VAP Group to host 5000+ AI futurists at The Global AI Show in KSA in June 2025

VAP Group to host 5000+ AI futurists at The Global AI Show in KSA in June 2025

VAP Group VAP Group, a leading AI and Blockchain consulting giant, in association with Times of AI is set to host an exclusive event on 23-24th June, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that will bring together AI futurists across the globe with 5,000+ attendees, 200+ speakers, 300+ companies and 250+ media professionals all under one roof to explore the latest AI innovations, trends and investment opportunities.

The exhibition’s theme, “AI 2030: Accelerating Intelligent Futures,” covers Saudi’s vision to build the community around three primary themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation. The gateway to AI in the Middle East: The exhibition will gather investors, developers, startups and enterprises in a 4500 sqm exhibition space and shall feature 100+ global AI leaders.


Global AI Show has previously hosted Honourable Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, Government of Alberta, Canada, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security United Arab Emirates Government, Janet Adams, COO- SingularityNET / ASI, Georges De Moura – Group Vice President and CISO – EDGE, and others.

The event will bring influential minds for AI Excellence from AI policymakers, investors, researchers, startups, and enterprises.


● Exclusive Keynotes & Fireside Chats: Gain insights of AI excellence straight from AI thought-leaders
● High-Impact Networking: Connect with investors, developers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers shaping the future world of intelligent technology.
● Live Demos & Exhibitions: Experience firsthand the latest advancements in AI and enterprise applications.
Pitch Competitions & Hackathons: Discover the next wave of disruptive startups and emerging tech talent.
Past Success Stories & Impact


Over the years, the Global AI Show has played a pivotal role in creating a high-impact network of AI Trailblazers and Innovators that created a transformative upsurge worldwide.


The Global AI Show 2025 serves as the ultimate convergence point for thought leaders and disruptors. This event serves as a strategic hub for AI policymakers, investors, startups, and enterprises.

22 percent of UAE Fayafi Investment Holding portfolio geared to digital and tokenized assets

22 percent of UAE Fayafi Investment Holding portfolio geared to digital and tokenized assets

Fayafi Investment Holding, the first UAE firm made available through a bankable certificate issued under the SIX Swiss Exchange framework, listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange and featured on Bloomberg, has announced a strategic expansion of its investment portfolio to capture emerging opportunities. 22 percent of the portfolio is geared towards digital assets including Web3, tokenized finance and blockchain.

Fayafi has deployed USD 1.2 billion in investments towards diversified and high-growth opportunities in strategic industries. The firm is currently the highest-value UAE publicly listed company on foreign stock exchanges. It also ranks number 4 GCC-wide, reinforcing Dubai and the UAE’s credibility as a global financial hub. The move aligns Fayafi’s long-term investment strategy with key financial, technological, and green finance opportunities. Fayafi Investment Holding’s diversified portfolio allocation across key industries, including digital assets, biotech, defense, and sustainability.

15.5% of the portfolio is allocated to medical and biotechnology, in line with Fayafi Investment Holding’s mission of advancing human well-being and scientific innovation. The investments will power next-generation advances in genomics, AI-driven healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.

Aerospace and Defence allocations constitute another 15.5%, funding satellite technologies, defence AI, and next-generation aerospace materials as the firm looks to capitalize on increased long-term defence spending globally.

Quantum Computing & Advanced Electronics has a 14% allocation, with investments targeted towards AI hardware, and cryptographic quantum technology.

AI-Driven Financial Markets & Algorithmic Trading account for another 14%, with investments aimed at enhancing market prediction models, automated trading, and AI-powered hedge funds, to strengthen financial market efficiency.

7.5% is given over to real estate with a Dubai focus. Fayafi will strengthen its commercial and luxury real estate investments in Dubai, capitalizing on a stable and appreciating market.

