Cairo, Egypt – The Connected Banking Summit – North Africa | Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 concluded successfully on 23 September 2026 at the Fairmont Nile City Hotel, Cairo, bringing together senior leaders from banking, financial services, regulation, technology, cybersecurity and digital finance to explore the technologies, policies and partnerships shaping Egypt’s next phase of financial-sector transformation.
Organized by the International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA), the summit provided a high-level platform for industry leaders and decision-makers to exchange insights and address the opportunities and challenges shaping Egypt’s evolving financial ecosystem.
The programme placed a strong focus on cyber-resilient financial infrastructure, digital banking and financial inclusion, responsible AI governance in banking automation, corporate banking transformation, risk management and regulatory alignment, and the shift from financial literacy to financial wellbeing, reflecting the critical priorities driving the country’s digital financial transformation.
Distinguished Leadership & Strategic Voices
The summit commenced with Opening Remarks & Welcome, setting the stage for a day of insightful discussions, followed by the Inaugural Keynote, which offered a focused perspective on the evolving direction of Egypt’s financial sector.
Dr. Mohamed Kamal, General Manager of Information Technology, Ministry of Finance of Egypt, delivered the keynote address on behalf of H.E. Yasser Ehab, Deputy Minister of Information Technology, Ministry of Finance, Arab Republic of Egypt, providing valuable insights and setting the strategic context for Egypt’s ongoing financial-sector transformation.
The summit also featured senior voices from across Egypt’s regulatory, banking and digital-finance ecosystem, including:
- Mohamed Kamal – General Manager of Information Technology, Ministry of Finance of Egypt
- Yasmin Elgibaly – Chief Audit Executive, Industrial Development Bank
- Aleksei Trefilov – CEO & Product Owner, BRIX365
- Emad Shawky – Head of Large Corporate Banking, National Bank of Egypt (NBE)
- Ahmed Boumbarek – Global Head of Value Advisory, Finshape
- Ahmed El-Shamy – Responsible AI Governor – Egypt, Global Council for Responsible AI / EG Bank
- Mohamed ElZarif – Head of IT & IS Audit, KFH Egypt / Marketing Director, ISACA Cairo Chapter
- Nader ElHadidy – Deputy Head of Branches Network, Arab International Bank
- Mohamed Ishak – Deputy Chief Information Officer, Industrial Development Bank (IDB)
- Cherif Shalaby – Financial Inclusion Senior Manager, National Bank of Kuwait / Federation of Egyptian Banks
- Ossama El-Naggar – Group Head, Global Transaction Banking, Banque du Caire
- Mourad El-Sheriei – Head of Quality Assurance & Customer Experience, SAIB Bank
- Emad Kattara – CEO & Founder, Banker’s Lounge
- Rania Osama El Shafie – Head of Financial Inclusion, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
- Manuel Villena – Managing Director for the Middle East, Ria Money Transfer
- Amany Elmahy – Chief Executive, Misr Insurance Company, SFSU
- Mohamed Adel Helmy – CISO, OneBank (formerly MDI)
- Ahmed Abd ElMoez – AVP, Information Security Manager, Mashreq Bank
- Mohamed Shaker – Cybercrime Investigations & Digital Forensics Expert, Egyptian Intellectual Property Authority, Cabinet of Ministers
- Amr Elharony – Egyptian Fintech Association
- Abdallah Atlam – Trade Finance Products Manager, First Abu Dhabi Bank Misr (FABMISR)
- Mohamed Alaa El Din – Senior Finance Officer, Export Development Bank of Egypt (EBank)
- Alaa Abou El Magd – Vice President, Head of Digital Transformation & PMO Division, GB Corp
- Mohamed Besheer – Deputy IT Director, Egyptian Banking Institute
- Ahmed Haikal – Group Head of IT, IS & Digital Banking Auditing
Their collective participation reflected the growing convergence between financial institutions, regulators, technology providers and digital innovators in shaping Egypt’s financial future.
Key Industry Conversations
The summit featured a comprehensive programme of executive panels, strategic discussions and industry presentations focused on the most pressing priorities for Egypt’s financial sector.
The programme featured a keynote by Yasmin Elgibaly, Chief Audit Executive, Industrial Development Bank, who explored the evolving landscape of digital banking and financial inclusion across Egypt, highlighting the role of innovation and technology in creating a more accessible and resilient financial ecosystem.
The Thought Leadership Keynote, “The Governed Box — Where AI Belongs in Banking Automation,” delivered by Aleksei Trefilov, CEO & Product Owner, BRIX365, highlighting the growing importance of responsible AI governance as automation adoption accelerates across banking.
Building on the conversation around transformation across financial services, Manuel Villena, Managing Director for the Middle East, Ria Money Transfer, delivered the keynote “Evolution of Money Remittance from the Beginning of the Age & What the Future Holds,” offering insights into how remittance services have evolved over time and the emerging trends, technologies and opportunities shaping the future of cross-border money movement.
The Power Panel – “Building a Safe, Inclusive & Digitally Enabled Banking Ecosystem” brought together leaders from Banque du Caire, SAIB Bank, Banker’s Lounge, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Ria Money Transfer, moderated by Dr. Amany Elmahy, Chief Executive, Misr Insurance Company (SFSU), to discuss the priorities required to build a secure, accessible and digitally enabled banking ecosystem.
