Manama : Renowned football legend and global entrepreneur Louis Saha has joined Fintech Forward 2026’s speaker lineup to showcase his unique perspective on leadership, reinvention, and building long-term, sustainable success. The region’s flagship financial services forum will take place on 7-8 October 2026 at Exhibition World Bahrain, under the theme “Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure.”
As a former Premier League and France international footballer, Saha has won the Champions
League, two Premier League titles, a World Cup silver medal, and has represented some of
Europe’s most recognised clubs, including Manchester United, Everton, Fulham, and Tottenham
Hotspur. Following a distinguished playing career, he transitioned into entrepreneurship,
founding KiiMasters, a technology venture designed to transform influence into measurable
positive action, and AxisStars, a private networking platform now valued at £4.3 billion that
helps thousands of professional athletes navigate business, financial, and career development
opportunities.
At FF26, Saha will participate in a fireside chat titled “From the Pitch to the Platform: Turning
Experience into the Next Opportunity.” The session will explore how personal experience can
identify emerging gaps and catalyse solutions with the potential for broad, lasting impact,
drawing on Saha’s journey from sport to building world-class technology-enabled platforms.
Louis Saha said: “Throughout my career, both on and off the pitch, I’ve seen how access to the
right networks, guidance, and opportunities is critical to ensure lasting success. I’m looking
forward to visiting Bahrain and joining Fintech Forward 2026 to share my experiences on the
importance of connection, discuss the challenges of reinvention, and explore how technology
can help people better navigate important transitions in their lives and careers.”
Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and supported by the
Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition
Authority (BTEA), and Bahrain Fintech Bay, the event is programmed by Forbes Middle East.
Fintech Forward 2026 brings together global thought leaders, innovators, investors,
policymakers, and industry executives to examine the forces shaping the future of financial
services. Through a programme of keynote sessions, panel discussions, fireside conversations,
exhibitions, and strategic networking opportunities, Fintech Forward 2026 will provide a platform
to build partnerships and explore opportunities emerging across the regional financial services
and technology landscape.
Financial services is the largest contributor to Bahrain’s economy, accounting for 17.6% of GDP
in 2025. Building on over 100 years of experience as a regional financial hub, the island nation
has developed a dynamic fintech ecosystem supported by deep sector expertise, a collaborative
business environment, forward-looking regulations, and a highly skilled, future-proofed talent
base. Bahrain was the first country in the region to introduce an onshore regulatory sandbox,
open banking regulations, crypto-asset regulation, and, most recently, the GCC’s first stablecoin
framework, reflecting a long-standing approach to enabling innovation while supporting the
responsible evolution of financial services.
For more details or to register interest in attending FF26, please visit the website.
