Mohammed Abdel-Haq

This study examines FinTech adoption in the Palestinian banking sector, highlighting its role in driving innovation, improving customer satisfaction, and ensuring competitiveness. Using an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and SmartPLS 4.0 software for structural equation modeling, the research investigates factors influencing FinTech adoption among Palestinian bank customers. Findings show high adoption rates, with nearly half of customers also using non-bank FinTech services. While most prefer FinTech solutions from their banks, many are open to switching providers for better service, convenience, or pricing. Brand strength, trust, and awareness significantly impact perceptions of ease of use and usefulness. Customers trust bank-provided FinTech for precision and reliability but remain concerned about security. A lack of customer awareness highlights the need for targeted educational campaigns. These insights confirm the selection of an extended TAM framework as being an appropriate analytical tool in the Palestinian banking sector, incorporating brand, trust, and awareness alongside ease of use and usefulness. It emphasizes the need for banks to innovate, strengthen security, and enhance awareness efforts to retain and attract customers in a competitive landscape.

This study addresses FinTech implementation challenges in the banking industry in Palestine. This was accomplished by adopting qualitative research methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with interviewees from the Palestinian Monetary Authority, banks, and FinTech companies. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo 12 software to identify themes in the interview scripts. Research outcomes suggest that FinTech development in Palestine encounters a range of multifaceted challenges, which can be categorised using the TOE (technological, organisational, environmental) framework. On the technological front, issues such as underdeveloped IT and telecommunications infrastructure, restricted mobile frequencies due to Israeli occupation, limited IT expertise, cyber risks, low digital literacy, and minimal FinTech awareness hinder progress. Organizationally, resistance to change, inadequate agility, limited digital skills, and slow Sharia compliance updates in Islamic banking impede innovation. Environmentally, the absence of a dedicated FinTech framework, unclear regulatory guidance, limited market size, and strict AML/CFT regulations create uncertainties for non-bank entities and restrict investment opportunities. Addressing these interconnected barriers requires coordinated efforts across legal, financial, and technological sectors to foster FinTech integration and growth in Palestine.

Unlike the banking industry, the insurers' risk management framework (RMF) is not governed internationally. For this reason, their risk management (RM) practices are not comparable. We surveyed insurance personnel regarding understanding risk and risk management (URRM), risk identification (RI), risk assessment and analysis (RAA), risk monitoring (RMON), and risk management practices (RMP). These insurance personnel were working at various hierarchical levels in life and non-life insurance. These insurers were operating in developed and emerging insurance market. We took USA and UK insurers as a proxy for developed insurance market. Meanwhile, Chinese, and Pakistani insurers were substituted for emerging insurance market. We analyzed the data through descriptive statistics and an ordered logit model. Our results showed that insurers' RM is stronger, but large differences exist at the hierarchical, insurer type and country levels. Apart from policy implications, our findings suggest that to achieve sustained competitive advantage insurers should minimize these differences.