An extensive range of technology solutions dedicated to the financial services industry is being showcased at The Middle East Financial Technology Exhibition & Conference (MEFTEC 2004). Over 80 exhibitors from more than 20 countries are participating and numerous banking and finance sector professionals from the region are attending the event, which is being hosted at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre from 22 – 24 November.
The event will showcase specialized IT solutions for the banking and finance sector and is being held under the patronage of HE Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Governor of the Bahrain Monetary Agency.
The broad spectrum of offerings on show include cutting-edge solutions for branch automation, self-service delivery channels, business continuity & disaster recovery, IT security, IT and business process outsourcing, business intelligence, CRM, risk management, cards and payments, clearing & settlement, wealth management and Islamic finance.
“At long last, the Middle East’s financial services industry has an event dedicated to its specialised technology needs,” said Paul Stott, Managing Director of UK-based Media Generation Exhibitions Ltd, the event organisers working in collaboration with the Bahrain Convention & Exhibition Bureau.
“MEFTEC is designed to replace the need for the region’s financial houses to attend generic IT trade shows. Rather, industry leaders can now gather at this highly focused, vertical trade event and review all their technology needs in one go.”
The exhibitors at MEFTEC are from the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, Greece, India, Cyprus, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Egypt and Pakistan. Singapore is mounting a national pavillion.
“We are overwhelmed with the response MEFTEC has generated among the leading regional and international IT players. The exhibition has been sold out well in advance of schedule, and we already have a long waiting list of clients for the second edition of the event,” added Mr Stott.
“The success of MEFTEC is largely driven by booming demand for specialised financial services technology in the Middle East region. According to Dubai-based Madar Research, the region’s banks and financial institutions spent close to US$ 1 billion on technology in 2003, and this spending is expected to register continued growth over the next several years. It is a defining time for the industry, and that makes this month’s MEFTEC even more significant.”
MEFTEC is expected to draw senior decision-makers from the top 100 financial institutions across the Middle East and North Africa region. These include 50 top industry buyers from more than 12 countries, who are being fully hosted by the organisers as part of the MEFTEC VIP Hosted Delegate Programme.
Microsoft Corporation is the Platinum Sponsor of MEFTEC. Other major sponsors include SAP Arabia, Reuters, Atos Origin, Misys, Temenos, Naizak, Hitachi Data Systems, Giesecke & Devrient, Polaris, Tata Consultancy Services, SAS, eHosting Datafort, Accpac, Avaya and i-flex Solutions. (menareport.com)
