Unplugged by Fintech Tuesdays made its debut at Seamless Middle East from 20 to 22 May 2025, The initiative transformed a segment of Hall 6 into a vibrant, relaxed networking zone—a space where fintech founders, executives and builders could engage in candid dialogue
Over the three days, sessions were deliberately free‑form and audience‑interactive, prioritising real stories and raw insights over polished narratives. Day 1 featured start‑up founders sharing firsthand experiences of scaling challenges and growth strategies, while Day 2 brought together C‑level executives from digital banks, unicorns, BigTech firms and regulators to discuss systemic shifts across the fintech landscape. Day 3 was dedicated to deep‑dive masterclasses, offering nuanced discussion on regulatory tech, AI integration and infrastructure scaling.
Speakers such as Baha Arab, co‑founder and CEO of IDWise, emphasised the importance of honest,
unsanitised accounts, focusing on real challenges like fraud, customer onboarding and trust-building in emerging markets. Fintech Tuesdays’ founder Sanjiv Purushotham described the atmosphere as “phenomenal”, inviting the audience to “soak in the energy and knowledge” within the unplugged arena in Hall 6. These sessions were praised for enabling bold, authentic fintech discourse, where participants felt empowered to speak openly without fear of sound‑bite reduction.
Throughout the event, participants noted that the informal setting and spontaneous exchanges created stronger connections than conventional formatted panels. Entrepreneurs and executives alike appreciated the absence of podiums and slides, allowing a genuine, relatable tone to emerge. By flushing out candid reflections—warts and all—Unplugged fostered an environment in which the region’s fintech ecosystem could advance through shared experience and community.
In summary, Unplugged by Fintech Tuesdays at Seamless Middle East stood out by rejecting conventional formats, instead delivering honest conversations among fintech stakeholders. Over three days of founder anecdotes, executive discussions and masterclasses, it showcased raw progress, pragmatic lessons and real‑world fintech evolution in the MENA region.
