Scaling a financial services business across multiple countries has always been a challenge, primarily because banking systems were built to be inherently local. Regulations, infrastructure, and even coding practices have historically been tailored to individual markets. However, at Mashreq, we believe that digital scalability is the key to unlocking new growth opportunities in an increasingly digital-first world.

The foundation of any scalable financial services business lies in its infrastructure. Traditionally, expansion meant building physical branches, but today, the cloud eliminates those limitations. By leveraging a delocalized, scalable cloud infrastructure, banks can transcend borders and create a seamless experience across markets. This is an ongoing challenge, but we are ahead of the curve in ensuring our infrastructure is not just digital but globally agile.

The next layer is software. Banking technology has long been fragmented, with each country operating on its own isolated codebase. The key to scalability is identifying which aspects of the technology stack can be standardized and which must remain local. At Mashreq, we’ve cracked this challenge by maximizing commonality across client journeys—whether in cards, payments, or onboarding. This approach allows us to “code once, deploy multiple times,” significantly improving efficiency while maintaining regulatory compliance in each market.

Finally, globalization of resources is essential. The best talent isn’t concentrated in one country, and scaling effectively means tapping into a broader, cross-border talent pool. By offshoring key functions, we gain access to top-tier engineers, marketers, and strategists, ensuring we remain at the forefront of innovation.

Our UAE operations serve as a test bed for this strategy, allowing us to refine our offerings before exporting them to high-growth markets like Egypt and Pakistan. These countries are at the right stage of digital adoption, presenting a prime opportunity to introduce scalable, technology-driven banking solutions.

Ultimately, true scalability is about building a system that is difficult to replicate. Many banks can copy a product or service, but few can replicate an entire operational model that seamlessly integrates infrastructure, software, and talent across multiple markets. That’s where the real competitive advantage lies.

Fernando Morillo, Global Head of Retail Banking at Mashreq

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