More than 400 banking and finance experts from the Middle East are set to take part in a major banking conference from tomorrow (September 30) in Dubai, UAE.

The two-day Middle East Banking Innovation Summit will be held at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

It will focus on new technology, trends and challenges being faced by the region’s banking sector in achieving customer centricity and tighter regulations following the global financial crisis, said a statement.

A large line-up of banking leaders and technology expert’s will give presentations and share case studies during panel and roundtable discussions aimed at encouraging best practice in digital transformation, customer engagement, product development and security frameworks, it said.

Technology vendors will also showcase the latest in digital solutions and cutting-edge innovations for the banking and finance sector, including multi national software giant SAP.

Yasar Yilmaz, financial services industry director at SAP Mena, said a focus on the customer is important for survival in the highly competitive banking environment.

“Customer centricity is key and there are many interpretations of this. Banks across Mena who master this are noticed by the market and reap the benefits. As competition heightens, risk taking by banks increase and therefore, monitoring risk indicators in a more agile and dynamic way for better visibility becomes monumentally critical for an organisation’s profitability and also as financial crisis has shown, very own existence,” he stated.

“A lot of banks across Mena mix doing things in a fancier way with being innovative. The important thing is understanding how innovation impacts the bottom line such as profitability, sustainable growth, customer satisfaction and regulatory compliance.”

The summit has been organised by global conference company Expotrade, which has offices in Melbourne, Australia and Dubai. - TradeArabia News Service