aerial photo of city highway surrounded by high-rise buildings

28 April 2025 | JW Marriott Marquis City Center Doha, Qatar

Qatar Decision-Makers Roundtable

Navigating the Future of Customer Experience in Qatar: Innovations, Insights and Impact

Overview

Building upon the successes in Riyadh and Dubai, our inaugural Qatar Roundtable delves into the evolving landscape of Customer Experience within the region. As Qatar embraces technological advancements and a burgeoning digital economy, understanding and enhancing the customer journey becomes paramount. This event will gather industry leaders to discuss emerging trends, share best practices, and explore strategies to elevate CX in Qatar's unique market.

AI-Driven Personalization: Crafting Tailored Experiences for Qatar’s Consumers.

Explore how AI is revolutionizing personalization in CX.
Understand how businesses can use AI to predict and meet customer needs proactively.
Discuss the integration of AI tools to analyze behavioral patterns and deliver customized experiences at scale.

Omnichannel Strategies: Ensuring Seamless Customer Journeys Across Platforms.

Examine the importance of providing consistent and integrated experiences across various customer touchpoints.
Discuss how businesses can create seamless transitions between in-store, online, and mobile platforms.
Learn best practices for implementing effective omnichannel strategies.

Sustainability in CX: Aligning Customer Experience with Environmental Values.

Discuss the growing importance of sustainability in shaping customer perceptions and loyalty.
Explore how businesses can integrate sustainable practices into the customer journey.
Understand how sustainability efforts can enhance brand reputation and appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

Together, we will address these pressing issues and define the future of financial industry in GCC market.

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