”PAFIX 2026”: Artificial Intelligence Shapes the Future of Payments and Banking Services
Within the framework of the 30th edition of the Cairo International Technology Exhibition and Conference "Cairo ICT 2026", the Digital Payments and Financial Inclusion Conference "PAFIX" hosted an extensive panel discussion titled "Beyond Transactions: Artificial Intelligence as the Gateway to the Future of Payments." Moderated by Shaden Al-Rimly, Commercial Lead at Onebank, the session explored the pivotal role of AI technologies in reshaping banking services, enhancing transaction security, and unlocking new horizons for personalization and governance.
"First Mover" Strategy: The Central Bank Leads Technological Transformation
Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, General Manager of Payment Systems and Services at the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), explained that the Central Bank has adopted a "First Mover" methodology for the past four years to anticipate market needs and establish advanced infrastructure. He noted that this approach led to launching the Instant Payment Network (IPN), the "InstaPay" application, electronic tokenization, and "Apple Pay" services in Egypt.
He added that regulatory frameworks enabled Digital Onboarding and biometric verification, boosting user numbers past 24 million, with targets to cross 30 million by the end of the year. Furthermore, he highlighted that AI is already integrated into back-end systems, fraud detection, and financial reconciliations, and is now shifting toward front-end applications to deliver personalized customer value.
Customer Behavioral Analysis and Tailored Banking Solutions
Mahmoud El-Nasharty, Head of Payments and Digital Channels at Banque Misr, discussed how AI tools and data analytics empower banking institutions to understand customer usage patterns across digital channels. He highlighted that banks are moving away from standardized service models toward crafting hyper-personalized banking experiences tailored to each customer's actual behavior.
Shifting from Traditional Products to Predictive Financing Needs
Mahmoud Fawzy, Head of Digital Banking at Commercial International Bank (CIB), emphasized that big data analytics provides institutions with an accurate picture of customer financial behavior. He explained that AI enables banks to predict financing and savings needs and offer timely financial advice, moving beyond generic product packages.
Real-Time Transaction Security and Seamless Consumer Experience
Ahmed Metwally, Country Manager of Mastercard Egypt, highlighted the deployment of AI in Real-Time Fraud Detection through advanced solutions such as "Decision Intelligence Pro." He affirmed that these technologies ensure transactions originate from legitimate cardholders while simplifying checkout procedures based on consumer budgets and spending patterns.
Comprehensive Governance and Offline Tools: Prerequisites for a Secure Smart System
Ahmed Nader, CEO of Geidea Solutions, stressed that successful AI adoption requires clear strategies and AI Governance to prevent arbitrary expansion and risk. He revealed that Geidea developed in-house offline AI tools operating without internet connectivity to protect merchant and institutional data, alongside leveraging predictive analytics to advance merchant lending and financing solutions.
