Al Tadamun’s team attended The Sanabel Microfinance Network of Arab Countries’ 11th Annual Conference Savoy Hotel– Sharm El Sheikh October 20-21, 2015. The theme of the conference was “Progress towards Financial Inclusion; Global Trends and Regional Initiatives”. The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Hassan Farid, Chairman of The Sanabel Microfinance Network of Arab Countries. This year’s conference provided a platform for all concerned stakeholders to network and share experiences, progress towards objectives, and took a closer look at global trends and regional activities which seek to achieve financial inclusion.
This two-day event was attended by over 300 microfinance practitioners, donors, investors, and government representatives from the region and worldwide to share and exchange experiences on the latest developments in the microfinance industry in the Arab region through sessions and discussions.
While progress is evident, opportunities to accelerate tangible outcomes still exist. The conference, through the collective global and regional experiences, will aim to highlight some of these opportunities such as:
- Innovations of financial service providers and their attempts in diversifying the products and services they offer,
- Improved regulatory frameworks that enhance broader market penetration,
- Effective partnerships and the increasing presence of the private sector and their role,
- Growing use of available technology platforms to expand and improve the delivery channels of financial services,
- The increasing awareness of the importance of client protection by providers, governments, and key stakeholders and how it can enhance progress towards financial inclusion in the Arab region.
As for Al Tadamun’s team, they keenly sought to network with other MFIs from the MENA region and worldwide to share experiences as well as get introduced to donors and investors who are willing to invest and partner with Arab MFIs