MFTA Awards 2026: MENA Fintech Association Partners with ADGM for Abu Dhabi Finance Week

The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA) has opened nominations for the fifth edition of the MFTA Awards 2026, held in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). For fintech professionals, this marks a significant milestone in regional benchmarking, aligning the industry’s top innovators with the high-profile Abu Dhabi Finance Week to highlight cross-border growth and digital transformation.

What was announced

The MFTA Awards 2026 represents the fifth iteration of this regional recognition programme, designed to spotlight the companies and ecosystem leaders driving progress in financial services. This edition is being launched as a strategic collaboration with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), ensuring the ceremony takes place during Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW). The awards serve as a platform for identifying outstanding achievements within the financial technology sector across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as international players impacting the region.

Nominations are currently open for the flagship programme. The awards focus on several key pillars: economic growth, digital transformation, and the evolution of financial markets. Specifically, the initiative aims to celebrate transformative innovation and strengthen the MENA region’s position within the global financial technology landscape. By integrating with ADFW, the awards leverage one of the region's most significant financial gatherings to provide a platform for those facilitating cross-border collaboration. The scope of the programme encompasses the wider ecosystem of technology providers and infrastructure builders who are navigating the rapid transformation of the industry. The collaboration with ADGM as a strategic partner underscores the event's role in advancing industry excellence and strengthening the connections that shape the future of finance in the region.

The companies involved

The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA) serves as the primary industry body for the region's financial technology sector. It functions as a non-profit platform that brings together various stakeholders, including startups, financial institutions, and regulators, to foster a cohesive fintech ecosystem across the Middle East and North Africa. The association has established itself as a central hub for policy discussion, market intelligence, and regional networking, frequently acting as a bridge between private innovators and public authorities.

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) is the international financial centre located in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Established to bolster Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for business and finance, ADGM provides a robust regulatory framework and a business-friendly environment. It has been a significant driver of fintech adoption in the region, particularly through its regulatory sandbox and digital asset frameworks. Together, these organisations represent the intersection of private sector innovation and regulatory oversight in the UAE. ADGM’s involvement in the awards underscores the strategic alignment between Abu Dhabi’s financial infrastructure and the broader regional goal of becoming a global leader in financial technology services.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has tracked the MFTA’s growing influence through several recent strategic initiatives. In October 2026, the association collaborated with Money20/20 Middle East to release a strategic playbook for Saudi Arabia’s next fintech wave, highlighting its role in regional market entry. This followed a partnership with the Jordan FinTech Academy aimed at accelerating innovation across borders.

The association has also been active in regulatory discourse, recently providing a bi-annual update on ADGM’s digital asset framework, focusing on tokenization and AI. Furthermore, MFTA’s global reach was evidenced by its alliance with STORM Partners to scale Web3 infrastructure. These reports demonstrate a consistent focus on institutionalising the MENA fintech sector through both education and regulatory clarity.

What this means

The decision to anchor the 2026 awards within Abu Dhabi Finance Week signals a shift from local recognition to global positioning. By partnering directly with ADGM, the MFTA is effectively institutionalising the "fintech excellence" label, moving it closer to the regulatory heart of the UAE. This puts pressure on other regional hubs to offer similar high-level validation for their homegrown startups. For the wider industry, it raises questions about whether the MENA region can move beyond fragmented national successes toward a truly unified digital market. The focus on "cross-border collaboration" suggests that the next phase of regional growth will depend on interoperability rather than isolated innovation.