In this episode of Wall Street to MENA, host Rachel sits down with Christine Abou Assali, Co-Chair of the Policy and Regulation Working Group at the MENA FinTech Association and Partner at Alem Associates, to unpack how founders can navigate the UAE’s multi-regulator fintech landscape.
Christine shares how her career in derivatives and securitizations shaped her approach to complex financial regulation, and why lawyers and regulators are now actively shaping the fintech market rather than simply reacting to it.
She breaks down a practical three-question framework every founder should ask before approaching a regulator: what is your product, what is your activity, and who are your customers. Christine also addresses a common concern in the industry, whether rising compliance costs are stifling innovation, and explains why the UAE’s risk-based, proportionate regulatory approach is designed to support founders at every stage of growth.