Keep an eye out

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a new month that’s starting once again with us collectively holding our breaths.

The regional war may be looking at another halt with US-Iran negotiations set to resume today, US President Donald Trump said, without confirming a deadline for an agreement. Trump said he called off a planned strike against Iran, characterizing it as the “biggest attack since World War II.” Iran’s state media reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Saudi and Pakistani officials to coordinate diplomatic efforts.

No news is, for now, the good kind of news — and it gives us room to talk shop. In this morning’s Lede, we dig into the cross-border regulatory maze that fintech players across the region have to navigate, and how it’s one of the biggest brakes on regional expansion.

*** A QUICK PROGRAMMING NOTE- A couple of times per year, we take a few days of publication breaks to recalibrate and work ahead on exciting new things. EnterpriseAM MENA+ will be taking that summer publication holiday starting this Friday, 7 August and will be back in your inboxes on Monday, 17 August at our usual time. –Salma