Entering a new market is no longer an execution challenge. For regulated and institutional environments, success depends on strategic readiness, feasibility analysis, and governance alignment before capital is committed.

A CEO reflection on the shifts that defined 2025 - capital migration, regulatory intensity, AI governance, and the rise of governance as strategy - and how disciplined structure is shaping decisions for 2026.

Founders often treat governance as something to address later. In regulated environments like the UAE, that assumption no longer holds. As investor scrutiny and regulatory expectations rise across ADGM and DIFC, governance has become a critical signal of maturity, trust, and scalability - one that must be built in from day one.

In MENA region, true expansion requires mastering market-location fit: the deliberate, data-driven alignment of the business model to the political, economic, and social realities of each target country.

A comprehensive reputation management system is not just a defensive strategy for financial services companies to avoid reputational crises, but also a strategic tool for value creation. In a world where reputation can make or break a business, managing it effectively is not just important - it is essential.

The financial services landscape of the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is undergoing a significant transformation driven by technological innovation and regulatory reform. Regulations and financial technology (FinTech) are acting in concert, reshaping compliance frameworks to foster a more inclusive financial ecosystem within the region's intricate regulatory environment. However, this journey is still in its early stages.