AI Expert Mo Gawdat to Headline Bahrain Fintech Forward 2026

Manama, Bahrain – Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X, best-selling author, and internationally recognized AI expert, has been added to the speaker lineup for Bahrain Fintech Forward 2026. He will share his perspectives on the future of artificial intelligence, human judgment, and responsible decision-making. Gawdat's participation comes at a time when AI is under intense global scrutiny, with businesses and the public grappling with issues of trust, accountability, and human oversight in increasingly intelligent systems.

The event, a premier regional forum for financial services, is scheduled for October 7-8, 2026, at Exhibition World Bahrain, under the theme "Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure." Throughout his 27-year career, Gawdat has held roles at IBM, NCR, Microsoft, and Google, where he was instrumental in launching nearly half of Google Global Services' operations before becoming Chief Business Officer at Google X.

Gawdat will participate in a panel discussion titled "When Intelligence is Everywhere: How Much Decision-Making Power Should Still Be Left to Humans?" This session will explore how AI is integrating across industries, including financial services, where intelligent systems are increasingly influencing decisions on money, investments, risk, and customer interaction. The discussion will address the implications for judgment, ethics, and accountability, and where human decision-making remains indispensable.

Bahrain aims to bolster its fintech ecosystem. The Fintech Forward 2026 event, organized by Forbes Middle East and supported by entities including the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), will convene financial industry leaders and experts to discuss the sector's future.