SWIFT has announced  that it is hosting its UAE Business Forum in Abu Dhabi on December 7, 2016. The event will take place at the Park Rotana in Abu Dhabi. Several senior banking representatives will be participating in this Business Forum. The programme will focus on topics such as financial crime compliance, the challenges of managing cyber risk, FinTech innovation and the future of payments in the Middle East and also the challenges and opportunities for the country’s financial services industry.

The Forum will explore the theme: “Building for the future: regulation, innovation and the transformation of banking.” The keynote speech will be delivered by Osama Al Rahma, General Manager and Chairman, Al Fardan Exchange & Foreign Exchange Remittance Group (FERG). Additional speakers include senior executives from Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Emirates NBD, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Central Bank of the UAE, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Citi Bank Dubai and Lulu Exchange.

Khaled Moharem, Head of Middle East & North Africa, SWIFT, said: “The UAE is an important global financial hub. The Business Forum UAE will provide a unique platform for leading experts from the financial industry to discuss the most significant issues facing the region.”

Sessions will look specifically at the impact of global regulations on the UAE, and how, as a result of increased due diligence expectations and increasingly specific legislative mandates, financial institutions are re-evaluating their cross-border activities to manage risk. Speakers will discuss how banks in the UAE can balance the needs of their client against the requirements of the regulator while satisfying shareholder demands.

Delegates will also discuss the shift towards real time payments and the evolution of global payment systems. There will be a focus on disruptive technologies and whether the industry is on the verge of a major step change.