The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is at the forefront of a digital revolution in financial services. Ambitious national visions, a rapidly growing digital-native population, and progressive regulatory agendas are driving banks and insurers to reimagine their technology foundations. Yet, many institutions remain constrained by legacy core platforms, manual processes, and fragmented data architectures—barriers that limit innovation and slow the pace of transformation.
Cloud and core modernization is no longer a future aspiration for MENA financial institutions; it is a strategic imperative. Those that embrace this journey can unlock new business value, accelerate product innovation, and ensure compliance in a dynamic regulatory landscape. Publicis Sapient, in partnership with AWS, is leading this transformation, helping MENA banks and insurers migrate legacy systems to the cloud, modernize their core, and build the digital foundations for sustainable growth.
The benefits of cloud and core modernization are clear and immediate:
With digital transformation spending in the Middle East projected to exceed $58 billion by 2025, and regulators in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and beyond actively encouraging digital innovation, the time to act is now.
Publicis Sapient’s deep partnership with AWS—underscored by its AWS Financial Services Competency—brings together global expertise, local insight, and a proven, repeatable approach to digital transformation. Through the SPEED framework (Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data & AI), Publicis Sapient delivers:
This collaboration is not just about technology; it’s about delivering measurable business impact. MENA financial institutions can leverage scalable, enterprise-grade solutions to reduce costs, improve agility, and create differentiated customer experiences.
Bodhi is an enterprise-ready AI/ML platform built on AWS, designed to help banks deploy and scale generative AI use cases securely and responsibly. Leveraging Amazon SageMaker and Amazon Bedrock, Bodhi offers a wide selection of large language models (LLMs), robust data protections, and responsible AI principles. This gives MENA banks the confidence to innovate while meeting stringent regulatory and security requirements.
Sapient Slingshot, built on Bodhi, is an AI-powered platform that streamlines the software development lifecycle and accelerates the modernization of core banking systems. By automating code migration, testing, and deployment, Slingshot helps banks reduce time-to-market and operational risk, enabling them to respond faster to market changes and customer needs.
AGTB’s launch in the UAE stands as a landmark for digital banking in MENA. As the world’s first fully digital trade finance bank, AGTB leveraged a cloud-native core, advanced analytics, and API-driven integration to:
Publicis Sapient partnered with a leading MENA bank to modernize its infrastructure and enhance the software development lifecycle using generative AI, resulting in up to 40% efficiency gains while meeting stringent risk and compliance requirements.
Retail banks in the UAE are leveraging customer data and machine learning to develop personalized promotions, services, and digital journeys. AI-powered KYC and onboarding processes are reducing friction, improving compliance, and accelerating customer acquisition. Cloud adoption, guided by Publicis Sapient’s engineering transformation mindset, is enabling banks to meet both business and regulatory demands.
MENA’s regulatory landscape is complex and rapidly evolving. Each market has its own requirements, from data residency to Sharia compliance. Publicis Sapient works closely with regulators, banks, and fintechs to ensure:
This deep local expertise ensures that transformation initiatives are not only innovative but also compliant and sustainable.
For technology leaders, the path to cloud and core modernization can seem daunting. Publicis Sapient’s approach is designed to de-risk and accelerate every stage of the journey:
With over 30 years of digital innovation, 100+ financial services clients, and 40+ partnerships with leading technology providers, Publicis Sapient is the trusted partner for MENA financial institutions seeking to lead the next wave of digital transformation. Our proven methodologies, proprietary tools, and deep regional expertise ensure that your cloud and core modernization journey delivers measurable business value—faster, smarter, and with confidence.
Ready to accelerate your bank’s digital transformation? Connect with Publicis Sapient to discover how we, together with AWS, can help you build the future of banking in MENA—future-proofed, compliant, and customer-centric.