Digital Stallions Forum Middle East recognised 25 senior marketing leaders from the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector at the inaugural edition of The Great 25 BFSI Marketing Minds Middle East 2026, held on 27 October at Novotel Dubai
The initiative aimed to celebrate marketing professionals who have contributed to strengthening financial brands, driving customer engagement and advancing marketing practices in one of the region’s most competitive and highly regulated industries
As the UAE’s financial services landscape continues to evolve, marketing leaders are playing an increasingly strategic role in helping institutions differentiate themselves, build customer confidence and respond to changing consumer expectations. Digital transformation, evolving customer behaviour and growing expectations around transparency have made brand credibility and measurable business impact central to BFSI marketing strategies
Commenting on the initiative, Paurush Sonkar, Founder of Digital Stallions Forum Middle East, said: “The genesis of this initiative stems from our parent forum, BFSI Digital Stallions Forum, established in the South East Asia market in 2012. Over 14 years of growth, representing more than 250 marketing leaders across 130-plus financial brands as of November 2026, we have developed a deep appreciation for the individual marketer’s role in creating trusted brands within a regulated environment. Launching Edition 1.0 in Dubai allows us to highlight the visionaries driving marketing excellence across the Middle East BFSI ecosystem.”
The recognition covered five key segments of the financial services industry, including, banking, asset management, trading and broking, insurance, and forex and CFDs.
The platform was designed to acknowledge the individual contributions of experienced marketing professionals who have helped shape brand strategies, strengthen market positioning and support innovation across these segments.
“The UAE has built a world-class payment infrastructure in record time. The next challenge isn’t technology, it’s behaviour. Infrastructure is a launch; adoption is a campaign. The Top 25 BFSI event brought together exactly the people who will turn new financial products into everyday habits, and AdaptsMedia is proud to have been part of that conversation.”
— Ashish Gupta, CEO & Founder, AdaptsMedia
Through The Great 25 BFSI Marketing Minds Middle East, Digital Stallions Forum Middle East aims to spotlight the people behind the strategies, campaigns and initiatives shaping financial services brands. The inaugural edition establishes a dedicated platform for recognising marketing leadership across the region’s BFSI sector and encouraging continued professional exchange among its practitioners
The event also saw the soft launch of their annual initiative which is now in its 5th Edition, titled The 5th Edition of The Great Marketing Minds Middle East. The initiative is now open for award nominations from brands across sectors and connecting with sponsor / partners & participants. The information about participation is available on the website www.thegreatmarketingminds.ae
