Swift has announced its global flagship event, Sibos, will expand its reach by naming host cities up until the end of the decade, while also strengthening financial inclusivity for burgeoning economies across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Following confirmed locations in Frankfurt (2025), Miami (2026), and Singapore (2027), Paris is set to host Sibos for the first time in 2028, a significant year that will mark five decades since the conference's inception. Paris, a major financial hub in Europe, boasts a robust financial industry employing approximately 340,000 people, according to Paris Europlace.

The expansion continues with Dubai hosting Sibos in 2029. This choice is strategic, as the Middle East serves as a vital bridge in global finance, connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa, and facilitating extensive trade and investment flows. Dubai, often recognized as the "Gateway to Africa" due to its strategic geographical position, is home to the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The DIFC has experienced considerable growth since its establishment in 2004, now accommodating nearly 7,000 businesses and the majority of the Gulf Co-operation Council’s fintech industry.

The 2029 edition in Dubai will inaugurate a new rotation pattern for Sibos. Historically, the global event has cycled among established financial centers across three primary regions: Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Beginning with Dubai, Swift intends to hold Sibos every fourth year in developing economies throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. This new approach aims to better reflect the diversity and inclusivity inherent in Swift's global infrastructure, which currently serves over 11,500 institutions in more than 200 countries and territories.

Rosemary Stone, Chief Corporate Officer at Swift, emphasized the importance of this expansion, stating, "Swift is a convener of and for the global financial industry and as the breadth of our network continues to grow, we’re delighted to be able to expand Sibos to more locations around the world. No other event brings the industry together on the same scale as Sibos, and the addition of even more perspectives to the event’s debates and discussions will be increasingly valuable as the industry navigates rapid technological change and the growing risk of fragmentation."

The decision to expand Sibos coincides with Swift's infrastructure seeing increased usage, highlighted by record traffic and the highest year-on-year growth in 15 years recorded last year, underscoring its growing utility worldwide. Sibos, which first convened in 1978, serves as a crucial platform for the Swift community to convene, exchange ideas, debate, and collaborate on key areas such as payments, securities, cash management, and trade. The conference regularly draws over 10,000 delegates from the financial services sector.

Host cities for Sibos are selected years in advance through a rigorous competitive bidding process. Beyond being a prominent financial center, critical criteria include advanced technological and logistical infrastructure, as well as the availability of a conference venue capable of accommodating such a large-scale international event. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sibos transitioned to a digital format in 2020, and virtual attendance has remained a viable option since the event's return to in-person gatherings in 2022.

Swift, a global member-owned cooperative, stands as the world's leading provider of secure financial messaging services. It offers a platform for messaging, communication standards, and various products and services that facilitate access, integration, identification, analysis, and regulatory compliance. Its extensive messaging platform connects more than 11,500 banking and securities organizations, market infrastructures, and corporate customers across over 200 countries and territories. While Swift does not manage funds or accounts, it enables its global community to securely exchange standardized financial messages, thereby supporting global and local financial flows, trade, and commerce. Headquartered in Belgium, Swift's international governance and global office network ensure an active presence in major financial centers and reinforce the inclusive nature of its cooperative structure. The organization is committed to operational excellence, addressing cyber threats, and continually seeking ways to reduce costs, mitigate risks, and eliminate operational inefficiencies, with its products and services supporting business intelligence, reference data, and financial crime compliance needs.