8% is set aside for carbon credits and forestation programs, aligning with Fayafi Investment Holding’s mission of creating a sustainable and secure future for humankind. The investment will create carbon offsets and monetized environmental impact investments that benefit local communities through job creation and upskilling

“At Fayafi, we recognize both the evolving financial landscape and the growing importance of sustainability in investment. Our investment expansion integrates advanced financial technologies with environmental responsibility, ensuring both profitability and long-term value creation for our stakeholders. We seek to take advantage of exciting global trends while positioning ourselves as a driving force for innovation across finance, technology, science and sustainability,” said Dr. Patrick Pilati, Executive President, Fayafi Investment Holding Limited

In the short term, Fayafi Investment Holding is seeking increased market positioning, with liquidity generated through digital assets and AI-driven investments. In the longer term, Fayafi is banking on exponential growth in AI, quantum computing and biotechnology.

Fayafi Investment Holding Limited is a global leader in strategic commodity investments, with a presence on the SIX Swiss Exchange and Vienna Stock Exchange. The company specializes in advanced financial markets, digital assets, and sustainable investments, shaping the future of global finance through innovation and ESG-driven strategies.

Qatar National Bank Group signs partnership with QFC for digital assets and tokenization

Qatar National Bank Group signs partnership with QFC for digital assets and tokenization

As the second edition of Web Summit Qatar 2025 concludes, Qatar National Bank (QNB Group,) signed agreements with Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Qatar Development Bank (QDB), and Rasmal Ventures. The agreement with QFC would allow fintech firms to access QNB banking infrastructure and support innovations in digital assets, tokenization, and embedded finance.

With QDB, the bank will collaborate on initiatives that promote Qatar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, including funding opportunities for fintech startups and alternative financing models.


With Rasmal Ventures, QNB is creating new pathways for venture capital investment, enhancing support for high-potential startups and driving the adoption of cutting-edge financial technologies.


Speaking about the partnerships, Abdulla Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Group Chief Executive Officer of QNB, said, “Our strategic collaborations at Web Summit Qatar 2025 reflect our commitment to advancing digital finance and fostering a dynamic fintech ecosystem. By working closely with key financial and investment partners, QNB is strengthening Qatar’s role as a global financial hub and unlocking new opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.”

Oman set to host DLive 2025 event for AI Blockchain and IoT

Oman set to host DLive 2025 event for AI Blockchain and IoT

Oman is set to host DLive 2025 event covering the topics of AI, Blockchain, IoT, Automation, and Digital Transformation. Organized by Muscat Media Group, Gulf Leaders Circle, Times Of Oman and Al Shabiba, the event is set to bring together visionary leaders, tech pioneers, investors, and government officials, the event will explore cutting-edge innovations driving business success, economic growth, and digital transformation across industries.

As part of this transformative event, the DLive Awards 2025 will recognize trailblazing individuals, groundbreaking innovations, and leading organizations shaping the future of technology. These awards honor excellence in digital transformation, automation, fintech, cybersecurity, and beyond, inspiring the next wave of industry advancements.

With technology at the core of economic progress, DLIVE 2025 serves as a catalyst for innovation, investment, and collaboration. The event will feature:

Inspiring Talks & Panels – Learn from top tech and business leaders.
Powerful Networking – Connect with key decision-makers, industry experts, and investors.
DLIVE Awards – Celebrating innovation and leadership in digital transformation
The DLive Awards: Recognising Excellence in Innovation
Aligned with Oman’s Vision 2040, the DLiveAwards 2025 celebrate the visionaries and innovators shaping a knowledge-based economy through technological advancements. Categories include:
AI & Automation Excellence
Blockchain & Fintech Innovation
Smart Infrastructure & IoT Leadership
Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Pioneer
E-commerce & Digital Retail Excellence
HealthTech & Telemedicine Advancement
Sustainability Through Technology
Human-Centered AI & Ethics Leadership
Robotics & Industry 4.0 Transformation
Education & Digital Skills Development

Flowdesk digital asset liquidity firm to set up office in UAE after raising $102 million

Flowdesk digital asset liquidity firm to set up office in UAE after raising $102 million

With offices in the United States, Singapore and France Flowdesk, a full-service crypto trading and technology firm, is seeking to set up an office in UAE as part of its MENA expansion plans after closing its $102m financing round. Flowdesk received as well further equity support from existing shareholders and HV Capital as well as debt from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock. 

