By: Zawya
SOURCE: Zawya - UAE home to the highest number of FinTech Startups in the Middle East
Bloomberg Intelligence states that the UAE has highest number of fintech startups, followed by Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon
- Sophisticated connectivity infrastructure makes UAE fertile ground for all startups regardless of industries, says organizer of AIM Startup 2019
- AIM Startup 2019 to focus on impact of Industry 4.0 on region’s startup eco-system
Dubai: Latest figures by Bloomberg Intelligence revealed that the UAE has topped the list of countries in the Middle East with the highest number of financial technology (fintech) startups to date at 67. The UAE was followed by Turkey at 44 and Jordan and Lebanon at 30 each. Overall, the number of fintech startups in the region is forecasted to expand from 96 in 2019 to 465 by 2020, with a separate report, an Accenture analysis based on CBI Insights data, predicting that investments in the fintech sector will jump to USD 2.28 billion by 2022 from USD 287 million in 2019.
The figures were made public ahead of this year’s AIM Startup taking place in Dubai from 8th to 10th April in conjunction with the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM). This year’s theme of ‘Harnessing Global Digitization to Empower Startups and SMEs’ will highlight the shift in consumer expectations against the backdrop of global adoption of digital technologies.
Dawood Al Shezawi, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of AIM Startup, noted that the recent numbers supported other findings disclosing that not only startups have been flocking to the local and regional fintech sectors due to their promising growth prospects but that the UAE has remained a preferred destination for their operations as well regardless of their industries.
“We have looked into several factors for this trend and we can confidently say that the UAE’s high data connectivity makes it a fertile ground for startups and enterprises. In today’s era where you have tech-savvy customer base expecting exceptional service at all times, the issue of data connectivity will help make or break your business. The Emirates has one of the superb infrastructural systems in this regard across the region and it is further raising its game to transform itself into a leading global business and connectivity centre by accelerating its national 5G connectivity program,” he said.
Source: zawya.com