Dubai : Tap Payments powered Step 2023 as the conference's Super Partner, Fintech Village Partner, and Fintech Stage Partner. This collaboration was ideal as Tap helps startups scale across MENA by offering simple and unified online payment products. With more than 400 global startups showcasing, hundreds of global investors, and 8000+ global attendees over two days, Step brought the international tech world to Dubai and put fintech at the forefront in the UAE. Startups and new fintech businesses in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region see the Step Conference as an important place to meet. This conference is widely regarded as the premier venue for the exchange of ideas, networking opportunities, and practical experience among business owners, venture capitalists, and other influential figures in various fields. This year's conference, which took place in February 2023, was a huge success and the largest one to date. Step presents a crucial opportunity for regional businesses to capitalize on this development and shape the industry's future by reshaping its current landscape. Speakers, panels, and workshops at Step concentrate on the most recent industry trends, issues, and challenges in an effort to foster an atmosphere that fosters collaboration and innovation. Step makes it a priority to cultivate such an environment. The participants also had the opportunity to meet some of the most promising new business owners and startups in the region, establish valuable connections with them, and investigate potential business opportunities. According to Ahmad Alwazzan, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Tap Payments UAE, "Step 2023 was such a fantastic platform for Tap Payments to demonstrate our engagement with our startup community, empower future fintech leaders in the Mentorship Corner, and push the future of MENA fintech beyond the region. " At Step, AlWazzan also spoke at a panel alongside industry experts from Telr, FlapKap, and Talabat, discussing his insights on the rapidly evolving payments landscape. AlWazzan emphasized the importance of regulatory frameworks and the need for integrations between fintech and traditional solutions to meet the needs of businesses and consumers. He also highlighted the increasing popularity of mobile payments and the need for the industry to prioritize the user experience, adapt to new technologies and regulations, and prepare for the predicted rise in cross-border transactions. Both Step Conference and Tap believe that creativity is the key to the success of the MENA fintech industry. Ahmed AlAradi, the Executive Vice President of Business at Tap Payments, spoke at an exciting panel about "Embracing the Fintech Revolution Through Innovative Platforms" with experts from Foodics and Zoho. They discussed the effect that fintech innovations have had on the industry and its stakeholders, along with how fintech companies are utilizing platforms like foodics and Zoho to improve their products and services. Tap's commitment to growing the startup ecosystem went beyond just providing mentorship to early-stage startups. As the fintech village partner at the Step conference, Tap hosted 20 early-stage fintech startups and gave them the opportunity to exhibit at the event, providing them with valuable exposure and opportunities to network with investors, potential customers, and other key players in the industry. Tap’s Head of Compliance, Azra Ahmed, also provided mentorship to startups in the mentor’s corner on February 23rd. Ahmad Alwazzan summarizes the role of Tap in helping to build a strong and vibrant startup ecosystem in the region by saying, "Our commitment to innovation and growth is a key driver of Tap's success as a leading Paytech company. It's important for businesses that started in the Middle East to keep raising awareness of the region and inspiring the next generation of industry disruptors and innovators to keep growth and progress going in the region, and this is why we are always so actively involved with events such as the Step Conference that aim to do so. ” -Ends- Media Enquiries Please contact: Ben Kershaw, MD of Hivemind Creative Marketing Email: ben@wearehivemind. com Maryam Shoaei, Senior Account Manager Email: maryam@wearehivemind. com About Tap Payments Founded in 2013, Tap Payments is revolutionizing online payments across the MENA region by connecting businesses with simple, unified payment experiences. Today, Tap powers thousands of businesses of all sizes across all industries and is growing at an extraordinary pace. Tap Payments simplifies regional and global MENA payments. Before Tap, online payment acceptance was a complicated process that took months to set up and involved multiple players. Since our arrival, we’ve helped small and medium businesses across MENA accept payments within days, with billing and operational capabilities that rival the region’s largest corporations. Tap Payments technology products are built for businesses from the region by people from the region who understand the realities of our markets, their businesses, and their customers. .