Since its launch in 2020, Flowdesk is a strong liquidity provider in the crypto industry, notably through its Market-Making as a Service offering, serving spot and derivatives markets across over 140 centralized and decentralized exchanges. The company is dedicated to engineering trading technology and liquidity solutions tailored to the needs of a digitally native economy.

Following its global expansion in 2023, the company’s revenues grew by 8x in 2024. The extension will bolster ease of access to digital asset liquidity for ETFs and OTC trading solutions through a single point of contact.

‟Guilhem and the entire Flowdesk team have done a tremendous job in creating a hyper-growing, profitable, FinTech powerhouse within the vastly expanding digital asset space. Offering their clients the relevant infrastructure while complementarily adding OTC products and proprietary trading is incredibly smart. We are proud to have partnered with such a capable, experienced and smart founder and management team and strongly believe in Flowdesk as global FinTech Champion”, said Alexander Joel-Carbonell, Partner at HV Capital. 

Flowdesk has strong expansion plans

Flowdesk has ambitious growth plans for 2025. The funds will be used to scale its OTC derivatives business and launch a dedicated crypto credit desk, broadening its services to meet the evolving needs of the digital asset market.

The company will also invest heavily in its proprietary trading infrastructure and double its headcount, reinforcing its position as a leading liquidity provider and OTC trading firm while accelerating its global expansion.

The company also intends to invest significantly in compliance and legal to support the maturing guidelines from regulators, notably in anticipation of MICA. Finally, the company is set to open additional offices, notably considering UAE as its next outpost in the Middle East.

‟Our mission is to build institutional-grade trading solutions for the digital asset ecosystem. We are grateful to have partners and our existing investors backing our ambitious growth plans”, said Guilhem Chaumont, Global CEO of Flowdesk. ‟Tokenization has the potential to transform capital markets on a global scale. This partnership will allow us to continue pursuing our quest to make digital assets accessible to a wider range of institutionalized counterparties.” 

In 2024, Flowdesk served as a Liquidity Provider for various BTC ETF issuers. Today, all BTC ETF funds hold more than $115 billion worth of the cryptocurrency, according to FactSet. ‟Digital asset ETFs mark a pivotal moment in the evolution of crypto,” said Reed Werbitt, US CEO And Chief Revenue Officer of Flowdesk. ‟These ETFs send a strong signal to institutional investors that digital assets are maturing, paving the way for substantial capital inflows from hedge funds, pension funds, and endowments. We look forward to partnering with institutions entering the space through ETFs or any instruments.”

SettleMint Blockchain pilots private share tokenization of QFC

SettleMint Blockchain pilots private share tokenization of QFC

SettleMint, a blockchain company that enables enterprises to easily and rapidly build and integrate blockchain applications, which was accepted into the Qatar Financial Center (QFC) Digital Assets Lab, has successfully piloted the tokenization of private shares of QFC.

In a LinkedIn post, Henk Jan Hoogendoorn, Chief of Financial Services Sector at Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority, stated, ” Thank you Matthew Van Niekerk and team for the successful pilot of the private share tokenization of QFC. We call upon the Financial Sector to find more use cases tokenization in Qatar.”

In November 2023, Henk had noted that QFC and SettleMint would be tokenizing the private shares and equity for companies in Qatar. He had stated at the time, “ Next steps on tokenization of private shares / Private Equity discussed with our digital asset lab partner SettleMint both for Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority and any investment manager that would that would like to tokenize or fractionalize investments.”

