The Middle East is one of the fastest growing markets for smart payment technology.

Over 1,000 decision makers from banks, retailers, leisure, transport, public sector organisations, gaming, telecoms and solutions suppliers will head to PayExpo MENA at the Intercontinental Festival City Dubai on 5-7 December 2016 to discover the latest ideas, trends and developments in the payments industry.

Here we take a look at some of the event’s conference highlights:

• Sessions on enhancing and encouraging the global FinTech and e-commerce scene will give delegates the opportunity to learn about the mistakes to avoid in providing a platform to support development in the growing world of e-commerce.
• The security, authentication and biometrics stream will advise on avoiding fraud and ensuring systems are secure through the use of biometrics and maintaining security levels on all POS devices whether that be online, mobile or in-store.
• Sessions on revolutionising mobile financial services and banking around the world will spotlight regional developments. For example, the Banco Central del Ecuador will reveal their path to full financial inclusion, while the Pan-African panel debate will discuss how traditional financial institutions are serving the needs of the banked, un-banked and under-banked.
• Usman Qureshi from Bank Pasargad will explore the role of established banks in payments innovation through his speaker session Building or Blocked: Are traditional banks going to help or hinder the sector?
• As part of the Blockchain and banking programme, Jon Matonis from the Bitcoin Foundation, will examine digital currency, a particularly controversial topic in the Middle East, via his discussion Is Cryptocurrency the key to a cashless future and will it be the dominant payment channel for Generation Y?

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Read the November 2016 issue of Business Review Middle East magazine