Most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar accept and make digital payments, according to Visa’s Pay and Get Paid 2026 report. However, many still manage related tasks on separate tools. Of those surveyed, 43% use one system linking payments with other business tasks. Admin work is a common pain point. For example, 46% of firms said tracking unpaid invoices is hard. Similarly, 42% struggle to keep payroll records in order, while 40% face the same issue with financial records. Some juggle several systems to handle these tasks. Interest in all-in-one tools Visa found that 31% of SMEs find an…

Mastercard has expanded its partnership with stc pay Bahrain to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Under the deal, Mastercard will continue to power the digital wallet’s card portfolio. This includes a Mastercard Business prepaid card that helps firms manage payments and expenses. In addition, both companies plan to explore advisory, processing and security services for SMEs. They will also look at possible regional expansion. Meanwhile, Mastercard will help shape the wallet’s future product plans. According to the Mastercard SME Confidence Index 2026, 96% of SMEs in Bahrain see digital payments as critical to growth. However, 57% still use personal…

Forbes Middle East has released its annual Fintech 50 list, featuring financial technology companies across MENA that collectively processed more than US$260 billion in transactions in 2025. The UAE had the largest representation on the 2026 list with 15 companies, followed by Saudi Arabia with 13 and Egypt with 10. Saudi-based shopping and financial services platform Tabby topped the ranking for the second consecutive year. The company reported more than US$18 billion in annualised transaction volume and raised US$233 million in a Series F funding round in September 2026, bringing its valuation to US$6.5 billion. Tabby has also secured new…

Shory has unveiled an AI agent that helps customers compare and purchase car insurance through conversation. Named Shory AI, the tool was introduced at Ai Everything Abu Dhabi 2026. Traditional chatbots are largely designed to answer questions. Shory AI takes a more active role, guiding customers as they assess their options and select a policy. The agent runs on Shory’s digital insurance platform. It compares available quotes and explains differences in coverage, benefits and exclusions. Customers can also raise policy-specific questions in English and Arabic. Once a customer selects a plan, the agent can assist with completing the purchase. Buying…

Bhutan-based DK Bank has received in-principle approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM, Abu Dhabi’s international financial centre. The bank intends to establish a subsidiary in ADGM to provide brokerage, custody, payments and advisory services. However, the subsidiary cannot begin operations until DK meets the conditions of the approval. The bank must also obtain a final Financial Services Permission (FSP), which firms must hold to conduct regulated activities in ADGM. According to DK, it is the first Bhutanese bank to receive in-principle approval for a financial services presence outside Bhutan. Once the subsidiary is licensed, DK expects…

Egypt-based fintech MNT-Halan has completed three securitisation issuances worth EGP 4.0085 billion (about US$76.5 million) in total, Arab Finance reported, citing an emailed press release. The issuances were made for its subsidiaries Tasaheel for Finance and Halan Consumer Finance, and the company said they will diversify its funding and support the expansion of its financing activities in Egypt. Tasaheel accounted for two of the issuances, valued at EGP 1.2 billion (about US$22.9 million) and EGP 2.28 billion (about US$43.5 million). Halan Consumer Finance received the third, worth EGP 528.5 million (about US$10.1 million). Each issuance comes as a single tranche…

Emirates NBD has opened its VIP Privilege Program to more business banking clients in the UAE. In the past, the bank offered it only to select clients by invitation. Now, firms can join based on how much they bank with the group. The change covers all current Business Banking clients and new ones on select packages. Members gain priority service and better rates on fees, plus a set of business and lifestyle benefits. To join, a firm must earn 100,000 points in the bank’s review year. Points come from deposit, loan and wealth balances. Foreign exchange and trade finance volumes…

Mastercard has partnered with mobile games publisher Tamatem to support in-game payments in the Middle East and Africa. Under the agreement, Mastercard Gateway will process payments for Tamatem Plus, Tamatem’s digital commerce platform and marketplace. The rollout covers more than 13 markets, starting with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Tamatem has backing from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and support from Abu Dhabi Gaming. Through Tamatem Plus, players can pay via local web stores and in-game checkouts. In addition to cards, they can use local payment methods and telco wallet balances. Each checkout also includes authentication and fraud protection.…

Numou has signed a partnership agreement with Comera Financial Holding (CFH) to expand financing and payment options for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UAE. Under the agreement, CFH will offer working capital, supply chain finance, business accounts and digital payments on Numou’s online marketplace. Numou, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), links SMEs with lenders. CFH is part of Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group. The partnership draws on three CFH businesses. Comera Finance provides business loans, and Comera Pay offers digital payments and merchant services. Comera Money focuses on supply chain finance. Through these services, SMEs can…

Capital Group has been cleared to work as a regulated investment manager in Abu Dhabi. The approval came from ADGM’s regulator, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). With the Capital Group FSRA licence, the US$3.6 trillion asset manager can now trade and manage investments in ADGM. It can also handle distribution within the financial hub. Back in May, the firm said it would open its first Middle East office in Abu Dhabi. Since then, it has moved staff there from North America, Europe and Asia. This team covers investment, operations and client work. In addition, the firm expects it to…

