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4 PILLARS ON WHICH GCC BANKS CAN FINALLY BUILD THEIR EVERYDAY AI HOUSE

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By Sid Bhatia, Regional VP & General Manager – META, Dataiku

The GCC always learns its lessons well. Since the 2008 financial crisis, regional governments have reformed their FSI sectors to establish greater transparency and stability. Everything from a tightening of liquidity rules to the broad digitalization of the industry, and even the greater focus on ESG, can be tied to central banks’ desire to never again be at the mercy of a global crisis not of their making. While challenges such as currency pegs and inescapable market connectivity remain, strides have been made towards a sustainable, resilient regional FSI industry. The fintech sector is humming with activity. For example, in December, Saudi Arabia’s BNPL (buy now, pay later) success story Tamara became the kingdom’s first fintech unicorn, reaching its billion-dollar valuation during a US$340-million Series C equity funding round. And as smaller players soldier on, showing everyone else what is possible, even veteran brands are looking for ways to do more. Preferably, with less.

Lately, the “do more with less” proposition inevitably leads to generative AI. With all the swagger of a Hollywood starlet, it strutted into the mainstream practically overnight and showed us what modern technology can now do (cheaply) for those who have data. And FSI entities have lots of data. Now if they can only rest their adoption strategy on the right pillars. Here are the four I would suggest.

  1. PREPARE, PREPARE, NOW GO

Clean your data. Organize your data. Train your people and determine who will have access to what. Establish governance policies. Draw up a roadmap of priorities that includes any necessary cloud migrations. What KPIs will you use? How will they be measured and how will they tie to goals in order to tell you whether you are succeeding or failing? All of this goes together to form the horse on the AI journey. The cart, full of AI models, comes later. Without preparation, most complex endeavors are doomed to fail. That said, the preparation should not stall the work. FSIs already have a strong mindset for data gathering and analysis that pervades the workforce. And it benefits nobody to spend all your time feeding and grooming the horse while the cart sits idle. So do not reinvent processes for the sake of reinvention. As you move along the road, everything from the design of workflows to the tolerance for risk may change. You may bore the precious talent waiting to innovate if you spend too much time planning. So, yes, plan diligently, but then get on the road.

  • SPIN PLATES

Banking and risk go hand in hand. And modern risks are appreciably higher than ever. Institutions must protect privacy and their own proprietary interests. Data, analytics, and AI all have direct bearings on regional FSI organizations’ reputations and their obligations to regulators. But again, we must be mindful of the implications of a stationary cart. Banks must be daring enough to act but be cautious enough to do so safely. Your people are your innovators, so they need access to data. Ownership must be granted under the right framework and IT setup. Teams must learn how to balance action with safety — how to spin plates, if you will. They should test, evaluate, and learn from results instinctively while understanding the goal they are pursuing. For example, anti-money-laundering (AML) is an obvious target for AI, with clear benefits, but an inaccurate model could lead to a false positive and, if managed ineptly, could result in a damaged customer relationship at best and widespread brand excoriation at worst.

  • NAIL IT DOWN

At some point, it is time to stop testing the water and commit to a swim. The goal of Everyday AI is a culture change, which requires the embedding of technology in everyday processes. Workflow owners must be empowered to drive their own change, albeit in consultation, or even collaboration, with others. Indeed, it is these traditional silos that so often stall progress on AI journeys. But if culture change has been achieved then all stakeholders will know the metrics, goals, workflows, and governance restrictions in play. This interconnected, collaborative ownership of projects is a path to success but is only possible after the AI culture has been nailed down.

  • GIVE THE NEW KID A SHOT

Generative AI is, to FSI entities, as much a potential boon as it is a bane. While the privacy downsides of certain products may rule them out as adoption targets, the raw technology is extremely powerful for meeting banks’ content-production needs. Costs will plumet while the potential for scalability skyrockets. Some FSI organizations have been attracted to generative AI because of its relatively low data-dependency. It also has the capacity to be a virtual assistant to customer facing human agents, boosting their real-time performance in any number of ways, from proactive information gathering to upselling and cross-selling opportunities. Outside of the customer arena, generative AI can support urgent operational issues such as sustainability. It can sift through thousands of documents and come back with insights on how portfolios are affecting carbon-impact goals. Generative AI has a prominent role to play in the digitalization of the FSI sector. Its applications are extensive and any player not evaluating it may risk being left behind.

THE ROAD TO EVERYDAY AI

Horses and carts aside, it is the journey that matters. Every milestone passed, every project delivered is another step towards the data culture that sets a bank apart. Customers want individualization. They want quick turnarounds on applications and requests for information. And they want security. AI can be an analyst of markets, a valet to customers, and a guard dog for data. Generative AI may be monopolizing the limelight, but no matter which you choose, there are plenty of tools out there that can give regional businesses a leg up, an eye on the horizon, or a fresh new voice.

