JRNY Fintech Retreat Sparks Regulatory-Driven Innovation in Egypt’s Ecosystem

Editorial Team

Last updated 9-12-2025

3 min

JRNY concluded its Fintech Industry Retreat 2025 in El Gouna, in collaboration with the FRA Sandbox.

The retreat hosted over 130 senior fintech figures, fostering collaboration and fresh ideas in Egypt.

Themes included aligning regulators and startups, customer experience, and practical AI and blockchain use.

JRNY aims to turn discussions into real policy or pilot projects post-event with the FRA.

Local firms like Raya Data Center contributed, emphasising collaboration in Egypt’s fintech landscape.

JRNY has wrapped up its Fintech Industry Retreat 2025 in El Gouna, running from 3 to 6 December and held in partnership with the Financial Regulatory Authority’s Sandbox. The gathering drew notable participation from the FRA’s leadership, including Eng. Ahmed Khalifa, who heads the Sandbox and also serves as Chief Data Officer. Several senior advisors and deputy assistants to the FRA Chairman were part of the delegation as well, and their presence seemed to elevate the policy conversations throughout the event.

The organisation also expressed its appreciation to Dr. Mohamed Farid, Chairman of the FRA, whose ongoing backing was highlighted as an important factor in strengthening this year's retreat. I reckon that kind of public-sector involvement can often be the make-or-break element for fintech initiatives in our region. At Arageek, we’ve seen countless founders tell us how a bit of regulatory clarity can save them from running in circles.

More than 130 senior figures from fintech startups, banks, investment firms, regulators and other ecosystem players came together, which is no small feat. It’s the sort of mix that usually sparks fresh thinking… even if getting everyone aligned can be a bit of a faff. Still, the retreat has built a reputation as one of Egypt’s more influential forums for shaping where fintech goes next.

The event had support from familiar local names such as Raya Data Center, Farida | Coldwell Banker, and Lucky. Their involvement helped set a collaborative tone—something I’ve always felt is spot on for fintech, where competition and partnership often sit side by side in slightly awkward harmony.

Across three days, participants dug into a range of themes: tightening the relationship between regulators and the private sector; sharpening a unified vision around customer experience and financial inclusion; and exploring very practical uses of AI, blockchain and cloud technologies that make sense for Egypt specifically. On the flip side, the retreat also paid attention to how startups can partner with corporates without losing their edge—believe it or not, that’s still one of the trickiest balances for early-stage teams.

JRNY described this edition as part of its ongoing push to cultivate community and push meaningful dialogue in the fintech space. The outcomes will be presented in an official meeting with the FRA, aiming to translate the crowd’s collective wisdom into actionable next steps. If that actually materialises into real policy or pilot projects, many founders will be chuffed to bits—well, most of them, anyway. And as someone who’s seen how momentum can evaporate overnight in young ecosystems, I’m definately hoping this energy sticks.

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