Fintech has long been a darling of the Dubai startup scene with over half of all finance-focused startups in the Gulf calling Dubai home.

The sector has shown some resilience amid the wider technology market correction, and it is against this backdrop that the Dubai International Financial Center is hosting its second annual summit startin Monday.

Some 8,000 investors, business executives, founders and regulators are expected at the event to discuss the latest innovations and challenges.

Driving conversations and deals over the two-day conference will be themes like financial inclusion — the region has more than 85 million “unbanked” adults — as well as business-friendly regulations in the UAE, emerging opportunities in green finance and cross-border cooperation.

The MENA region has 800 fintech startups valued at $15.5 billion, according to data by Dutch data platform Dealroom. 

Slated to attend are more than 20 governors of financial institutions including Essa Kazim, Governor of the DIFC; as well as Adena Friedman, Chair & CEO of Nasdaq Inc; Nic Dreckman, CEO of Bank Julius Baer; Yie-Hsin Hung, President & CEO of State Street Global Advisors; and Jim Demare, President Global Markets at Bank of America.

Local speakers include Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Cabinet Member and UAE Minister of Economy; H.E. Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai; Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director General, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, UAE; and Faisal Belhoul, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Chamber.