Huru has signed partnerships with Paymentology and Bitpanda Enterprise at Seamless Fintech Middle East 2026. The Emirati-owned app is licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). Paymentology will keep processing Huru’s cards. It will also support the Q4 2026 launch of a Huru card on Jaywan, the UAE’s domestic card scheme. Bitpanda Enterprise will let users buy, sell and hold digital assets in the Huru app through Bitpanda’s regulated platform. More than 24,000 employers pay a combined AED 3 billion in annualised salaries into Huru accounts, the company says. Huru has also partnered with nine exchange houses after…

MoneyHash has partnered with VaultsPay, a payment solutions provider based in the UAE. The deal lets businesses on MoneyHash add VaultsPay to their payment setup without building a separate integration. MoneyHash runs a payment orchestration platform for businesses in emerging and global markets. Payment orchestration is software that links a business to several payment providers through one integration. With MoneyHash, businesses can run VaultsPay alongside their other providers and manage them all from one place. VaultsPay handles online and in-person payments in the UAE and supports cards and digital wallets. Under the partnership, merchants can use these services as part…

Fortinet has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aramco to support secure and resilient industrial systems in Saudi Arabia. Under the MoU, the two companies will explore ways to work together on operational technology (OT), which covers the systems that run industrial plants and equipment. Possible areas of cooperation include localisation and cybersecurity talent development. As part of the agreement, they intend to explore opportunities in cybersecurity research and development. This would involve sharing knowledge, best practices and technologies to address new challenges. Both firms will also look at adapting cybersecurity solutions to the specific needs of industrial sectors.…

Wio Bank customers in the UAE can now pay online without typing in their card details. The bank has signed its cards up to Mastercard Click to Pay, so customers do not have to sign up themselves. Both firms say Wio is the first card issuer in the country to take this step. Click to Pay is Mastercard’s checkout service for online card payments. It works across devices and browsers, and at a growing number of merchants. The service relies on tokenisation, which replaces the card number with a unique code. As a result, the actual card details stay hidden…

Ant International has extended its tokenised deposit work with HSBC to the Middle East. It has completed pilot transactions in the UAE through HSBC’s Tokenised Deposit Service (TDS). Tokenised deposits are bank deposits held as digital tokens on a blockchain. They allow funds to move in real time, around the clock. The pilots covered two payment routes. The first moved UAE dirhams in real time within the country. The second sent US dollars from the UAE to international markets, including Hong Kong and Singapore. Each transfer started on WhaleRTP, Ant International’s proprietary blockchain-based treasury platform. HSBC’s TDS then executed the…

Qatar Central Bank (QCB) and Euroclear will set up an international settlement link for Qatari government bonds and sukuk. Under the arrangement, these instruments will become Euroclearable, opening the domestic debt market to a broader global investor base. Investors worldwide will be able to access and settle eligible conventional government bonds and sukuk denominated in Qatari riyal. Settlement will run through Euroclear Bank, Euroclear’s international central securities depository. Euroclear Bank will act as issuer CSD, while Edaa, the Qatar Central Securities Depository, will serve as investor CSD for local investors. QCB will act as issuer and paying agent. For issuers,…

The UAE Financial Intelligence Unit (UAE FIU) and the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) have signed an MoU to strengthen cooperation in combating financial crime involving virtual assets. Under the agreement, both bodies will share relevant financial intelligence and expertise. They will also work more closely to detect and address risks in the sector. Ali Faisal Ba’Alawi, Chief of the UAE FIU, signed the MoU with Matthew White, Chief Executive Officer of VARA. All information shared under the MoU must follow applicable laws and confidentiality rules. VARA oversees virtual asset activity across Dubai, except in the Dubai International Financial Centre…

NEOPAY has signed a definitive agreement to buy a 65% controlling stake in noon payments, the payments arm of e-commerce platform noon. The financial details were not disclosed. The deal still needs regulatory and antitrust approvals, among other conditions, before it can close. Once the deal closes, NEOPAY will pair its acquiring and merchant services with noon payments’ e-commerce gateway and embedded payments platform. noon payments works with merchants in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This gives NEOPAY a way to grow in Saudi Arabia and Egypt while building on its position in the UAE. According to NEOPAY, more…

Emirates NBD has introduced an AI travel assistant in the UAE, developed in collaboration with Visa and Tripadvisor. Users can plan trips through a conversational interface that suggests itineraries and destinations based on their preferences, budget and travel style. Recommendations draw on more than 1 billion reviews and 8 million listings from Tripadvisor. More detailed customisation is available for the 15 destinations most popular with UAE travellers. Alongside travel suggestions, the tool displays relevant Visa cardholder offers, such as hotel discounts and car rental benefits. Access is free and does not require a bank account or login. The service is…

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and the Central Bank of Syria have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on financial and technical cooperation. The agreement covers payment systems, monetary policy, cash management and financial technology. It also sets out a framework for capacity building and for sharing expertise and information on regulation. Other areas include climate risk management, sustainable finance, financial inclusion and financial literacy. Credit information systems, reporting and risk management frameworks also fall under the MoU. On the supervisory side, the agreement provides for the exchange of expertise on licensing, regulatory enforcement, compliance and consumer protection.…