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Emerging Trends Shaping Financial Empowerment and Inclusion in the UAE Workforce

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Emerging Trends Shaping Financial Empowerment and Inclusion in the UAE Workforce

By Claudio Di Zanni, Managing Director, Edenred Middle East

A portrait of Claudio Di Zanni, Managing Director, Edenred Middle East
Claudio Di Zanni, Managing Director, Edenred Middle East

One of the most critical issues faced by low-income employees across the UAE and the broader Gulf region is achieving true financial empowerment. In the UAE, over 60% of the workforce comprises low-income migrant workers earning less than AED 5,000 per month. These employees are the backbone of the nation’s key industries, yet many still struggle to access the benefits of a fully digital financial ecosystem.

While the UAE’s Wage Protection System (WPS) was introduced to safeguard workers’ rights—ensuring salaries are paid accurately, on time, and through traceable digital channels—the banking system’s minimum salary requirement prevents a large portion of the workforce from opening traditional accounts. This creates a structural gap that payroll solutions are designed to fill, enabling compliant salary payments and basic access to digital finance.

As the Middle East accelerates its digital transformation and workforce reforms, how workers are paid and supported financially has become as important as how they contribute to growth. This shift has put a renewed spotlight on the systems managing their wages and day-to-day financial needs. For low-income employees, these systems determine not just how they are paid, but how securely they live—affecting access to savings, remittances, and their ability to handle emergencies.

When Digital Pay Isn’t Enough

The introduction of the Wage Protection System marked a turning point in the UAE’s journey toward fair and transparent wage practices. Today, nearly all employees are paid through digital channels, ensuring salaries are disbursed accurately and on time. Yet despite these advances, a significant percentage of wages are still withdrawn in cash each month, showing that digital pay does not automatically translate into digital financial inclusion.

For many employees, limited digital literacy, mistrust of financial systems, and unfamiliarity with digital tools prevent them from engaging fully with the digital economy. As a result, the very system designed to protect and empower workers can feel more like a compliance obligation than an opportunity for empowerment.

This is where payroll providers play a critical role. Too often, the industry stops at compliance—ensuring wages are delivered digitally—without addressing the human factors that determine whether employees can truly benefit from financial technology. Empowerment comes not from the transfer itself, but from helping workers understand, trust, and use digital money confidently. Only then can payroll innovation translate into lasting financial well-being and equal access to economic opportunity across the UAE.

Digital salary management platforms have already transformed how employees receive and manage their earnings. Mobile apps and prepaid cards now give workers immediate access to their wages, allowing them to make purchases, send remittances, and track expenses in real time. Many solutions integrate seamlessly with the WPS, enabling even unbanked employees to participate in the digital economy for the first time. A recent study found that organizations implementing mobile-accessible payroll solutions report up to 25 percent higher employee satisfaction, underscoring the clear business value of digital inclusion.

Empowering Through Education

Financial literacy programs are equally critical in helping employees make informed decisions about saving, budgeting, credit, and long-term planning. In the UAE, less than 31 percent of the population demonstrates basic financial literacy, highlighting a major opportunity to empower workers through education.

From workshops to mobile-based learning tools, such programs can equip employees with the practical skills to use digital salary systems effectively, avoid debt traps, and build savings or plan remittances. Employers that distribute salary cards directly at worker accommodations and provide multilingual support during onboarding see much higher adoption rates, as these field-level activations build trust and make digital tools easier to use.

Employers who take financial education seriously often see a clear business impact. Companies that invest in onboarding sessions and field engagement consistently report higher digital adoption rates. These activations not only build trust but also transform digital payroll from a compliance task into a tangible employee benefit.

When workers understand and trust digital tools, they gain control over their finances—and that stability shows at work. Financial stress is one of the most common challenges among low-income employees, limiting their ability to manage urgent expenses and affecting productivity, retention, and overall well-being. In sectors such as construction, this stress can even impact concentration and safety, as employees distracted by financial worries are less able to perform at their best.

Partnerships between employers and fintechs like Edenred are expanding this approach, combining digital wage tools with financial education programs that improve confidence, satisfaction, and long-term well-being.

The Next Phase of Financial Empowerment

Employers remain central to driving inclusion. By choosing payroll partners that provide multilingual support, education, and easy mobile access, companies can reduce disputes, strengthen retention, and improve overall workforce stability.

A growing number of organizations are now exploring earned wage access programs, which allow employees to access a portion of their earned income before payday. Surveys show that most low-income workers value this flexibility to cover urgent expenses, medical bills, or family emergencies—without resorting to high-interest loans or informal borrowing. When paired with education and budgeting tools, earned wage access can provide not just relief in emergencies but also encourage more responsible money management.

This flexibility can increase employees’ sense of financial security, yet it should complement—not replace—broader financial literacy and planning initiatives. The most successful models combine accessible financial products, user education, and ongoing engagement, ensuring workers have both the tools and the confidence to manage their finances effectively.

As technology evolves, artificial intelligence and data analytics will make financial support more personalized and accessible. Predictive models can help employers identify employees under financial strain, while new digital products can guide users toward healthier financial behaviors. But technology alone will not close the gap.

