Swift, one of the world’s leading providers of secure financial messaging services, is set to host its first regional conference in Dubai from September 24 to 25.

The event will see more than 250 senior representatives from the region’s banking and financial industry discuss the most significant issues facing the region under the theme “Embracing change – building the financial industry of the future”.

The two-day conference also includes a Transaction Banking Forum looking at how banks can harness the technological opportunities available to them to deliver the best services to their customers. Hot topics include distributed ledger technology and APIs as well other developments in cross-border and instant payments.

The event will bring together policy makers, industry leaders and high- level speakers to discuss the opportunities presented by the region’s transformation.

Sessions will look at key trends in the region, including the next generation of payments, new financial technologies and their potential to drive growth. They will also cover regional challenges such as financial crime compliance and de-risking, and the ongoing fight against cybercrime.

Sido Bestani, Swift’s regional director of Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said: "The Middle East has undergone a major transformation over the last decade. Markets across the region are diversifying their economies with a focus on financial services, construction, trade and tourism to attract local and international investors."

"With the backdrop of the current geopolitical instabilities and declining oil prices, diversification becomes even more essential. As one of the region’s leading financial centres, Dubai is an exciting market to bring together the Middle East’s financial services professionals to discuss the future of the industry," noted Bestani.

Onur Ozan, the head of Middle East and North Africa and Turkey at Swift, said: "The payments industry is evolving rapidly. Disruptive technologies, changes in customer behaviours and expectations, and increased regulatory scrutiny are forcing the industry to review traditional banking models."

"As an industry cooperative, Swift is working closely with local financial communities to find the right solutions for the sector. The conference will provide an important platform for this crucial dialogue," he added.-TradeArabia News Service