As fintech leaders, global payment networks, banks, and policymakers gathered at Money20/20 Europe 2026 -that was held in Amsterdam- to shape the future of financial services, Iraq had a different story to tell.
While the conversation elsewhere centred on artificial intelligence, payments, and digital identity, Qi arrived with an Iraqi story that shows digital transformation is not built on technology alone, it is built on national infrastructure capable of connecting citizens, merchants, government, and the financial sector within a single digital ecosystem.
This was more than attendance at a global conference. It was an opportunity to put Iraq on the global map of financial innovation and to showcase the genuine transformation achieved in recent years in one of the region’s most promising markets.
Today, Qi serves more than 22 million users and has issued over 25 million payment cards, with a network connecting more than 160,000 merchants across Iraq, making it one of the largest digital financial platforms in the Middle East and a key engine of Iraq’s digital economy.
But the numbers are only part of the story. over nearly two decades, Qi has evolved from an electronic payment specialist into a fully integrated digital ecosystem spanning payments, financial services, merchant enablement, digital identity, and integration with government services, becoming the infrastructure underpinning millions of daily transactions in Iraq.
Ahmed Kadhum Mohammed, Chief Investments Officer at Qi Group, said: “Money20/20 is more than a global conference; it is where the ideas that will define the future of financial services are debated. Our participation is not just about keeping pace with the latest innovation; it is about showing that Iraq now has a digital experience worthy of a place in this global conversation. Through technology, innovation, and strategic partnerships, we are connecting millions of Iraqis to the global digital economy and creating new opportunities for business and investment.”
Over the course of the conference, Qi’s delegation held a series of meetings with major global payment networks, financial institutions, technology leaders, and investors to explore cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital identity, embedded finance, cross, border trade, and merchant, enablement ecosystems.
These were more than business meetings; they reflected growing interest in Iraq’s advancing digital infrastructure and the significant potential of its financial market in the years ahead.
The participation also highlighted Qi’s vision for deploying artificial intelligence — not only to improve the customer experience, but also to strengthen compliance, sharpen fraud, detection capabilities, automate operations, and develop digital services tailored to the needs of the Iraqi market.
Bahaa Abdul Hadi, Chairman of Qi, affirmed that this vision extends beyond technology, saying: “Our goal is to build a more financially inclusive and digitally connected Iraq. Financial inclusion is not merely a banking service; it is a pillar of economic development and improved quality of life. Through investment in innovation and global partnerships, we continue to build a modern digital economy that serves all Iraqis.”
This vision reflects a broader shift underway in Iraq, where digital infrastructure has become a fundamental enabler of trade, investment, government services, and cross, border transactions, opening new horizons for the national economy and deepening its integration into the global economy.
Ali Hussein Munim, CEO of Qi, added: “Our journey was never about building a payments company; it was about building a fully integrated digital ecosystem. In partnership with government institutions, financial partners, merchants, and technology providers, we continue to develop more efficient, higher, impact services that support Iraq’s long, term economic development.”
Today, Qi’s focus extends well beyond digital payments, expanding into digital commerce, merchant enablement, financial services, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure — built on the conviction that the future of the economy is not shaped by standalone services, but by interconnected systems linking people to business, government, and markets.
As Money20/20 Europe 2026 drew to a close, Qi’s delegation carried home more than new meetings and partnerships, it carried a message: Iraq is no longer watching digital transformation from a distance. It has become a partner in shaping its future.
At a moment when the world was debating the future of fintech, Iraq was telling a different story — the story of an economy in transition, national companies building for the future, and a new generation that sees innovation as the path to development and prosperity.
That, perhaps, was the most important message Qi carried
