International Symposium on FinTech (SQU, Imperial and CBO)

Financial Technology (FinTech) implementations have great potential to stimulate financial development and economic growth. FinTech can reduce cost, improve security, and most importantly increase financial inclusion. Several initiatives are developed to promote FinTech in Oman. For example, the Central Bank of Oman introduced a “Fintech Regulatory Sandbox project” to assist FinTech startups in Oman. Similarly private enterprises are taking actions to adopt and promote FinTech solutions. Omantel, has announced the launch of the Omantel Innovation Lab to provide assistance and expertise to startups in Oman.  KPMG (2021) states that “Oman is laying a strong foundation for digital transformation.”  The Datareportal report (2021) states that 110.7 percent of the population have mobile connections. Also, over 95 per cent of the population are internet users. These figures underline the potential of FinTech adoption in Oman. PwC express that the GCC has advantages in FinTech adoption compared to other emerging markets. 
The SQU International Symposium on FinTech will provide a platform to discuss the challenges and opportunities of FinTech adoption in Oman. Experts from universities, government regulators and established FinTech company representatives will have insightful presentations. The Q&A sessions after presentations and the panel discussion sessions will provide the stimulating environment to exchange ideas and identify challenges faced by FinTech startups and established FinTech enterprises in Oman. Government officials and regulators will be able to introduce the initiatives to promote FinTech adoption and get feedback about these initiatives. International experiences and theoretical arguments presented by academics will deliver a roadmap to design policies about FinTech promotion. The symposium will examine the current trends in FinTech, the opportunities and risks, and the role of government regulation in promoting FinTech.