Doha: The MENA Fintech Festival 2024 kicked off Tuesday in Doha with deliberations on the latest trends and future opportunities in Fintech. The first day of the three-day event featured keynote speeches, panels and workshops that brought together investors and decision-makers involved in the challenges and opportunities in the industry, especially in the MENA region. According to Qatar News Agency, Assistant Qatar Central Bank (QCB) Governor for Financial Instruments and Payment Systems Sheikh Ahmed bin Khalid Al-Thani stated that financial technology has recently emerged as a fundamental pillar of modern financial services. Technology has reshaped the way businesses are conducted around the world, he added, highlighting that this dynamic sector of the economy goes beyond technological progress to empower individuals and create new opportunities to enhance economic growth. He further emphasized that the QCB has prioritized establishing an innovation-motivating ecosystem while ensuring financial stability, security and trust, aligning with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the QCB's Third Financial Sector Strategic Plan. In this regard, he highlighted the QCB's Qatar FinTech Strategy 2023 to boost financial growth, diversification and innovation - an initiative that reflected the QCB's ambition to position Qatar as a global Fintech hub.