Frans Stander, Iliad Solutions (Africa & Middle East).
The Payments Security Summit Series – 2025 is the largest Payments Security Summit for the regions of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia so I was keen to attend their latest event. The series is a global initiative aimed at shaping the future of secure payments across six countries: India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, South Africa, Turkey, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
The summit I attended, held on 28 May 2025 in Dubai, was packed full of senior leaders and industry pioneers in digital payments, compliance, and payment processing, looking to share and learn. Interactive discussions were held to address emerging trends and real-world solutions in payment security, with a central theme of “Collaborate on building secure digital ecosystems.”
Here are the main themes and takeaways I took from the summit:
A global vision with local urgency
To repeat the wording of the event organisers of PSS Series UAE:
“As digital payment ecosystems evolve, the need for robust security measures becomes increasingly critical. The Payment Security Summit’s global initiative across these countries aims to encourage collaboration, share best practices, and drive the adoption of stringent security standards to safeguard payment infrastructures worldwide.”
This statement perfectly encapsulates what the summit—and the broader movement—is about.
Fraud – the growing threat
As global payment volumes continue to rise and real-time rails become the norm, fraud and scams are evolving faster than any one sector can keep up with alone.
Throughout the summit, industry experts explored how smarter data sharing and unified regulation can outpace threats like:
- Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud
- Phishing
- AI-driven identity attacks
At Iliad Solutions, we have long understood that data intelligence and industry-wide coordination are critical to detecting and preventing sophisticated fraud schemes in real-time.
Fintech acceleration brings innovation—and risk
While payment modernisation initiatives are being launched at pace by Fintechs into the GCC regions, not all launches might have been tested thoroughly during on-board and integration testing processes.
This is a concern we at Iliad Solutions continuously address. A payment solution may promise innovation and speed, but if the foundation is shaky due to inadequate testing, the entire structure risks collapse.
We’re seeing the term “Cybercrime” being used daily by processors, consumers, and financial institutions—reflecting the reality of widespread cyberfraud. Regulators are investing heavily in combatting cybercrime, but it was encouraging to hear that the fintech industry is stepping up to provide permanent solutions as well.
Innovation in cybersecurity: Pioneering the Future
Global Fintech and Cybersecurity companies are pioneering innovative security solutions. We are seeing:
- Tokenization
- Biometrics
- Fraud detection and prevention technologies
These are not just incremental changes—they represent a paradigm shift in how we protect payments. The agility and expertise of fintech companies are enabling the development of robust security measures that adapt to emerging threats.
So what else was covered?
The growth of the MENA market demands secure infrastructure
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) digital payments market is projected to reach USD 422.56 billion by 2030. This rapid growth in increased digital payment usage is, by necessity, needing enhanced security frameworks.
Organisations are increasingly aligning with PCI DSS to safeguard payment data and prevent breaches. At the same time, Artificial Intelligence is taking on a more active role in the way we pay, get paid, and engage with commerce. AI is reshaping the global payments landscape—and security must evolve alongside it.
The role of payments testing in cybersecurity
At Iliad Solutions, we cannot stress enough the importance of certified payments integration testing. A key takeaway from the summit—aligned with our mission—is the recognition that:
A proper certified payments integration testing platform is as important as the enhanced or innovative new payment solutions which are being launched. If the testing platform is inadequate, then the intended solution will also fail in the market.
This is where Iliad comes in. We provide the infrastructure and expertise to rigorously test, validate, and secure payment applications before they go live—ensuring they’re resilient from day one.
My key takeaways from the summit
- The cost of fraud is rising, especially through real-time payment channels
- Ecosystem collaboration is essential to combating complex, coordinated fraud schemes
- Moving from data sharing to intelligent signal sharing will enhance real-time fraud detection
- The proposed Payment Services Regulation (PSR) is poised to enhance accountability and fraud coordination
- Certified payments integration testing must be foundational—not optional
Summary
The Payments Security Summit Series – 2025 underscored what we at Iliad have championed for years: the future of secure payments depends on collective action, innovation, and rigorous testing.
As fintech continues to redefine the customer experience, and as fraudsters become more sophisticated, every new solution must be resilient, tested, and trustworthy. Our mission remains clear—to help institutions deploy next-gen payment solutions with confidence, speed, and most importantly, security built in.
In a world that is racing towards digital-first finance, security cannot be an afterthought. It must be designed, tested, and validated from the start.
Let’s build the future of payments—securely.
Frans Stander is based in Cape Town, South Africa where he heads-up the MEA Region (Middle East / Africa). Frans can be contacted on: frans.stander@iliad-solutions.com