The UAE has succeeded in luring international crypto exchanges to operate such as Kraken, eToro, Alvexo, Coinbase, Binance, and Coinmama out of the ADGM, and is looking to attract more, especially those from Asia to set up base.

The Middle East financial sector has witnessed a significant growth in the fintech ecosystem. Many countries in the region have robust banking systems and are embracing the adoption of open banking frameworks and Application Programme Interface (APIs) with fintechs.

The continuous expansion of the crypto market and the innovations it promises have been closely watched by the financial services industry, particularly by regulators. While it continues to face an uncertain, future. several factors, including the constant offering of new cryptos, new use cases in DeFi and CeFi application, increasing number of users, and structural changes and innovation in financial markets will determine its long-term growth.

With the proliferation of digital frauds in consumer and corporate banking, innovative mechanisms beyond bolstering the security of digital banking are required ameliorate the impact on consumers who have taken the necessary steps to ensure the safety of their digital environment and transactions. MAS' 'fair loss-sharing’ framework appears to be one.

China, the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) market, recently announced policy changes to eliminate EV subsidy by 2023 to increase efficiency of the industry and meet its commitment to zero emission transportation and carbon neutrality. The cut in subsidy will create financing opportunities for banks and financial institutions to fund EV buyers, producers as well as the wider ecosystem and infrastructure.

The increased usage of IoT, big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) by big techs and financial institutions (FIs) across the Middle East has boosted the demand for and investment in data centres.

The Commercial Bank of Qatar launched the #GoDigital campaign to encourage customers to use digital channels for their banking needs

Under the government’s full-scale plan to nurture technology-based SMEs, local banks are competing for startups that would be future giants.

As global banks move towards ISO 20022 readiness by the end of 2022, it is important to understand the impact that the adoption of the new standard will have on the banking and payment industries and what challenges and opportunities they will face as they modernise international settlement.

The transaction is worth $706.6 million which covers Citi’s consumer banking franchise in Taiwan which includes 2.7 million credit cards, 500,000 deposit and wealth customers, and 45 branches.

The world starts 2022, the third straight year, still in the throes of the COVID pandemic. While economic prospects appear to be gloomier than before, banks in Asia Pacific can expect a stable outlook

Predicting the future of banking is more uncertain than ever before. New competitors arise daily, from neobanks and fintechs, to embedded financing solutions delivered by big tech, retailers and telcos, all of whom are offering digital banking services

Tay Ah Lek saw a 6.5% rise in total remuneration to $9.2 million in 2020 despite the pandemic, which was 250 times the average pay Public Bank’s employees received.

The United Nations (UN) Emissions Gap report states that the richest 1% account for 15% of the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The world’s richest have amassed more wealth than ever and as a consequence, expanded their carbon footprint. It is therefore crucial to take stock and ask if those with financial resources are actually facilitating the pragmatic shift towards a sustainable planet.

In the wake of the OCBC phishing scams and the compensation made by the bank to all affected customers, MAS decided that the industry should have a more equitable framework for sharing such losses.