MENA Fintech Association

Introduction

MENA Fintech Association (MFTA) is a regional not-for-profit fintech association supporting financial technology innovation across the Middle East and North Africa. It connects fintech companies, financial institutions, technology providers, investors, accelerators, policymakers and ecosystem partners through working groups, events, policy dialogue and regional collaboration. MFTA is relevant to PSPs, wallets, payment processors, open finance providers and fintech infrastructure companies that need visibility across the MENA digital finance ecosystem.

What is MENA Fintech Association and who does it represent

MENA Fintech Association is a regional fintech association and collaborative platform for the Middle East and North Africa. It represents and connects stakeholders across the fintech ecosystem, including fintech startups, established financial technology companies, banks, payment providers, technology firms, investors, accelerators, academia, policymakers and other ecosystem participants.

MFTA is broader than a payments association. Its work covers digital payments, open finance, banking technology, regtech, lending, wealth and capital markets, AI, sustainability, financial inclusion and other areas of financial technology.

For payment operators, MFTA is most relevant as a regional ecosystem and policy-engagement platform. It helps PSPs, wallets, processors and payment infrastructure firms follow fintech priorities across MENA, understand where regional collaboration is developing, and connect with partners working on payment innovation, open finance, embedded finance and digital financial services.

Mission and advocacy focus

MFTA supports the growth of the MENA fintech ecosystem by encouraging collaboration between fintech firms, financial institutions, technology companies, regulators, policymakers and investors. Its work is centred on knowledge-sharing, ecosystem development, working groups, regional dialogue and responsible financial innovation.

The association’s advocacy is most relevant where fintech innovation depends on regulatory dialogue, market education, cross-border collaboration, digital trust, open finance, financial inclusion and cooperation between public and private-sector stakeholders.

MFTA’s value is strongest for companies that want regional visibility rather than single-country operational guidance. It can help payment firms understand common themes across the region, but local licensing, acquiring, payment scheme access and regulatory approvals still depend on the rules and institutions in each market.

Policy domains

• Digital payments and payment innovation — Relevance for PSPs, wallets, processors, payment gateways, remittance providers and fintechs building digital transaction services.
• Open finance and data sharing — Work connected to open banking, account connectivity, APIs, customer-permissioned data and digital financial infrastructure.
• Regtech, compliance and policy dialogue — Interest for firms working on KYC, AML, fraud prevention, regulatory technology, governance and financial services compliance.
• Financial inclusion and access — Support for fintech models that expand access to financial services for consumers, SMEs and underserved communities.
• AI and future finance — Ecosystem discussion around artificial intelligence, automation, digital operating models and technology-led change in financial services.
• Sustainable and responsible fintech — Coverage of sustainability, impact, responsible innovation and long-term development of the fintech ecosystem.
• Regional collaboration — Cross-market knowledge exchange between fintech communities, financial institutions, public-sector stakeholders and ecosystem partners.

Geographic scope and cross-border reach

MENA Fintech Association focuses on the Middle East and North Africa. Its work is most relevant to companies operating in, expanding across or monitoring fintech development in markets such as the Gulf, Levant, North Africa and wider regional financial hubs.

For payment operators, the regional scope is useful because many payment opportunities in MENA involve multi-market strategy: wallets, remittances, merchant acquiring, open finance, cross-border payments, embedded finance, digital banking partnerships and financial inclusion. MFTA can support regional context and relationships, while market-specific compliance must still be handled locally.

Why MENA Fintech Association matters for payments operators

MENA Fintech Association matters for PSPs, wallets, gateways, payment processors, acquirers, remittance providers, open finance platforms, orchestration providers and fintech infrastructure companies with exposure to the MENA region.

The association is useful because payments in MENA are closely linked to fintech regulation, bank-fintech partnerships, open finance, digital wallets, merchant digitisation, remittances, cross-border commerce, fraud prevention and financial inclusion. MFTA gives payment operators a regional forum to follow these themes and understand how fintech stakeholders are discussing them.

For PSPs, MFTA can support market visibility, partnership discovery, working-group participation and policy awareness. It is especially relevant for teams working in strategy, partnerships, product, policy, compliance, government affairs, risk, innovation and executive leadership.

MFTA is less directly relevant for technical payment system rules or licensing. Payment operators still need to work with local regulators, banks, schemes, acquirers, payment infrastructure providers and legal advisers in each target market.

Who runs MENA Fintech Association and who are the members

MENA Fintech Association operates as a regional not-for-profit fintech association with leadership, members, working groups, events, public initiatives and ecosystem partnerships. Its public profile is centred on collaboration, fintech innovation and regional knowledge exchange.

Its community includes fintech startups, established fintech companies, financial institutions, technology providers, investors, accelerators, academic partners, policymakers and other organisations involved in the MENA financial technology ecosystem.

Members and participant categories

Member activity

MFTA member activity may include working groups, committees, events, webinars, policy discussions, publications, networking, mentorship and ecosystem collaboration. Members can use the association to follow regional fintech themes, connect with peers, contribute to industry discussions and increase visibility across MENA.

