Doha: The Fintech and Commerce Summit at MWC25 Doha featured wide-ranging discussions on current and future trends in financial technology, with experts pointing to rapid advances in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, 5G networks, and new platform models built on APIs. Regulatory changes were also highlighted as key drivers of competition, lowering barriers to entry and enabling innovative financial solutions to scale quickly.
According to Qatar News Agency, Ooredoo Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Fatima Sultan Al Kuwari, outlined the company’s strategic shift toward digital infrastructure and fintech. She noted that Ooredoo has evolved beyond its role as a traditional telecom operator to become a provider of smart digital infrastructure, including services in fintech, data centers, subsea cables, and tower systems.
Al Kuwari pointed out that Ooredoo Fintech is operating as an independent entity fully owned by the group, providing services in several countries and preparing to expand into new markets where it is securing licenses and regulatory approvals. She added that the company’s primary goal is to advance financial inclusion by enabling users and merchants to make payments, transfer funds, receive money, and access credit easily and securely.
Al Kuwari noted that Ooredoo is positioning itself with competitive advantages in the fintech space, including a broad distribution network, daily customer interactions, and strong brand trust. She emphasized that success in financial technology depends on integration with retailers and distribution channels, while leveraging infrastructure, data, and cybersecurity. At the same time, the new entity is maintaining its independence in a highly competitive market that demands rapid experimentation and learning.
On artificial intelligence, Al Kuwari explained that Ooredoo stressed that the technology will not replace employees but will enhance their capabilities and reshape the workforce. The company has set out an 18-month plan to become a fully AI-driven organization.
Sessions at the summit examined the rise of “super apps,” expected to be used daily by more than half the world’s population by 2027, and the growing role of digital wallets, which now account for half of global e-commerce spending – about $3.1 trillion. Discussions also explored opportunities in digital insurance, valued at $2.5 trillion through embedded models, and the integration of digital assets into traditional commerce. Rising fraud and identity risks were flagged as challenges requiring innovative digital verification solutions.
Another panel focused on mobile-driven commerce, highlighting how e-wallets are reshaping e-commerce and point-of-sale systems through services such as “buy now, pay later” and seamless cross-border payments using stablecoins.
The sessions touched on data-driven lending as a tool to support small businesses and forecast conversational commerce spending to reach $43 billion by 2028, powered by AI chatbots and messaging platforms. The creator economy, projected to hit $480 billion by 2027, was identified as a new growth frontier for merchants and consumers alike.
Speakers agreed that these trends represent major opportunities for telecom operators and the broader digital sector. They stressed that collaboration between technology and telecom experts will be central to shaping the future of mobile commerce, driving innovation, and delivering greater value to consumers, while reinforcing fintech as a key engine of global economic growth.