MENA Fintech Association Expands to Pakistan, Connecting 22 Markets Across the Region

The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA) has formally established its Pakistan Chapter, integrating the country’s burgeoning digital asset and traditional banking sectors into a regional network spanning 22 markets. For fintech professionals, this move signals a significant shift in cross-border regulatory alignment and institutional collaboration between Pakistan and the established financial hubs of the Middle East.

What was announced

The establishment of the Pakistan Chapter follows the World Bank’s formal inclusion of Pakistan within the MENA region. This strategic realignment connects Pakistan’s financial institutions, fintech firms, and regulators to MFTA’s existing infrastructure across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Africa. The association currently engages with central banks and over 50,000 members across its network.

The chapter aims to facilitate structured dialogue between policymakers, investors, and private sector innovators. Pakistan’s market is characterized by a unique blend of established traditional banking and high activity in digital assets. The MFTA intends to use this new chapter to develop frameworks that bridge these two areas, fostering internationalisation and regulatory exchange. The Chapter will bring together policymakers, regulatory authorities, financial institutions, fintech companies and investors to foster structured dialogue and build partnerships that support the development and internationalisation of Pakistan's financial services industry.

The formal launch took place on 28 October 2026 at a private reception in Karachi. The event was attended by senior representatives from Pakistan’s leading financial institutions, regulatory authorities and policy community. While the Karachi launch marks the initial entry, the association envisions establishing further chapters across Pakistan to broaden and deepen its engagement with stakeholders throughout the country.

"Pakistan represents a significant and timely expansion of the MFTA network. The World Bank's inclusion of Pakistan in the MENA region reflects a broader realignment that is already visible in trade flows, financial connectivity and institutional engagement. Pakistan has a large and evolving financial services sector, meaningful digital asset activity, and a policy environment that is actively engaging with the direction of regional and global finance. Our role is to connect that to the wider network -- to the regulators, institutions, investors and innovators across the 22 markets we operate in. That is what MFTA does, and Pakistan is a natural part of that expansion."

Nameer Khan, Chairman of the MENA Fintech Association

The companies involved

The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA) is a non-profit organization headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. It serves as a primary representative body for the fintech ecosystem across the Middle East and North Africa, focusing on advocacy, regulatory collaboration, and market integration. The association has grown into a significant regional force, operating across 22 markets and maintaining a membership base exceeding 50,000 individuals and entities.

The Pakistan Chapter is led by Co-Chairs Imran Khan and Mubariz Siddiqui. This expansion is part of a broader effort to synchronize financial standards across the region. By providing a platform for the private sector to engage with public institutions, MFTA seeks to accelerate the growth of financial services in emerging markets. The association’s influence is particularly noted in its ability to bring together disparate stakeholders, from central bank governors to early-stage startups, under a unified regional framework that addresses both traditional and digital finance.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has extensively tracked MFTA’s regional influence and its strategic partnerships. Recently, the association announced the MFTA Awards 2026: MENA Fintech Association Partners with ADGM for Abu Dhabi Finance Week, highlighting its close ties with UAE regulators. In October 2026, the association also collaborated with major industry events, as seen when MFTA and Money20/20 Middle East Unveil Strategic Playbook for Saudi Arabia’s Next Fintech Wave.

Further expansion efforts were noted when the Jordan FinTech Academy and MFTA Partner to Accelerate Regional Innovation. Additionally, MFTA has been active in shaping policy, recently releasing the MFTA Unveils ADGM Digital Asset Framework Update: Navigating Tokenization and AI in MENA, which underscores its focus on digital asset regulation.

What this means

The formal tethering of Pakistan to the MENA fintech corridor is a pragmatic recognition of shifting economic gravity. For years, Pakistan’s fintech sector has operated somewhat in isolation from the Gulf’s capital-rich ecosystems despite significant labor and trade links. By bringing Pakistan into the MFTA fold, the industry is moving toward a more cohesive regulatory bloc. This puts pressure on traditional regional boundaries and suggests that the "MENA" designation is becoming more of a functional economic zone than a purely geographic one. The real test for the sector will be whether this leads to genuine cross-border licensing or remains a high-level networking exercise.