In April 2023, Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) signed its second Blockchain MOU with Settlemint, after signing its first with R3. The agreement with Settlemint aimed to work on Blockchain and digital asset initiatives in the financial sector. QFCA and Settlemint agreed to explore potential synergies with industry participants, including financial institutions, fintech firms, and corporate organizations, to accelerate the adoption of blockchain and digital asset business models and solutions.

QFC ( Qatar Financial Center) also played an instrumental role in the recent collaboration and partnership of two DLT entities, The Hashgraph Group, a Swiss-based international business, venture capital and technology company, and SettleMint a blockchain transformation company. The partnership seeks to accelerate the impact of DLT ( Distributed Ledger Technologies) and digital assets across several industries.

UAE SCA grants Bybit in principle crypto exchange license

UAE SCA grants Bybit in principle crypto exchange license

Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has received its second in principle license approval in the UAE from The Securities and Commodities Authority in the UAE. This is its second in principle license approval as it has previously received one from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA).

The in principle approval (IPA) will allow Bybit to set up a virtual asset platform operation within the UAE. Bybit is also in the final steps to receive its fully operational license soon. This milestone marks a significant step in Bybit’s ongoing mission to provide a secure, stable, and compliant platform for crypto traders in the region.

As per the press release, this IPA underscores the crypto exchange’s commitment to upholding the highest regulatory and compliance standards as it works toward full operational approval from the SCA. This authorization moves the exchange closer to offering a broad range of digital asset services to both retail and institutional clients in the UAE.

Ben Zhou, Co-founder and CEO of Bybit, commented on this milestone, “We are honored to have received the IPA from SCA. This approval marks a crucial step in our journey to providing secure and transparent crypto trading solutions. Bybit remains dedicated to working hand-in-hand with regulators to foster a compliant and innovative digital asset ecosystem to both retail and institutional investors in the UAE.”

Beyond UAE, crypto exchange continues to secure regulatory approvals worldwide, expanding its presence in key jurisdictions such as India, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, etc, further reinforcing its regulatory commitment. These licenses enable Bybit to expand its reach while maintaining the highest security and compliance standards for its users worldwide.

This in principle license comes days after Bybit was hacked for $1.4 billion dollars.

Powered by Qatar Central Bank, QFC launches its metaverse

Powered by Qatar Central Bank, QFC launches its metaverse

The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) during the Web Summit event launched the QFC metaverse powered by Qatar Central Bank. The QFC metaverse builds on the success of the Digital Assets Lab and is designed to serve as an immersive digital platform for business engagement, collaboration and innovation.

QFC firms will be able to showcase their achievements, interact with global partners, and explore business opportunities. It will also act as a hub for virtual workshops, training sessions, and expert led discussion. Financial institutions, corporates, fintech firms, and startups will have the opportunity to connect, share insights, and drive innovation in an increasingly digitized world.

Addressing a press conference to announce the launch of QFC Metaverse, QFC CEO Yousuf Mohamed Al Jaida emphasized the significance of the initiative. He explained, “We see the QFC Metaverse as a gateway to the future of finance, a space where borders fade, partnerships flourish, and ideas can grow beyond what we thought possible. Through this platform, we will build a financial district and fintech hub that can easily be accessed by anyone from anywhere in the world.”

Al Jaida further highlighted that the QFC Metaverse is a core element of Qatar’s broader vision to drive digital transformation in the financial sector. “By harnessing emerging technologies, we are driving economic growth, fostering innovation, and laying strong foundations for thriving financial and digital sectors, positioning Qatar as a leader in these domains,” he added.

In a LinkedIn post, Aditya Kumar SinhaAditya Kumar Sinha, Head of Fintech and Digital Innovation at QFC noted, “We are proud to share that at Web Summit Qatar 2025, the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority officially launched the QFC Metaverse—a game-changing virtual platform designed to transform business engagement, collaboration, and innovation. He added that whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or innovator, the QFC Metaverse offers endless opportunities to collaborate and thrive.

