The Malakut Business Forum 2026 is set to bring more than 750 delegates and over 300 companies together at Sky Bubble, Meydan Hotel, Dubai, on 25 November 2026, with C-suite executives and directors accounting for 60 per cent of attendees.

The one-day forum will convene senior leaders from banking, trade, insurance, logistics and industry across five streams: Finance, Risk, Artificial Intelligence, Logistics and Technology.

The 2026 edition builds on the success of the inaugural forum with even greater scale and a more focused agenda. Organisers are lining up more than 25 industry speakers and over 20 partners, with a projected digital reach of 200,000+ online users, providing even more opportunities for partners to connect, engage and be seen. The key topics to be explored during this edition include business resilience, geopolitical challenges, innovation and the future of global trade.

“Business leaders are making critical decisions under pressure, across borders and with less certainty than ever. The Malakut Business Forum was created to bring the right people into the same room, so decisions are better informed and conversations turn into real opportunities. Our 2026 edition is bigger, bolder and built for impact, and we are proud to host it in Dubai, a global crossroads of trade,” said Alex Dolgopolov, CEO of Malakut, the Founding Partner of Malakut Business Forum 2026

The programme is built around real cases and candid discussion. Finance sessions will examine how companies protect liquidity under pressure and turn high-risk projects into bankable ones. The Risk stream will address securing political violence and war risk cover during active conflict, and what businesses can do when the insurance market will not take the risk. Artificial Intelligence sessions will look at AI savings that reached the P&L, the move from copilots to agents and what leaders refuse to automate. Logistics will tackle rerouting during conflicts and the question of who pays for resilience, while Technology will cover scaling across fragmented markets and modernising core systems without disrupting daily operations.

Beyond the main stage, delegates can expect a networking reception, a partner showcase, a live podcast studio, VIP hospitality and an evening cocktail and dinner experience. Private Skyboxes overlooking the Meydan race track will offer partners an exclusive setting for high-value meetings with clients, prospects and partners.

Pay10, a UAE-regulated financial technology company, today announced a series of strategic partnerships, commercial agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) at Dubai FinTech Summit 2026. The announcements mark a step towards expanding digital payment choices and supporting the UAE’s transition towards real-time, interoperable and account-based payments, in alignment with the Central Bank of the UAE’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) Programme. 

Pay10’s partnerships with leading brands, including GEMS, Jumbo Electronics, Bikanervala, Allday, Just Gold and Save In Gold, span education, retail, food and beverage and specialised commerce. With live deployments already in place at GEMS, Bikanervala, Allday and Just Gold, Pay10 is extending its payment ecosystem across everyday consumer and business transactions. 

Building a Connected Payments Ecosystem 

Pay10 brings together instant payments, Open Finance, digital accounts, domestic card infrastructure and merchant payment acceptance through an integrated platform. 

Directly integrated with Aani, Pay10 enables instant payments and supports account-based payment experiences. Its Open Finance capabilities allow consumers to securely connect supported bank accounts, access consolidated financial information and monitor spending through one application. Its Jaywan issuance capabilities also enable eligible wallet customers to access domestic card payments across POS terminals, ATMs and e-commerce channels. 

For merchants, the platform offers multiple payment acceptance options, including Pay by Pay10, Pay by Bank, card acceptance, interoperable QR payments, payment links and digital payouts. Its proprietary POS application, QR and soundbox solutions are supported by an in-house Terminal Management System. 

Through supported account-based payment methods, merchants can access funds in real time, helping improve cash flow and reduce payment acceptance costs, with potential savings of up to 70% in applicable use cases. Pay10 also reports transaction success rates of over 90% across its integrated technology infrastructure. 

Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations 

The partnerships with GEMS and Jumbo Electronics aim to expand digital payment choices and improve collection efficiency across education and consumer retail. Existing deployments with GEMS, Bikanervala, Allday and Just Gold demonstrate the application of Pay10’s payment solutions across different commercial environments. 

Allday, a leading convenience chain in the region, presents an opportunity to explore the impact of digital payment solutions across high-frequency, small-value transactions. 

Pay10 also announced several MoUs to explore emerging financial use cases. Its partnership with Yalla Financial Solutions, part of Fintra Holding, will explore bank-account-based wallet funding through Open Finance. 

Additionally, our collaboration with TotalPay will enable TotalPay to access Pay10’s merchant payment acceptance capabilities through its technology platform and integrations. The partnership aims to expand merchant payment choices and simplify the adoption of emerging payment solutions. 

