Dubai FinTech Summit to debut in Pakistan in August

Dubai International Financial Centre’s innovation arm will launch the first international edition of the Dubai FinTech Summit in Pakistan in August, in partnership with the Pakistan Digital Authority, organizers said.

The Pakistan FinTech Summit will be held on Aug. 18 and 19, and is expected to draw more than 10,000 participants and up to 150 sponsors and exhibitors, positioning Pakistan as what organizers described as a strategic growth market in the global financial technology landscape.

The event marks the first international expansion of the Dubai FinTech Summit, organized by DIFC, a leading financial center in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region.

Strategic expansion

DIFC Innovation Hub, which describes itself as the largest start-up and innovation hub operating out of DIFC, said it aims to bring its global expertise, network and thought leadership to accelerate Pakistan’s digital financial ecosystem.

Arif Amiri, chief executive officer of DIFC Authority, said: “We are pleased to expand the Dubai FinTech Summit to Pakistan, a rapidly emerging FinTech hub. The Pakistan FinTech Summit is a powerful reflection of DIFC’s ambition to lead the global dialogue on financial innovation and FinTech, underpinning Dubai’s commitment to enabling growth and unlocking cross-border innovation opportunities between the UAE, Pakistan, and South Asia. By lending expertise and thought leadership to such impactful gatherings, we are charting the future of finance.”

Organizers said the summit will bring together policymakers, financial institutions, technology leaders, investors and innovators to support Pakistan’s digital economy and strengthen its position as a regional hub for financial technology and digital financial services.

Government backing and reform agenda

Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Pakistan’s federal minister of IT and telecommunications, said the summit reflects a strategic partnership grounded in shared ambition.

“A credible FinTech ecosystem is built on innovation, regulatory clarity, and institutional trust. Pakistan is advancing all three in a disciplined and forward-looking manner. DIFC’s decision to convene its flagship FinTech platform under the Pakistan brand, beyond the UAE, is a strong signal of global trust in Pakistan’s emerging digital financial ecosystem and its reform trajectory,” she said.

She added that as part of Pakistan’s broader Digital Nation agenda, financial technology is foundational economic infrastructure, aligning digital infrastructure, regulation and cross-border capital connectivity to position the country as a globally integrated, innovation-driven digital economy.

Organizers said Pakistan has emerged as one of the leading digital finance markets in the past two years, with FinTech funding reaching $52.5 million in the first half of 2025 and 450 companies raising $391 million in venture capital by late November 2025.

They noted that structural and infrastructure constraints, along with the dominance of cash, continue to limit progress, but said FinTech firms play a key role in expanding access to digital finance, particularly in rural areas, and supporting financial inclusion through simplified transactions and consumer awareness.

The Dubai FinTech Summit has helped position Dubai among the top four financial centers for FinTech, according to the Global Financial Centers Index, and has set benchmarks for technology adoption, including artificial intelligence in finance.

Organizers said the Pakistan edition will provide a platform for strategic agreements, investment announcements, product launches and sector-wide collaboration, featuring start-ups, investor programs, roundtables and sessions with regulators from both countries.