2027 BAFT MENA Forum

The 2027 BAFT MENA Bank to Bank Forum will bring the transaction banking community together in Dubai on 26 and 27 January 2027. The forum is part of BAFT’s international events programme, bringing together professionals involved in trade finance, payments, transaction banking, financial crime and related areas across the Middle East and North Africa.

With the region continuing to play an increasingly important role in global trade and financial flows, the forum provides an opportunity for banks, corporates, technology providers and industry experts to exchange perspectives on the issues shaping the market.

Attendees can expect discussions around the evolving transaction banking landscape, including trade, payments, risk, compliance, digitalisation and the wider forces influencing business across the MENA region.

Programme Discussions

The official 2027 programme has not yet been published. Based on BAFT’s focus across international transaction banking and the themes discussed across its wider events and industry work, the forum is likely to explore areas such as:

• Trade finance and the changing global trade environment
• Payments innovation and the future of cross border transactions
• Digitalisation and technology in transaction banking
• Financial crime, fraud and compliance
• Risk management in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment
• Correspondent banking and regional connectivity
• Sustainable finance and the role of financial institutions
• AI, governance and emerging technologies
• Collaboration between banks, corporates and technology providers

These discussion areas should be treated as editorial placeholders until BAFT releases the official 2027 agenda.