MEBIS 2025 Day One: From Next-Gen Banking to AI Transformation, Leaders Chart the Future of Finance

The first day of the 16th Annual Middle East Banking Innovation Summit (MEBIS 2025) concluded today at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers, bringing together over 400 senior bankers, technology experts, and innovators to explore how artificial intelligence, digital trust, and customer-first strategies are transforming financial services across the region.

The morning opened with a fireside chat between RAKBANK’s Group Chief Technology & Data Officer, Saket Saith, and Infosys Finacle’s regional head, Sriranga Sampathkumar. Their session examined the evolution of customer-centric banking, focusing on embedded finance, real-time payments, and AI ecosystems as catalysts for growth.

A keynote from Binnie Sharma of Nucleus Software followed, calling on banks to build stronger data-driven cultures. Sharma emphasized that institutions must move beyond fragmented dashboards and ensure that governance, trust, and actionable insights are embedded across decision-making structures.

Dr. Michael Kivi of e7 Group then explored the future of trust, highlighting how innovations in physical security printing and authentication remain vital to enabling secure digital identities and combating financial fraud in an increasingly digital-first environment.

The program continued with Salesforce’s Drew Seelig, who introduced “agentic AI”, intelligent, autonomous systems capable of enhancing compliance, driving personalization, and boosting customer loyalty at scale.

A major highlight of the morning was the Featured Fireside Chat: “Unlocking Efficiency and Innovation: The Power of AI in Banking.” Led by Deepa Arora (Mashreq), Mohamed A. Moniem (nCino), and Vladislavs Mironovs (Commercial Bank of Dubai), the session examined how AI is transforming both back-office operations and customer-facing services. Panelists shared how automating repetitive, rule-based tasks is delivering cost savings, increasing accuracy, accelerating speed, and ultimately improving customer satisfaction across the banking value chain.

The day’s momentum intensified with the panel discussion, “Navigating the Digital Frontier: Strategies for Banking Technology Leaders in a Rapidly Evolving Landscape.” Senior executives explored how banks can modernize infrastructure while addressing cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and the need for agility. Panelists agreed that technology leaders must balance resilience with innovation to remain competitive in the digital era.

Alteryx then presented “Data Chaos to AI Confidence: How Alteryx Powers Banking Transformation,” a session that showcased how banks can streamline fragmented systems and accelerate innovation by transforming raw data into trusted, AI-driven intelligence.

Artificial intelligence remained center stage in the afternoon with “Transforming Financial Services: AI Use Cases in Banking Technology.” This panel demonstrated how AI is already being applied in fraud detection, credit risk, marketing, and customer service. Speakers highlighted that AI has moved from theory into everyday operations, reshaping efficiency, risk management, and customer experience at scale.

Later, “The Global Power Play: Accelerate Banking Innovation with Global Teams” showcased how collaboration across global centers of excellence is enabling banks to scale innovation more efficiently, manage costs, and deliver transformation at speed.

Day One concluded with a lively discussion on customer-centric banking, which reinforced the demand for hyper-personalized, seamless digital journeys. Panelists agreed that banks must reimagine their engagement strategies to meet the expectations of increasingly digital-savvy customers.

“Day One at MEBIS 2025 reflected both urgency and optimism,” said Shail Bisht, Regional Director at Expotrade, the organizer of MEBIS 2025. “From AI use cases to digital strategy, the discussions made one thing clear — transformation is already in motion, and it’s execution that will define the winners.”

Day Two will continue with sessions on the evolving role of the Chief Information Security Officer, the rise of generative AI in decision-making, and the opportunities presented by Open Finance.