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Fintech and Financial Inclusion: Evidence from MENA Countries

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Technological Sustainability and Business Competitive Advantage

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Abstract

Financial technology has long been employed to the financial and banking sectors until the rise of financial technology innovation called Fintech. Referring to the evolution of Fintech till now, Fintech affects the bank’s activities from the past, present, and future. Technological innovation is the provision of an ideal combination of inputs and outputs, which themselves are the result of a combination of high technology and capital equipment. Financial technology (Fintech) has emerged as an essential means to improve the financial inclusion of unbanked individuals in develo** countries. This paper investigates Fintech’s impact on financial inclusion in MENA countries. To do so, this study utilizes panel data models, using Global Financial Inclusion database and the World Bank database, and covering eleven MENA countries for the years 2011, 2014, and 2017, with the years in question chosen based on data availability. The dependent variable is financial inclusion (FI), and the independent variable is Fintech (FIN). Other factors identified in the relevant literature were used in our model (education (EDU) and population growth (POP)). Our study finds that Fintech has a significant and positive impact on financial inclusion. Results reveal that financial inclusion ensures access to a wide array of financial services throughout society in our selected sample of MENA countries.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Middle East University, Amman, Jordan

    Lubna Khalaf

  2. Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain

    Rami Abu Wadi

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  1. Lubna Khalaf
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  2. Rami Abu Wadi
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Correspondence to Rami Abu Wadi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business & Finance, Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain

    Muneer Al Mubarak

  2. College of Business & Finance, Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain

    Allam Hamdan

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Khalaf, L., Wadi, R.A. (2023). Fintech and Financial Inclusion: Evidence from MENA Countries. In: Al Mubarak, M., Hamdan, A. (eds) Technological Sustainability and Business Competitive Advantage . Internet of Things. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35525-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35525-7_12

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-35525-7

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