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In this electrifying episode of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar sits down with Brett King, the world’s most cited financial futurist, to unpack the seismic shifts reshaping global banking. Fresh from hosting the inaugural Dubai Futurists X Summit, Brett joins Suvo in the heart of Dubai to explore the end of physical branches, the rise of AI-powered finance, and the cultural fault lines between legacy banks and digital challengers.

Brett’s new book Branch Tomorrow forecasts that half of US bank branches will vanish by 2030, a seismic shift mirrored by trends across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

But this isn’t just about closures—it’s about a new economic logic. Brett explains why digital-first banks like Nubank and WeBank are outpacing traditional players in profitability, customer acquisition, and operational efficiency. He argues that every dollar spent on branches is a dollar not invested in customer-facing tech—and that’s a strategic misstep boards can no longer afford.

The conversation dives deep into mobile wallet dominance, AI’s transformative role in fraud detection and loan approvals, and the cultural inertia that keeps banks clinging to outdated models. Brett doesn’t shy away from tough questions: Are we excluding seniors and rural populations as branches die? Can trust survive without face-to-face KYC? And what happens when AI becomes the banker?

From “dark branches” to embedded finance, from GCC neobank economics to the shifting trust metrics of Gen Z, this episode is a masterclass in financial futurism. Brett’s rapid-fire insights are provocative, data-rich, and deeply relevant for anyone shaping the future of money.

Giving partner : Goodworld

Produced by : Sabine Achkar @ Poddster

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