Real progress will depend on collaboration between fintechs, employers, and regulators to build an ecosystem that blends technology, education, and empathy. Businesses increasingly recognize that supporting workers in their financial journeys fosters a more engaged and loyal workforce, directly impacting productivity and retention. Selecting payroll partners that combine compliance with education, multilingual support, and mobile accessibility helps companies reduce payroll disputes and improve satisfaction.

The trajectory of financial empowerment for low-income employees in the UAE is promising. The next stage will depend on how effectively stakeholders align innovation with understanding—ensuring every salary payment becomes an opportunity for inclusion and growth. When that happens, financial empowerment will move from aspiration to reality.

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MultiBank Group and Khabib Nurmagomedov Launch an Exclusive Worldwide Multi-Billion-Dollar Joint Venture to Build the World’s First Regulated Tokenized Sports Ecosystem

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Multibank Group, the financial derivatives institution, has entered into an exclusive worldwide multi-billion-dollar joint venture with global sports icon and undefeated UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) to create a first-of-its-kind regulated ecosystem connecting global finance, sports and technology.

The partnership will culminate in the creation of a multi-billion-dollar joint venture, MultiBank Khabib LLC, uniting two global powerhouses: MultiBank Group, a leader in regulated financial excellence, and Khabib Nurmagomedov, undefeated in the octagon and whose influence extends far beyond sport. The company will operate from MultiBank Group’s headquarters in Dubai, building a worldwide network of high-end sports ventures and real-world digital assets. This structure fulfills the vision of MultiBank Group Founder and Chairman, Naser Taher, for an exclusive global joint venture, granting MultiBank exclusive rights to develop and promote projects under the Khabib Nurmagomedov brand name, including the development of 30 state of the art Khabib gyms, Gameplan and Eagle FC brands.

The entire venture is backed by MultiBank Group’s regulated digital ecosystem and powered by its cornerstone $MBG Token being the driving force behind its expanding portfolio of real-world-asset (RWA) technologies and initiatives.

 Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group, stated: “From the UAE, we are shaping a new blueprint for the business of sport through the regulated tokenization of real-world sports assets (RWSA). Together with Khabib Nurmagomedov, and powered by our ecosystem token, $MBG, we are uniting finance and athletics into a single transparent, technology-driven ecosystem — one built on trust, innovation, and the strength of the MultiBank framework. This initiative proudly aligns with the UAE’s vision of becoming a global hub for digital asset innovation and world-class sports.

Khabib Nurmagomedov added: “This partnership with MultiBank Group is built on shared values of strength, respect, and discipline. Together with Multibank, we are building real global opportunities that go beyond sport, empowering athletes, and fans through a regulated and innovative digital ecosystem. This is only the beginning.”

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Edenred UAE strengthens market leadership with financially inclusive payroll solutions, C3Pay serving 2.5 million users

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Edenred, a leading digital platform for services and specific purpose payments and the undisputed market leader in salary processing and financial inclusion for the underbanked in the UAE, continues to reinforce its leading position in payroll card solutions, value-added financial services, and compliance-first innovation under the leadership of newly appointed Managing Director Claudio Di Zanni.

As the first company authorised by the Central Bank of the UAE to process WPS salaries, Edenred UAE has long positioned financial inclusion as the foundation of its offer in UAE — ensuring that access to financial services isn’t an added benefit, but a guaranteed outcome of getting paid. 

Trusted by both large enterprises and a growing base of SMEs, the backbone of the UAE economy, Edenred UAE now serves more than 15,000 corporate clients, 2.5 million cardholders, and partners with over 10 banks and 20 financial institutions. Demand has been strong in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, and facility management—where reliability and seamless execution are critical.

Edenred UAE salary cards, C3Pay, powered by RAKBANK and part of the Mastercard network, can be used globally. A key driver of Edenred’s adoption success is its unmatched expertise in on-site training at worker accommodations, which helps large enterprises efficiently onboard thousands of employees. This ensures that workers understand how to activate their cards, utilise app features, and engage with key financial tools.

Claudio Di Zanni, Managing Director, Edenred Middle East, said: “Edenred UAE has set the benchmark for payroll and financial access in the region with digital innovative solutions, great ambitions and internationally committed teams. Our ambition now is to extend that lead by deepening trust with our clients, scaling services that matter to end users, and ensuring full compliance in a fast-evolving regulatory landscape. With unmatched reach, an expanding client base, and a proven model for financial inclusion, we are ready to shape the next phase of the region’s salary card ecosystem — developing its full potential and contributing to giving workers who were previously excluded from the financial system a secure, transparent, and dignified way to manage their money.

Edenred UAE remains the reference in payroll solutions, as it continues to scale high-impact services, deepen banking partnerships, and reinforce its role as the benchmark for secure, compliant, and ethical financial access in the UAE and beyond. With a sharpened focus on innovation and strengthened leadership, it is entering a new chapter of platform excellence as the backbone of financial access for the UAE’s workforce.

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