Fintech Forward 2026

Fintech Forward is Bahrain's flagship financial technology summit, hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board and programmed by Forbes Middle East. The 2026 event is the fourth edition and runs over two mornings of keynotes, fireside chats and panels in the Grand Hall of Exhibition World Bahrain, with support from the Central Bank of Bahrain, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Tamkeen and Bahrain FinTech Bay.

What's on the programme

Day one looks at the infrastructure beneath modern finance; day two turns to trust, identity, SME credit and the future of the bank. The published agenda includes these sessions:

• Building resilient financial infrastructure in the age of intelligence
• Stablecoins and payment rails in practical use
• Tokenized finance and programmable settlement
• Cross-border financial corridors and interoperability
• Agentic AI in finance and accountability
• AI for risk, fraud and compliance
• SME finance, data and working capital
• Digital identity for people, businesses and AI agents
• Fighting scams and AI-enabled fraud
• Core banking systems for an always-on sector

Who attends

The summit brings together leaders from banks, fintechs, payment companies, digital asset firms and investors, alongside policymakers and regulators from Bahrain and abroad. Confirmed speakers include the Group CEO of National Bank of Bahrain, the founder of Flutterwave, the CEO of Paymob and the CEO of Bahrain FinTech Bay.

Headliners and awards

Former Google X chief business officer Mo Gawdat closes the second day with a fireside chat on what humans should still decide when intelligence is everywhere, and former Manchester United striker Louis Saha is also on the line-up. The second day ends with a Digital Awards Ceremony hosted by the Bahrain Association of Banks.

Tickets & passes

• Delegate Pass — USD 400: Early bird USD 200. Full summit access, reserved main-stage seating, priority registration, coffee breaks and lunch, post-event content pack
• Visitor Pass: Access to the summit area, panel discussions and exhibiting partners; price not published