Why Fintechs and Banks Run on Different Clocks | Michael O’Loughlin | Wall Street to MENA
Founders and banks can leave the same meeting with completely different takeaways, and it comes down to time. Founders measure time in runway, payroll, and board pressure. Banks measure it in governance, resilience, and trust. In this episode of Wall Street to MENA, Michael O’Loughlin, Managing Partner at Argonautic Global and US Ambassador of the […]
IMF Says UAE Economy is “Strong, Sound & Well Prepared” | Nameer Khan Breaks It Down
The IMF has just wrapped a nine-day mission to the UAE, and the verdict is clear: despite regional geopolitical tensions, the economy is showing remarkable resilience. In this episode, Nameer Khan, Chairman of the MENA Fintech Association, breaks down what the report actually means, why it matters, and what it signals to global capital. Topics […]
Greenwashing or Real ESG? Gihan Hyde on the Gulf’s Sustainability Reckoning | Wall Street to MENA
Is ESG in the Gulf substance or spin? Corporate governance strategist and MFTA member Gihan Hyde joins Wall Street to MENA to break down how to separate genuine sustainability commitments from glossy PR. Gihan explains how board ownership, measurement transparency, and where the budget actually goes reveal whether ESG is real or just reporting theatre. […]
Why a Payment License Means Nothing Without Trust | Arnaud Wenger, Tazapay | Wall Street to MENA
In this episode of Wall Street to MENA, powered by Fintech TV, Raghda Ibraheem sits down with Arnaud Wenger, Group Chief Compliance Officer at Tazapay, fresh off a Series B extension backed by Circle Ventures, Coinbase Ventures and CMT Digital. With licenses already secured across Singapore, Canada, Australia and the United States, and an active […]
Why Fintech Deals Die Before the Contract | Michael O’Loughlin, US Ambassador, MFTA
Drawing on experience inside banks, scaling fintechs, and now investing in companies selling back into financial institutions, Michael breaks down where these deals actually break down: not technology, but ownership. Getting the first meeting is easy. Getting a real champion who can carry the idea through procurement, risk, compliance, and security is where most fintechs […]
Qatar’s Quiet Fintech Rise: Tokenization, Fawran and the $3B Bet | Gaurav Sachdeva
In this episode of Wall Street to MENA, powered by Fintech TV, Raghda Ibraheem sits down with Gaurav Sachdeva, co-founder of The Founders Majlis, Chief Business Officer at X Square, and Co-Chair of MFTA Qatar. Recorded on a day of mourning for Qatar following the passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the architect […]
Stablecoins Without Borders: OrbitX Pay CEO Ankitt Gaur on the Future of Global Payments
In this episode of Wall Street to MENA, Raghda Ibraheem sits down with Ankitt Gaur, founder and CEO of OrbitX Pay and a MENA Fintech Association member, to talk about what happens when stablecoins meet everyday spending. OrbitX Pay lets users hold dollar-denominated stablecoins and spend them on a Visa card in over 140 countries. […]
VARA Hits 50 Crypto Licenses: What’s Next for Dubai’s Digital Asset Market? | Zain Umer, CFC Mena
VARA has issued its 50th virtual asset license in Dubai, and Zain Umer (Co-Chair Policy and Regulations at Mena Fintech Association) has watched the entire journey from the inside. As CEO of CFC Mena and co-chair of the MFTA Policy and Regulations Working Group, he was part of VARA’s original team when license number one […]
Agentic AI in Finance: Ronit Ghose on Herding Risk and the Gulf’s AI Edge | Wall Street to MENA
Ronit Ghose, Industry Chair of the Future of Finance and AI Group at MFTA, joins Wall Street to MENA to break down agentic AI and what it actually means for banking in the Gulf. Ghose explains the shift from generative AI (which shows you answers) to agentic AI (which acts on your behalf), using the […]
Inside the Gulf’s $35 Billion Sustainable Finance Boom | Dr. Jelena Janjusevic
The Gulf’s sustainable finance market has hit $35 billion, and the region isn’t slowing down. In this interview, Dr. Jelena Janjusevic, Deputy Global Head of Department at Heriot-Watt University Dubai and MFTA member, joins Raghda Ibraheem on Fintech TV to break down what’s really driving this shift. Topics covered: What sustainable finance actually means, and […]