Participation is most useful for companies that want regional fintech access, partner discovery, policy context and working-group involvement rather than direct access to payment rails or regulatory approval.

What does MENA Fintech Association publish and who does it influence

Policy and ecosystem engagement

MFTA engages with fintech ecosystem stakeholders across the region through working groups, public discussions, events and policy-oriented initiatives. Its activity includes thematic groups focused on areas such as payments, open finance, policy and regulation, AI, wealth and sustainable fintech.

Its influence is strongest as a regional convener and industry platform. It can help surface fintech-sector priorities, support dialogue between industry and public-sector stakeholders, and give members a way to contribute to regional conversations on financial technology.

For payment operators, this engagement is useful where regional fintech policy, payments innovation, open finance, remittances, digital identity, fraud prevention and bank-fintech cooperation affect product and partnership strategy.

Research, working groups and public resources

MFTA publishes news, announcements, event updates, working-group materials and ecosystem content. Its working groups are particularly important because they create structured spaces for members to discuss specific topics such as payments, open finance, policy, AI and sector development.

For PSPs and payment firms, the most relevant resources are those connected to digital payments, open finance, payment innovation, regulatory dialogue, fintech partnerships, financial inclusion, AI in finance and cross-market collaboration.

Events and convenings

MFTA organises and participates in fintech events, networking sessions, working-group meetings and regional ecosystem convenings. These activities can bring together fintech companies, banks, regulators, technology providers, investors and other financial services stakeholders.

For payment operators, events are useful for market visibility, partnerships, ecosystem intelligence and understanding how fintech companies across MENA are responding to regulatory, infrastructure and customer adoption trends.

How to join MENA Fintech Association

MENA Fintech Association provides membership routes through its public membership channels. Companies and individuals interested in joining can review available categories, benefits and pricing through the association’s membership process.

Who can join

MFTA membership is relevant for organisations and professionals connected to the MENA fintech ecosystem. This may include fintech companies, PSPs, wallets, processors, banks, technology providers, regtech firms, investors, accelerators, academic partners, consultants and other participants involved in financial technology.

For payment companies, the strongest fit is where the business operates in MENA, supports regional fintechs, enables digital payments, works with open finance, provides payment infrastructure or wants to participate in regional fintech working groups.

Membership tiers and fees

MFTA publishes membership options through its membership page, with routes for different types of participants. Available options may include company and individual participation, with benefits such as ecosystem access, events, member visibility, newsletters, working-group eligibility and community engagement.

Companies interested in joining can use MFTA’s membership channels to select the current category that matches their organisation type and participation goals.

What members commit to

Members participate for ecosystem engagement, working-group access, regional visibility, education, networking and collaboration across the MENA fintech community. Participation may involve attending events, contributing expertise, joining committees, sharing market insight and supporting responsible fintech development.

Membership does not provide payment licensing, regulatory approval, bank sponsorship, acquiring access, payment system access or permission to operate a regulated financial service in any MENA market.

FAQ

Is MENA Fintech Association a regulator?

No. MENA Fintech Association is not a regulator, licensing authority or financial supervisor. It is a regional fintech association that connects ecosystem participants and supports industry dialogue. Payment firms still need to work with the relevant national regulators, banks, schemes and legal advisers in each MENA market where they operate.

Why does MENA Fintech Association matter for PSPs?

MFTA matters for PSPs because many MENA fintech priorities are payment-related: digital wallets, open finance, remittances, merchant digitisation, embedded finance, cross-border payments and financial inclusion. The association helps payment firms follow regional conversations, identify partners and understand where fintech collaboration is developing across the region.

Is MFTA only for fintech startups?

No. MFTA is not limited to early-stage fintech startups. Its community can include established fintechs, PSPs, banks, technology providers, investors, accelerators, consultants, academic partners and public-sector stakeholders. The common link is involvement in the MENA financial technology ecosystem.

What payment topics are most relevant to MFTA?

The most relevant payment topics are digital wallets, payment gateways, remittances, open finance, account-to-account payments, payment infrastructure, merchant digitisation, embedded finance and cross-border payment collaboration. These topics sit within MFTA’s wider fintech agenda rather than forming a separate payment scheme or infrastructure mandate.

Does MFTA help with market entry in MENA?

MFTA can help companies understand the regional fintech ecosystem, meet potential partners and follow market-level discussions. It does not provide licensing, regulatory approval, local legal advice, acquiring access or bank sponsorship. PSPs entering a specific MENA country still need local compliance, banking and operational support.

How is MFTA different from national fintech associations?

A national fintech association focuses on one country’s policy, regulation and ecosystem. MFTA works across the broader MENA region, making it more useful for regional visibility, cross-market networking and shared fintech themes. Companies with a specific launch market should also follow the relevant national association or regulator.

What does MENA Fintech Association publish?

MFTA publishes association news, event updates, working-group announcements, ecosystem materials and fintech thought leadership. For payment operators, the most useful themes are payments, open finance, policy and regulation, AI in finance, financial inclusion, sustainable fintech and regional fintech collaboration.