MENA Fintech Association launches Pakistan chapter for fintech links

MENA Fintech Association has formally established its Pakistan Chapter. The UAE-headquartered association announced the move on 28 October 2026 at a private reception held at Cote Rotie in Karachi. The chapter extends MFTA’s network to Pakistan and brings the total coverage to 22 markets. The expansion connects Pakistani financial institutions, fintech companies, regulators and policymakers to existing chapters in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Africa. Nameer Khan, Chairman of the MENA Fintech Association, said Pakistan represents a significant and timely expansion. He pointed to the World Bank’s formal inclusion of Pakistan within the MENA region as context that reflects realignment already visible in trade flows, financial connectivity and institutional engagement. Pakistan has a large and evolving financial services sector, digital asset activity and a policy environment engaging with regional and global finance directions. MFTA’s role is to connect that activity to regulators, institutions, investors and innovators across its 22 markets. Imran Khan, Co-Chair of the MFTA Pakistan Chapter, said Pakistan’s financial ecosystem has much to contribute to regional development and innovation. The chapter will provide a platform for closer engagement between the private sector, policymakers and public institutions, enabling stakeholders to share expertise, explore shared priorities and build relationships that support growth of Pakistan’s financial services industry. Mubariz Siddiqui serves as the other co-chair. MFTA was founded in 2018 and is registered under Abu Dhabi Global Market. It operates as a non-profit network connecting banks, fintech companies, regulators, investors and technology providers across the region. The association runs working groups, publishes research and organises events including the MFTA Awards. Its network has been described as spanning more than 36,000 professionals with engagement across central banks and regulators. The Pakistan Chapter becomes part of that structure. For Pakistani fintech companies and financial institutions the practical change is access to a formal regional association chapter that links them to counterparts in the Gulf and other MENA markets. The value of that access depends on whether the chapter produces joint working groups, policy dialogues, cross-border introductions or measurable collaboration outcomes. Other local associations and bilateral UAE-Pakistan fintech initiatives already exist; this is one additional structured network link under the MFTA umbrella. If the next update from MFTA or the Pakistan Chapter names specific joint programmes, member numbers from Pakistan, or outcomes from regulatory dialogues, the opening has a measurable next step. If the following statement only restates the establishment of the chapter and the 28 October reception, the change for the market remains the same as the announcement. The figures missing from the current disclosure are the number of Pakistani institutions that have joined as members, the exact size of the local network, and any quantified results from the first activities. The chapter is one organisational step in linking Pakistan’s fintech ecosystem to the wider MFTA network; the depth of that link will be clear only from later operational data.