With 12 PSP licenses issued and two BNPL companies in the sandbox, there’s growing momentum for BNPL innovation in Qatar.
The role of the Qatar FinTech Hub (QFTH) was discussed as a vital intermediary to foster collaboration between banks and fintechs. A suggestion to create a “pre-sandbox” environment led by QFTH or Qatar Development Bank (QDB) emerged. This would enable startups to test their solutions before entering the official sandbox.
Noting the significant challenges faced by FinTechs in Qatar, the participants listed compliance, partnerships with banks, and access to funding.
Furthermore, they called for clearer regulations and more bank support to foster a collaborative ecosystem.
The conversation then shifted to fintech investment trends, especially the B2B payment solutions and infrastructure. Consumer fintech remains challenging, but B2B shows great potential with the right infrastructure in place.
Below is a list of attendees at the event:
Hani Khateeb, Fintech Specialist – Qatar Development Bank
Dr. Mohammed Al-Jefairi, Founder – Sidra Holding
Muhammad Yousuf Khadeli, CEO – One Life LLC
Sami Mian, CEO – Blade Labs
Umagash Perinpanathan, Mangusteen LLC
Karam Bou Karroum, Project Manager – Mangusteen LLC
Anaas Mohamed, CEO – Soarix LLC
Michael Lints, Golden Gate Ventures
Dr Sudheer Nair, AGM, Head of Cards & Payments – CBQ
Mazen El-Masri, PhD, CEO – Genesis Technologies LLC
Muzzammil Saeed, Head of Sales – PayLater
Dawar Khan, Head of Operations – PayLater
Safarudheen farook, Co-Founder & CEO – SpendWisor Inc
Ajiri Omafokpe, Co-Founder – Amanah
Nayef Rashwan ♕, CEO – Noqoody Payments Services Co.
Ahmed Ameen, CTO – Techpace
Ramiya Thevananthan, MLro & Compliance Officer – Karty LLC