Dubai’s regulator VARA warns against MKAN Coin

Dubai’s regulator VARA warns against MKAN Coin

Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has issued an alert regarding MKAN Coin, which operates as a crypto trading exchange, based out of DMCC. The coin which uses the domain www.mkancoin.com has been advertising virtual asset activities accessible within the UAE but with no regulatory approval.

VARA has instructed MKAN Coin to cease all marketing activities and has issued a fine.

According to the crypto regulator, engaging with unlicensed platforms exposes users to significant financial risk and potential legal consequences for violating regulatory requirements. The regulator notes that in accordance with Dubai Law No. (4) of 2022 and Cabinet Resolution No. 111/2022, all virtual asset service providers must be licensed to operate legally in this jurisdiction. MKAN Coin does not meet these legal requirements and is not authorized to provide any virtual asset services in/from the Emirate of Dubai.

Furthermore VARA advised consumers and investors in the UAE to avoid using MKAN Coin, and to exercise caution when considering interactions with unregulated platforms. Users should be aware that access to the MKAN Coin website has been suspended voluntarily, and it is recommended to take immediate necessary measures to ensure protection of user assets.

This is not the first time that Dubai’s regulator has warned against unregulated VASP activities. In April 2023, VARA issued an alert and warning with regards to virtual asset exchange OPNX (opnx.com) which launched on April 4th 2023.

Then in October 2023, it warned investors and market participants of the unauthorized issuance, marketing, and retail distribution of Islamic Coin (ISLM) from Bored Gen (BG) DMCC based out of Dubai UAE.

Most recently in December 2024, the regulator issued alerts for seven crypto entities claiming to be registered and licensed in Dubai. The entities include, Koto Crypto, Finchain, Crypto Force, Coin Cashy, BTC Bay, XT, and Stabit.

Circle’s USDC and EURC available to 600 entities in Dubai’s DIFC

Circle’s USDC and EURC available to 600 entities in Dubai’s DIFC

Dubai’s DIFC ( Dubai International Financial Centre) has officially approved Circle’s stablecoins USDC and EURC into its crypto token regime which will allow these stablecoins to be used by more than 600 entities in DIFC.

The USDC and EURC will be the first approved stablecoins in DIFC, after DIFC approved crypto tokens that included TON, XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others.

Entities in DIFC will be able to use the stablecoins USDC and EURC to make payments, treasury management and other financial applications.

Circle in December 2024 incorporated its entity in ADGM in Abu Dhabi , as part of its strategic expansion into the Middle East and Africa. It also entered into a partnership with LuLu Financial Holdings (‘LuLuFin’), and its affiliates, one of the largest financial services conglomerates in the region, to facilitate remittances and cross-border payments with USDC, Circle’s fully-reserved digital dollar.

“The DFSA’s approval of USDC and EURC as recognized crypto tokens within the DIFC is yet another validation of our constructive approach to regulatory and policy engagement,” said Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy and Operations at Circle. “As the first stablecoins to receive this designation, USDC and EURC continue to set the global standard for transparency, compliance, and utility. This milestone aligns with our mission to make digital dollars and euros more accessible, interoperable, and useful for businesses, developers, and financial institutions worldwide.”

Central Bank of UAE released its stablecoin payments regulation in 2024

The importance of USDC being accepted into DIFC cannot be viewed without looking at the bigger picture of stablecoin regulation in the UAE. The Central Bank while noting that only AED backed stablecoins could be used for purchasing products and services within the UAE, it did note that UAE regulated stablecoins could be used for purchasing of virtual assets and that these stablecoins could be regulated by DIFC, ADGM or VARA.

Already AE Coin has been regulated in the UAE as an AED backed stablecoin and Tether is seeking to receive a license for its AED stablecoin.