Dr. Waleed Sadek, Founder & CEO of Yalla Financial Solutions, said: “We are pleased to explore this strategic collaboration with Pay10, reflecting our shared vision of building a more connected and accessible financial ecosystem. Through Open Finance and account-based wallet funding, we aim to unlock new opportunities for seamless digital payments and enhance the financial experience for businesses and consumers across the region.” 

Supporting the UAE’s Financial Infrastructure 

Pay10’s strategy aligns with the Central Bank of the UAE’s FIT Programme through the adoption of domestic payment infrastructure, including Aani, Jaywan and Open Finance. By investing in direct infrastructure connectivity and proprietary technology, the company aims to support greater interoperability, financial inclusion and more efficient payment experiences. 

Harry Gill, Founder & Chairman, Pay10, said: “The UAE has laid the foundations for the future of finance, and our goal is to make it accessible to everyone. Pay10 is building a UAE-based alternative payment ecosystem that brings together domestic payment infrastructure, Open Finance, accounts, cards and merchant solutions. Our partnerships with GEMS, Jumbo Electronics, Bikanervala, Allday and Just Gold reflect growing confidence in this vision. We remain committed to advancing the UAE’s financial ambitions through a connected, interoperable ecosystem built to scale globally.” 

Our collaboration with TotalPay will enable it to access Pay10’s payment acceptance capabilities for merchants through TotalPay’s technology platform and integrations. The partnership aims to expand merchant payment choices and simplify the adoption of emerging payment solutions. 

With further agreements, product launches and integrations in development, Pay10 aims to expand its consumer and merchant capabilities across the UAE and international markets. 

Henry Dannell, a specialist cross-border credit adviser, has announced its expansion into the Middle East with the opening of a representative office in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), marking a significant milestone in the firm’s international growth strategy.

The move reflects rising demand for specialist advice among internationally mobile individuals whose financial interests increasingly span multiple jurisdictions, asset classes, and lending structures. As Dubai continues to strengthen its position as a global wealth and investment hub, attracting entrepreneurs, family offices, investors, and high-net-worth individuals from around the world, the complexity of managing wealth across borders has increased significantly. Many of these individuals now live, work, invest, and hold assets internationally, creating borrowing requirements that often extend beyond conventional lending frameworks.

Henry Dannell’s expansion into Dubai is designed to bring the firm’s specialist expertise closer to the region’s growing network of wealth advisers, family offices, tax specialists, legal professionals, and internationally connected clients.

Founded in 2019, Henry Dannell has built a reputation for delivering bespoke credit and lending solutions for clients with highly sophisticated financial circumstances. The firm’s advisers support a broad spectrum of clients, from business owners and entrepreneurs to ultra-high-net-worth individuals, helping them navigate complex borrowing scenarios that frequently involve multiple jurisdictions, unconventional income structures, and international assets. Unlike traditional mortgage providers, Henry Dannell operates as a specialist advisory business focused on structuring tailored credit solutions and working alongside trusted professional advisers to address complex financing requirements.

The establishment of the DIFC representative office represents the first phase of the company’s broader regional growth ambitions and will serve as a hub for relationship-building, market engagement, and collaboration with professional advisory communities across the Middle East.

Kem Kemal, CEO and Co-Founder of Henry Dannell, said: “Over the last decade, we have seen a fundamental shift in how wealth is created, managed, and deployed. Successful individuals are increasingly global in their outlook. They may operate businesses in one country, hold investments in another, and seek opportunities across several markets simultaneously. Yet lending has not always evolved at the same pace.”

He explained that too often, highly accomplished individuals with substantial assets and strong financial positions encounter challenges because their circumstances fall outside conventional frameworks. “Our role is to understand the complete picture and design bespoke solutions that reflect the realities of modern international wealth.”

“Dubai has become one of the most important centers for global capital, entrepreneurship and wealth advisory services,” he added. “Establishing a presence within DIFC allows us to be closer to the professional advisers and internationally connected clients we serve, while strengthening relationships across a region that continues to play an increasingly influential role in global finance.”

With over 165 years of combined industry experience across its advisory team, Henry Dannell has developed specialist expertise across residential, commercial, and specialist lending transactions. Through its Dubai presence, Henry Dannell aims to deepen engagement with the region’s professional advisory ecosystem while contributing to discussions around international wealth, investment, and cross-border financial planning.