Authors & Contributors

Chief Executive Officer of CoinMena, a digital Assets exchange based in Bahrain and Co-Founder of Jibrel Network, Switzerland

Samir Safar-Aly is the Policy and Regulation Working Group Lead at the MENA FinTech Association and a financial regulatory lawyer with 12 years of experience in the UAE. His practice focuses on financial regulation, fintech legal frameworks, financial crime and risk, and virtual asset regulation. He regularly supports public and private sector entities in designing compliant and forward-looking regulatory strategies across the GCC and broader MENA region.

Jose J. Perez Aguinaga is the Senior Executive Officer at Tungsten Custody Solutions, bringing over a decade of experience in the digital assets space. A cryptography enthusiast, educator, and engineer, he has worked with startups across San Francisco, Zürich, Bali, Vancouver, and Mexico City. His expertise spans software and product development, team growth, and scaling operations, making him a key figure in the industry.

Dr. Eid Alotaibi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Accounting at the School of Business Administration at the American University of Sharjah. He also serves as a Faculty Fellow at the AUS Research Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainable Development. Dr. Alotaibi has published research articles in top Accounting Information Systems journals, including a recent study ranked in the top 1% of journals in the field. His current work contributes to the advancement of AI applications and sustainability reporting in the accounting field. He holds a PhD in Accounting Information Systems from Rutgers University (USA), a master's degree in accounting from American University (USA), and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Virginia Commonwealth University (USA). He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). Dr. Alotaibi is widely recognized for his expertise in emerging technologies in accounting and auditing, with a focus on continuous auditing, audit analytics, AI in assurance services, open government reporting, and data-driven financial oversight. He has consulted with various institutions across the Middle East and the U.S.