The fifth edition of the MoneyTech summit, Kuwait’s premier event focused on investment, business, and technology, commenced on Sunday at the St. Regis Kuwait hotel. Organized by Al-Jarida newspaper in strategic partnership with Ooredoo Kuwait, this year’s gathering brought together over 17 wealth managers, technology executives, investors, and business leaders from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, alongside representatives from prominent global investment firms including BlackRock, The Carlyle Group, and major regional corporations such as ADNOC Drilling, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), Kuwait Finance House (KFH), and Talabat.
The summit opened with keynote addresses delivered by Abdulaziz Yaqoub Al-Babtain, CEO of Ooredoo Kuwait, and Haitham Al-Terkait, Deputy Group CEO for Technology and Operations at Kuwait Finance House. Highlighting Ooredoo’s evolution from a telecommunications provider to a strategic digital infrastructure and technology investment partner, their participation underscores the company’s expanding role within Kuwait’s investment ecosystem. The event is also supported by key financial institutions including KFH, NBK, and ABK Wealth.
Scheduled across eight sessions, the summit aimed to tackle critical subjects shaping Gulf investment strategies amid persistent global uncertainties. Discussions centered on whether mergers and acquisitions currently represent defensive moves for survival or attract undervalued opportunities for buyers. Another key topic was whether Gulf investors might begin repatriating portions of their significant overseas assets to capitalize on emerging regional prospects.
Industry observers noted a marked shift in this year’s summit—from merely providing a platform to discuss the digital transformation of regional banks to becoming a venue where pivotal strategic investment decisions are actively shaped. This aligns with Kuwait Vision 2035’s objective to establish the country as a primary gateway for regional investment flows. The involvement of leading international entities such as BlackRock and Carlyle, coupled with the prior participation of 22 global and Austrian firms, signals growing confidence in Kuwait as a stable hub for directing Gulf capital inward rather than viewing the market as transient.
The event concluded with a session exploring how financial technology and artificial intelligence are poised to redefine the Gulf’s economic landscape, reinforcing the region’s commitment to innovation-driven growth. The summit’s closing underscored the increasing integration of advanced technologies as foundational elements shaping future investment and business models in Kuwait and the broader Gulf region.