Alona Shevtsova Speaks at MEBIS 2026 on Payment Innovation
News related to:Sends · 2 min read
On September 17, 2026, Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, joined a panel discussion at the 17th edition of the Middle East Banking Innovation Summit (MEBIS 2026) in Dubai. The summit, which brought together banking, fintech, and technology leaders, focused on the evolution of real-time payments, digital wallets, and cross-border infrastructure.
Shevtsova participated alongside Hasan Jaber, Deputy CEO at Al Fardan Exchange and CEO of AlfaNow; Ananth Srivatsa, Executive Vice President at RAKBANK; Mohamed Hussein, Head of Banking Solutions Center of Excellence at BANK NXT; Kamran Khan, Executive Director, Product Innovation & Implementation (EMEA) at First Abu Dhabi Bank; Ashish Gupta, Head of Digital, Retail SME and Sales at BankDhofar; and Naveed Minhas, EMEA IPC Payments Leader at IBM.
The discussion highlighted the growing importance of interoperability, as payments increasingly move across platforms, currencies, and jurisdictions in real time. Banks and fintech companies face the challenge of connecting established banking infrastructure with new payment rails while maintaining security, compliance, and operational resilience.
Shevtsova emphasized that the future of payments will not be defined by a single technology or payment method. "The real opportunity is in connecting the ecosystem around the customer. Real-time payments, wallets, and cross-border infrastructure need to work together so that moving money becomes simpler for the user, while the technology, compliance, and risk infrastructure behind that experience continues to evolve," she said.
This participation at MEBIS follows Shevtsova's involvement in a number of international industry discussions throughout 2026. Earlier this year, she joined expert panels at PAY360 in London, covering agentic AI in AML and KYC, and the evolution of embedded finance. She also participated in discussions in Riyadh focused on AI, risk, blockchain, and digital finance.
Sends, a UK-based financial technology company, provides payment services for businesses and individuals operating across domestic and international markets. The company is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Electronic Money Institution.
Alona Shevtsova's participation at MEBIS reflects Sends' growing engagement with the Middle East financial ecosystem as the region continues to invest in real-time payment infrastructure, digital banking, and new models for cross-border financial services.