Opening Plenary: The State of the Microfinance in MENA
Across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the microfinance sector is facing a period of unprecedented challenges. In key markets such as Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan, the number of active clients has been declining, raising concerns about the sector’s ability to sustain its role in advancing financial inclusion. In countries affected by political instability and conflict — including Yemen, Palestine, and Lebanon — the market is not only contracting but, in some cases, disappearing altogether.
This plenary will examine the drivers behind these trends and explore what it will take to restore momentum in a way that is both responsible and resilient.
Partnerships for Expanding Access; Leveraging Non-Traditional Players and Technology
In an environment where traditional microfinance institutions face operational, regulatory, and market constraints, non-traditional players — including fintechs, consumer finance companies, and other technology-driven providers — are emerging as critical allies. By combining innovation, agility, and digital capabilities with the reach, trust, and regulatory experience of established financial institutions, these partnerships can help address the sector’s most pressing challenges.
Resilience in Action; Financing MSME's in Palestine for Resilience and Recovery
In times of conflict, access to finance is essential for the survival and resilience of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The discussion will highlight how financing is being channeled to sustain MSMEs, while technical assistance, including Palestine specific grants, helps MFIs strengthen crisis management, invest in digitalization, and support reconstruction efforts.
The panel will offer practical insights into partnership, resilience, and innovation in MSME finance, providing valuable lessons for policymakers, development partners, and financial sector stakeholders working to sustain inclusive economic growth in fragile contexts.
Strengthening Agricultural Value Chains through Africa Agricultural Accelerator Program (AAAP)
Africa’s heavy reliance on food imports strains budgets and foreign reserves, despite its vast agricultural potential. This session will present IFC’s Africa Agriculture Accelerator Program (AAAP), which strengthens value chains by linking farmers, AgTechs, agro-industrials, and financial service providers. By showcasing the pilot in Morocco, the discussion will highlight how technology and innovative financing can make small-scale farming more profitable, improve food security, and reduce dependence on imports.
Innovative Financial Modules in KSA Impacting the National Economy
The session will review the experience of the Sulaiman Al Rajhi Foundation for Development Finance as a national model in development finance, highlighting its role in transforming endowment and social responsibility funds into sustainable development tools. The discussion will cover the foundation's unconventional guarantee model and its approach to balancing social impact and financial sustainability while aligning funding targets with national vision objectives. The session will also review the model's impact, which has exceeded an annual funding ceiling of US$250 million, supported by a digital transformation system.
Digital Financial Service Standards; Protecting Clients & Building Trust
The growth of Digital Financial Services (DFS) is reshaping financial inclusion in the Arab region and beyond. Mobile money, digital credit, and fintech innovations are expanding access to finance, but they also bring new risks. Fraud, cyberattacks, misuse of client data, lack of transparency, over-indebtedness, and bias in algorithm-driven lending all threaten client trust and the sustainability of providers.
This panel will introduce the DFS Standards, share insights from early implementation, and explore their relevance for Arab economies. Speakers will discuss how standards help mitigate risks while enabling innovation, and how adoption can strengthen client protection, institutional resilience, and inclusive growth in the region.
Over-Indebtedness in the Arab World: From Early Warning Signs to Systemic Solutions
Over-indebtedness has long been recognized as a critical risk to clients, institutions, and financial systems across the Arab region. Despite years of analysis, tools, and policy discussions, over-indebtedness continues to emerge as a persistent and often reactive concern—frequently addressed only once client harm has already occurred.
One reason is that over-indebtedness in Arab markets is not a uniform phenomenon. It manifests differently across conflict-affected countries, refugee-hosting contexts, saturated urban markets, and rapidly expanding digital credit environments. Yet across these diverse settings, common structural patterns remain: fragmented responsibility, limited use of early warning signals, misaligned incentives, and weak coordination among market actors.
This session challenges the notion that preventing over-indebtedness requires difficult trade-offs between growth and responsibility. Instead, it positions prevention of over-indebtedness as a practical set of solutions, already available, but insufficiently and inconsistently applied.
Putting Clients First; the Value of Client Protection Certification – Lessons from Egypt and Beyond
In recent years, the microfinance industry has faced a series of global and regional crises that have tested the resilience of institutions and the trust of their clients. These challenges have underscored the critical importance of Responsible Finance as a foundation for sustainable growth and long-term client relationships.
One of the most recognized benchmarks in this area is Client Protection Certification, which validates an institution’s commitment to fair, transparent, and respectful treatment of clients. While many institutions pursue certification individually, Egypt has taken a bold, sector-wide approach. The country launched an initiative to certify the largest 8–10 microfinance providers with the goal of improving market-wide practices and promoting responsible growth. Many institutions have already begun the process, and two players — one NBFI and one commercial bank — have successfully achieved certification, setting a new benchmark for the market.
Governance in Inclusive Finance
Governance is the backbone of ESG in inclusive finance—and too often the weakest link. In simple terms: governance is the roots; environmental and social outcomes are the fruits. Without deep, healthy roots—clear mandates, independent oversight, sound decision processes—the E and S cannot thrive sustainably. This session translates “G” from principle into practice using Cerise+SPTF’s sector-specific standards and tools. It will demonstrate how effective board oversight prevents client harm (e.g., over indebtedness), strengthens institutional resilience, and aligns social performance with sustainable growth. Through a focused presentation, panel discussion, and interactive diagnostics, participants will leave with a practical governance checklist, a slide ready oversight dashboard, and clear next steps to assess and improve board performance.
Market Place “Expo” – First Round
Each round consists of four sessions; the following sessions are those announced so far:
Session 1: MEPS PLUS – Embedded Working Capital for MSMEs Using POS Transactions Data.
Speaker: Mr. Ali Alzoubi – Head of Acquiring.
Organization: Middle East Payment Services (MEPS) – Regional.
Session 2: AMB’s Role in Green Finance and Climate-Smart Lending for Inclusive Growth in Yemen
Speaker: Mr. Aseel Al Merabi – International Partnerships Project Officer
Organization: Al Amal Microfinance Bank – Yemen
Market Place “Expo” – Round 2
Each round consists of four sessions; the following sessions are those announced so far:
Session 1: Beyond Access: Why Customer Empowerment Matters Now
Speaker: Mr. Alaa Sahawneh- Business Development and Marketing Manager.
Organization: Ahli Microfinance Bank – Jordan
Session 2: Microfinance in Crisis Contexts: Innovation, Resilience, and Lessons from Lebanon
Speaker: Mr. Ali Hijazi- Lebanon Country Representative- Director
Organization: CORUS International.
Closing Plenary - The Power of Networks; Connecting the MENA Microfinance Ecosystem towards a Collaborative Path to Scale
Microfinance Networks in the MENA region serve as crucial infrastructure for knowledge sharing, advocacy, and capacity building. This interactive session brings together leadership from Egypt, Jordan and Yemen, to explore the unique challenges hindering improved financial inclusion—from regulatory bottlenecks to the digital skills gap.
The discussion will pivot toward actionable opportunities for synergy. Panelists will share success stories of cross-network collaboration and identify strategies for streamlining data sharing and leveraging collective resources to unlock access to finance for underserved populations. The goal is to forge a united front that increases the collective impact of all members across the Arab economies.