Reimagining Banking Through Digital Transformation
The keynote “Reinventing Corporate Banking Through Digital Transformation,” led by Emad Shawky, Head of Large Corporate Banking, National Bank of Egypt (NBE), explored the changing priorities of technology-led corporate banking transformation. This was followed by “Stop Selling. Start Helping.” from Ahmed Boumbarek, Global Head of Value Advisory, Finshape, and “Risk Management, Compliance & Regulatory Alignment” from Ahmed El-Shamy, Responsible AI Governor – Egypt, Global Council for Responsible AI / EG Bank.
The programme further examined governing the digital bank and strengthening technology risk and controls, AI in financial services, and the shift from digital transformation to intelligent banking, alongside discussions around financial literacy, financial wellbeing and customer-centric banking.
These conversations highlighted the role of digital technologies in widening financial access, improving customer experiences and creating new opportunities for customers and businesses across Egypt.
Fintech’s AI-Driven Future
The summit also featured the Fireside Chat “Fintech’s Next Chapter — From AI Assistants to AI Agents,” bringing together Ahmed Boumbarek, Global Head of Value Advisory, Finshape; Amr Elharony, Founder, Fintech Biliguals; and Mohammed Thoufiq Ulla Khan, Deputy CEO, ICSA.
The discussion explored the evolution of AI in financial services, from AI assistants to AI agents, and how these technologies are shaping the next chapter of fintech innovation.
Executive Leadership: The Future of Banking Transformation in Egypt
The Executive Leadership Panel – “The Future of Banking Transformation in Egypt” brought together senior representatives from First Abu Dhabi Bank Misr (FABMISR), Export Development Bank of Egypt (EBank), GB Corp, the Egyptian Banking Institute and BRIX365, moderated by Mohammed Thoufiq, Deputy CEO, ICSA, to explore the strategic and technological shifts shaping the future of banking in Egypt.
The discussion reflected the sector’s increasing focus on technology modernization, digital customer engagement, operational transformation and the strategic role of innovation in building future-ready financial institutions.
Sponsors & Strategic Partners
The 27th Connected Banking Summit – Egypt 2026 was supported by organisations representing key areas of the financial technology and digital transformation ecosystem.
Sponsors
- Ria Money Transfer
- Finshape
- Vidscola
Supporting Partners
- ISACA Cairo Chapter
- Banker’s Lounge
Banking Innovator
- Hwala
Youth Partner
- AIESEC
The collective participation of these organisations reflected the breadth of Egypt’s evolving financial ecosystem, spanning connected payments, enterprise technology, cybersecurity, capital markets, digital wallets, payment infrastructure and emerging financial services.
Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 – Award Winners
The evening concluded with the prestigious Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026, recognising outstanding institutions and leaders for achievements across digital banking, cybersecurity, financial inclusion, transformation and financial-services excellence.
Institutional Award Winners
- Excellence in Digital Banking Innovation — CIB
- Excellence in Banking Innovation — QNB Egypt
- Excellence in Pioneering New-Age Banking — Banque Misr
- Excellence in Financial Inclusion Initiative — National Bank of Egypt (NBE)
- Excellence in Customer Experience in Banking — ADIB Egypt
- Excellence in ESG & Sustainable Banking Initiative — ADCB Egypt
- Excellence in Transaction Banking — Banque du Caire
- Excellence in Large Corporate Banking — AAIB
- Excellence in Trade Finance Innovation — FABMISR
- Excellence in Corporate Banking Digitization — Mashreq Egypt
- Excellence in Retail Banking Transformation — Crédit Agricole Egypt
- Excellence in Payments Innovation — Bank ABC Egypt
Individual Leadership Award Winners
- CEO of the Year — Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, CIB
- CIO of the Year — Waleed Al-Assuti, Banque Misr
- CTO of the Year — Shaarawy Mohamed, FABMISR
- CISO of the Year — Abeer Khedr, NBE
The awards continue to reflect ICSA’s commitment to recognising the institutions and individuals driving innovation, resilience, inclusion and excellence across the region’s financial ecosystem.
A Connected Future for Egypt’s Banking
The Connected Banking Summit – North Africa & Innovation & Excellence Awards 2026 reinforced the importance of collaboration between financial institutions, regulators, technology leaders and innovators in accelerating Egypt’s digital financial transformation.
The summit provided a platform for senior stakeholders to exchange insights, recognise excellence and explore the partnerships and technologies that will shape the future of banking and financial services in Egypt.
As Egypt continues to advance its digital financial ecosystem, the conversations and connections established at the summit represent an important contribution to building a more secure, inclusive, innovative and digitally enabled future for banking and financial services.
About the Organizers
The International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA) is a global organisation that designs platforms for collaboration, knowledge exchange and leadership dialogue across sectors including banking, technology and digital transformation.
ICSA convenes decision-makers, innovators and policy leaders through executive forums, strategic summits and thought-leadership initiatives that inspire innovation and shape the future of global industries.
Media Contact Information
International Center for Strategic Alliances (ICSA)
Phone: +44 20 3808 8625
Email: info@intercsa.com
General Enquiries: info@intercsa.com
Website: www.intercsa.com
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