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25 June 2025 | Muscat, Oman

Oman Decision-Makers Roundtable

Future-Ready Finance: Building Resilience, Trust & Innovation in Oman’s Evolving Market

Overview

Oman’s financial sector is navigating a period of accelerated transformation, shaped by digital innovation, regulatory modernization, and economic diversification under Vision 2040. The Oman Leaders Roundtable convenes senior decision-makers from banks, fintechs, regulators, and investment bodies for a focused dialogue on the future of financial services in the Sultanate.

Against a backdrop of shifting customer expectations, increased demand for Islamic and sustainable finance, and a growing appetite for embedded and cross-border digital services, the roundtable will explore how institutions can deepen resilience, enhance customer trust, and embrace innovation.

Key themes include:

AI-Driven Personalization: Building Trust through Relevance and Transparency
Omnichannel Strategies: Extending Reach Across Urban and Rural Segments
Sustainability in CX: Encouraging Responsible Banking Behaviors
Generative AI for Localized Content and Engagement
Strengthening Data Infrastructure for Customer-Centric Innovation
AI-Powered Lifestyle Banking for National and Expat Communities

This by-invitation-only roundtable offers a confidential setting for candid insights, peer benchmarking, and forging collaboration across industry leadership.

Event Format

Each session will include:

Case Studies

In-depth analysis of successful use cases from other markets.

Roundtable Discussions

Interactive discussions among participants to share perspectives and identify solutions.

Expert Presentations

Insights on industry trends and best practices.

We'll aggregate participant insights through a survey to inform the roundtable proceedings and distribute key points and minutes to attendees and a wider audience under Chatham House Rules.

Participants

Cyrus Daruwala

Chairman and Board Advisor

ASEAN FinTech Forum, Singapore

Pavle Vukmanovic

Executive Vice President - IT Governance and Group Project Portfolio Management

Qatar National Bank, Qatar

Reham S Thawabi

AGM, Senior Director of Premium Banking

The Commercial Bank, Qatar

Charif El-Baba

Deputy Head of Retail Banking

Doha Bank, Qatar

Mohammad Taffal

Enterprise Agile Coach - Group Transformation

Al Rayan Bank, Qatar

Fatimh Khalid J.A Al-Jaber

Assistant Director AI and Data Governance

Ooredoo Qatar, Qatar

Ali Nanji

Regional Director, Sales and Strategic Accounts - Middle East

Backbase, UAE

Halil Ozcan

EVP, Chief Digital Officer

Burgan Bank, Turkiye

Fatma Al Sowaidi

Director IT

Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority, Qatar

Fahim uz Zaman

Founder & Director

3A Ventures International, UAE

Ahmad Ghandour

Regional Vice President - Middle East

Backbase, UAE

Camelia Olteanu

Senior Vice President - Group Operations Excellence

Qatar National Bank, Qatar

Omar Tabch

Regional Director - Strategic Business

Backbase, UAE

Khalid Al Arid

Head of Information Technology

Lesha Bank, Qatar

Bassem Itani

Head of IT & PMO

First Finance Company, Qatar

Prem Anandh Kasilingam

Head of Operations

Lesha Bank, Qatar

Opey Akinlolu

Senior Project Manager - Enterprise Program Management Office

The Commercial Bank, Qatar

Shahdan Shokry

Field Marketing Manager, EMEA

Backbase, UAE

Bilal Ahmed Dawood

CIO

Qatar Development Bank, Qatar

Srimurugan Govindan

Head Digital Technology & Payment Systems

The Commercial Bank, Qatar

Houssam Itani

Group Chief Transformation Officer

Al Rayan Bank, Qatar

Partners

Backbase

Event Highlights

Thank YOU and the wonderful TLR team for the very well-organized event. It was truly insightful, and I enjoyed taking part in this and being around the table with such prominent industry thought leaders. I look forward to the next event.

Zein Malhas
Blink by Capital Bank, Jordan

Testimonials

I would like to thank you and the team for organizing this excellent event. I loved participating as well as sharing and hearing insights from industry leaders.

Nitin Bhandari
SVP & Head of Payit Digital Wallet, First Abu Dhabi Bank, UAE

I extend sincere appreciation to the TLR team for their professionalism, coordination and logistical support. The event's success was further elevated by the skilled moderation. I'm grateful for the recognition and look forward to continued collaboration.

Fredy Aga
CFO, Trust Bank, Singapore

I’d like to echo the heartfelt thank you to our friends, paritcipants and partners, the UAE Decision Makers Roundtable was indeed and event worth attending. Insightful discussion, collaborative spirit, active paritcipants and interactive session made it a great success.

Gyorgy Ladics
Regional MD MENASA, Silverlake, UAE

I commend TLR for hosting a productive forum on digital banking. The exchange of expertise between global leaders, particularly from Poland, UAE, Singapore, Jordan, India and Oman, was enlightening. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute and look forward to future collaborations.

Aleksandra Krajewska
Banking Strategy & Digitization Expert, UAE

Insightful event, well organized and good networking.
Thank you Fahim uz Zaman and The Leaders Roundtables (TLR) team.

M. Ibrahim Iqbal
SVP, Head of Digital Platforms, Dubai Islamic Bank, UAE

Why attend?

Expert insights

Gain valuable perspectives from industry thought leaders and peers on the latest trends and innovations in core banking and payments.

Networking opportunities

Connect with senior bankers, fintech innovators and industry experts, fostering collaborations and partnerships.

Regional focus

Dive into the unique challenges and opportunities facing GCC's financial sector, tailored to the local context.

Leave with actionable strategies and best practices to modernize core banking systems, enhance payments infrastructures and drive digital transformation.

Practical takeaways

Exclusive format

Staying ahead

Engage in intimate and interactive roundtable discussions, ensuring meaningful interactions and knowledge-sharing.

Stay up-to-date on regulatory requirements, security threats and emerging technologies to maintain a competitive edge.

Agenda

09:00

Welcome and Introduction

09:10

Transforming Core: The Convergence of Emerging Tech and Open Banking

Presentation by Partner / Expert / Bank Client

Panel Discussion: Transforming Core: The Convergence of Emerging Tech and Open Banking