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Open Finance advisory · MENA

Turn regulatory change into platform advantage.

MiddleLeap helps banks, fintechs and financial infrastructure providers connect Open Finance obligations with market position, propositions, ecosystem economics, platform capabilities and accountable execution.

Open Finance decision system / 04MENA focus
Regulatory mandateWhat role will the institution play?
01PositionRole in the value chain
02PropositionCustomer and partner value
03PlatformData, consent and APIs
04 · Operating modelLFI · TPP · Risk · Operations · Partners
Market-ready participation model

Executive view

Open Finance is a business-model decision with regulatory consequences.

The mandate crosses the boardroom and delivery floor. MiddleLeap keeps market position, proposition, platform, controls and mobilisation inside one decision system.

01 / Mandate

Regulation into strategy

Turn new obligations and permissions into an explicit institutional position.

02 / For whom

Banks and platforms

Built for banks, fintechs, TPPs and infrastructure providers shaping their role in the ecosystem.

03 / Scope

End-to-end choices

Connect use cases, economics, APIs, consent, controls, partners and operations.

04 / Experience

MENA market activation

Draw on platform-building and bank-side leadership across Open Banking and Open Finance.

05 / Next step

Resolve one mandate

Start with the decisions blocking strategic position or execution—not a generic transformation programme.

Mandates we take on

Move the boardroom and delivery floor through the same decisions.

Open Finance becomes fragmented when regulatory readiness, proposition design and technology delivery run as separate programmes. The work must resolve four connected choices.

01

Market position

Decide where the institution will lead, participate or partner as regulation changes the value chain.

Strategic position · executive decisions
02

Proposition

Translate permitted data and payment capabilities into customer, partner and embedded-finance propositions.

Use cases · value proposition · economics
03

Platform

Shape the consent, data, API, partner and control capabilities required to operate at ecosystem scale.

Capability model · platform roadmap
04

Operating model

Align product, technology, risk, compliance, operations and partner management around accountable execution.

Decision rights · governance · mobilisation

The work

One mandate. Five connected workstreams.

The sequence is adapted to the institution. The discipline is constant: each workstream must make the next executive or delivery decision clearer.

  1. 01

    Frame the mandate

    Clarify the regulatory direction, commercial ambition, risk posture and decisions that leadership must own.

  2. 02

    Design the role

    Choose the LFI, TPP, embedded-finance or infrastructure role and the propositions that make it valuable.

  3. 03

    Shape the ecosystem

    Define priority partners, participation rules, commercial logic and the capabilities each party must provide.

  4. 04

    Mobilise the platform

    Connect APIs, consent, data, controls, operations and delivery into one sequenced transformation roadmap.

  5. 05

    Move to execution

    Create accountable workstreams, executive governance and evidence loops that expose the next decision early.

Experience carried into the practice

Evidence from both sides of the Open Finance market.

The experience below was built in prior executive roles and is brought into MiddleLeap's advisory practice. It is distinguished from work contracted directly by MiddleLeap.

For the current regulatory scope and definitions, use the CBUAE Open Finance Regulation as the primary source.

Platform side

Build and expand across MENA

Built and expanded an Open Banking platform across the region, working across institutions, fintechs and emerging ecosystem requirements.

Institution side

Turn a framework into live participation

Led a dual LFI/TPP programme that helped a leading UAE bank achieve first-bank certification under the national framework and deliver the country's first live transactions with a licensed TPP.

Transferable perspectivePlatform economics and institutional execution in one advisory frame.
Business banking ecosystems

District platform and marketplace

Led the build-out of Danske Bank's District platform across the Nordics and UK, including API-based partner channels and the migration of 250,000 SMEs, corporates and institutions.

Current working proof

Open Finance Backoffice

MiddleLeap's synthetic-only regulated build turns obligations into governed workflows and demonstrates how strategy, controls and delivery evidence can be constructed together.

Read the build record →
Execution method

The Loom

A governed discovery and delivery system for moving one evidenced mandate into working software while accountable people retain authority.

Explore the method →

Engagement models

Start with the decision that cannot stay unresolved.

MiddleLeap assembles senior regulatory, strategy, product, technology and delivery expertise around the mandate rather than bringing a fixed bench.

01 / Executive advisory

Hold the strategic line

Senior support for boards, executives and programme sponsors making regulatory, proposition and ecosystem decisions.

02 / Strategy sprint

Resolve the critical choices

A focused engagement to establish position, priority propositions, platform implications and an execution roadmap.

03 / Mobilisation

Turn direction into movement

Programme leadership that aligns product, technology, risk, operations and external partners around delivery.