Carlos Teixeira, Global Head, Business Strategy, Lending at Finastr
Doha, Qatar: Qatar is accelerating its digital banking capabilities, from API-driven architecture to advanced analytics and AI deployment. The government’s aim to grow ICT’s contribution to non-oil GDP to 3.5% by 2030 underscores this drive, said an official.
In an interview with The Peninsula, Carlos Teixeira, Global Head, Business Strategy, Lending at Finastra highlighted the importance of the first edition of Trade & Treasury Transformation Summit 2025 being hosted in Qatar and the country’s rapidly developing tech ecosystem.
Teixeira said, hosting the inaugural Trade & Treasury Transformation summit in Qatar is a timely and symbolic choice. The country’s commitment to becoming a leading tech and financial hub is evident through its ambitious Qatar National Vision 2030, which places innovation, economic diversification, and sustainable development at the core of its national agenda. Technology is central to this transformation, and the financial sector is both a beneficiary and an enabler of its progress.
“We are seeing a coordinated push across banks, regulators, and fintechs to create a more agile, connected, and data-rich financial ecosystem. The summit creates a vital space for these players to collaborate, share insights, and align on how to convert technological potential into scalable, inclusive, and sustainable financial outcomes for the region and beyond,” he added.
Commenting regarding the growth of digital innovation in the banking industry, Teixeira noted that digital innovation is no longer just a component of banking, but a strategic foundation. “In Qatar and across the GCC region, we are seeing a paradigm shift: banks are transforming their operating models to be data-driven, cloud-native, and AI-augmented.”
AI adoption has surged as it plays a pivotal role in reshaping customer engagement, risk management, and product innovation. According to our recent findings in the Finastra Financial Services State of the Nation report 2024, 61% of financial institutions globally have deployed or improved their AI capabilities in the last 12 months, up from just 37% the year before.
At the same time, Generative AI, which helps bridge knowledge gaps and enables real-time decision making, has grown from 25% in 2023 to 35% in 2024, making it the fastest-rising technology investment across the sector.
Digital transformation is not a backdrop to this summit; it is the central theme. Whether we are discussing treasury modernisation, real-time payments, or digitised trade finance, the common thread is need to equip financial services for the future. Across the region, institutions are under increasing pressure to stay competitive while adapting to fast-evolving customer expectations and regulatory demands, he said.
Teixeira further pointed out that during the panel session, “We will discuss how digital transformation will shape the future of trade finance, an area still heavily reliant on manual, paper-based documents and legacy workflows. These inefficiencies can slow progress and increase risk.
Banks must prioritise implementing front-to-back, trade and supply chain finance platforms that automate and digitize processes, support straight-through processing and enable seamless integration of the latest technologies, such as GenAI, big data and blockchain.”
This summit is a chance for banks, fintechs, and corporates to come together, align strategies, and drive tangible transformation across the entire value chain, he added.
