Monday, 29 June, 2026
11 am AST

Driving banking innovation under pressure

In partnership with

Why attend

Geopolitical volatility. Mounting regulatory pressure. The window to modernise is narrowing, and standing still is no longer an option.

How are financial leaders in KSA responding to this environment? Join senior leaders from Mambu, Jeel and Google Cloud for a candid conversation about the current banking landscape and what it actually takes to build a resilient, innovation-ready financial institution in these challenging times.

What's on the agenda?

Resilience under pressure - how are firms in KSA hardening their operations through cloud infrastructure, data strategies and regulatory readiness that holds up when it counts?
Innovation that can't wait - the next phase is underway with payments modernisation, core transformation, stablecoins, DeFi and tokenisation. Are you positioned to lead it or catch up to it?

Send us your questions

This session will include a Q&A with the audience. Don't forget to send us your questions when you register for the webinar - even if you can't make it, we'll ensure that your questions are answered.

The key take-aways

Building resilience in a volatile, regulatory environment

Future-proofing your infrastructure for innovation

Navigating payments modernisation and core transformation

Capitalising on emerging technologies: stablecoins, DeFi and tokenisation

The webinar panel

Click to view full speaker details

Maxim Afanasyev, Financial Services Industry Lead, JAPAC Strategic Industries | Google Cloud

Maxim is a member of Global Strategic Industries Team at Google Cloud. In his role, Maxim owns Google Cloud strategy and acts as a bridge between Google engineering innovations and real world. Maxim also advises C-levels of major companies in JAPAC on Industry trends and emerging technologies powered by Applied AI.

Before joining Google Cloud, Maxim has been leading large global AI engineering and transformation teams of 1000+ people and US$100mn budgets to build and deploy innovative AI solutions, deliver AI adoption strategies and unlock business value with new technologies across industries, both as an employee and as a consultant. Most recently as Managing Director in charge of AI products and transformation across 50+ markets at Standard Chartered Bank. Before relocating to Singapore, Maxim worked at McKinsey and Company where he delivered data strategies and AI use cases for clients in Europe and at Royal Bank of Scotland in London, UK as exotic derivatives trader.

Saeed A.W. Siddiki, Head of Insights and Strategy | Jeel

Saeed A.W Siddiki stands as a beacon of strategic leadership within the KSA/GCC banking landscape, currently steering the helm at JEEL's Research and Development. With a distinguished career spanning 24 years, Saeed's vast knowledge covers banking, payments, auditing, consulting, and solution crafting. As a founding-member of JEEL, his instrumental role in R&D is poised to shape and direct the Center's future aspirations.

Embarking on his professional journey in corporate banking as a Corporate Cash Management Associate, Saeed has navigated through a myriad of roles. His diverse experiences range from consumer operations and credit card management to consultancy, systems auditing, advisory roles, solutions architecture, and pioneering the innovation framework for a national payments gateway.

On the academic front, Saeed is an alumnus of the renowned Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, where he secured his Bachelor of Science (BSBA) in Business Administration. Further complementing his credentials, he has earned a Change Leadership Certification from Cornell University and an IBM Banking Solutions Architecture Certification.

Ajay Chaudhary, Chief Technology Officer | Jeel

Results-driven Enterprise Architect and Engineering Manager with over 21 years of experience in strategic architecture and technology management within Consumer and Investment Banking. Proven track record in leading digital transformations, modernizing tech stacks, and aligning business and technology goals to deliver scalable, future-proof solutions. Skilled at identifying reusable end-to-end technology solutions, managing high-impact projects, and driving organizational change across complex financial environments.

Arjun Draj, Solutions Engineer | Mambu

Arjun is a Solutions Engineer at Mambu, where he serves as the bridge between sophisticated financial technology and the practical realities of client business needs. With a deep grounding in both enterprise architecture and hands-on implementation, Arjun helps organisations deploy back-end systems that are not only functional today, but built to scale and adapt for the future.

Arjun brings more than 16 years of financial services experience spanning the MEA and APAC regions, with expertise across consumer banking, private banking, and digital banking. This breadth of knowledge gives Arjun a sharp understanding of client challenges and the ability to translate complex technology into solutions that fit.

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This webinar is in partnership with

JEEL

Jeel is a technology ecosystem provider and accelerator reshaping the financial industry through innovative, compliant, and customer-centric solutions. With a unique model that combines local expertise with global insight, Jeel empowers banks, fintechs, and businesses to embrace digital transformation quickly and confidently. From rapid prototyping to market-ready solutions, Jeel transforms ideas into real-world impact.

For more information, please visit www.jeel.net

MAMBU

Mambu is a strategic growth partner that delivers a true SaaS, cloud banking platform. Founded in 2011, it enables banks, lenders, credit unions, fintechs, retailers and other organisations to design and launch modern financial products with speed and flexibility. Our composable approach allows independent components, systems and connectors to be assembled in any configuration to meet business goals and customer needs. The platform supports core banking, deposits, lending, payments and Islamic banking. Mambu offers a future-ready and scalable product that grows with businesses. Whether launching a single product or modernising an entire banking stack, Mambu provides the agility and reliability needed to succeed in today's financial landscape. Hundreds of customers in over 65 countries rely on Mambu, including Western Union, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, N26, BancoEstado, Raiffeisen Bank, ABN AMRO and Bank Islam.
www.mambu.com