Security of payment card data, the future of online payments and growth of e-commerce will be highlighted in the first Middle East Payment Forum hosted in Dubai at the Conrad Hotel next month. The day-long event, scheduled to take place on March 19, is organized by PCI Security Standards Council, the US-based global authority on card and payment security.

ACI Worldwide published a fraud report last year that surveyed 20 countries, to include, India, China, the US and UK. The UAE had the highest percentage of respondents that reported being a victim of card fraud over the past five years.

The forum will bring together international payment security experts to explore the latest technology, exchange ideas on global standards, and offer security updates. The conference is designed to accelerate the provision of best practice in the Middle East and North Africa – a region that lags behind global standards of card and payment security.

“Innovative, small and medium sized businesses as well as multinationals will need to work closely with data and security authorities to ensure customers are prepared to make the transition – alongside companies – to an online platform. This gathering of the global card security community will catalyze that process to unlock further opportunities in the region,” says PCI International Director, Jeremy King, in a press statement. King will be a key speaker, alongside regional expert Dr. Abdul Malek Al Jaber – chairman of Middle East Payment Services (MEPS) and Founder and Chairman of MENA App.

Other speakers at the event include Troy Leach – chief technology officer of PCI Security Standards Council, Stephen W. Orfei – general manager of PCI Security Standards Council, and Christopher J. Novak – managing principal of the Verizon Investigative Response Unit.

For more information and to register to attend, visit: http://events.pcisecuritystandards.org/