The Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA), the legal and tax arm of the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), has signed a MoU with Doha Bank. The agreement aims to strengthen Qatar’s financial services sector through collaboration in fintech development and digital innovation. The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation in three main areas: promoting growth in Qatar’s fintech and digital asset ecosystem through joint research, prototype development, and innovative financial solutions; supporting fintech companies by providing technical guidance, secure banking relationships, and streamlined account-opening processes; and creating a structured engagement programme with quarterly meetings, joint workshops, and knowledge-sharing sessions to identify…

Careem has become the first digital platform in the region to offer a corporate payments solution across multiple app services through ‘Careem for Business’. The service allows companies to manage and pay for employee expenses centrally across rides, food and grocery delivery, logistics, and other services. Through a single account, businesses can onboard employees, set spending controls, and receive one consolidated monthly invoice. Employees can use company-provided allowances without submitting reimbursements or claims. The service covers a range of needs, including team lunches via Careem Food, office pantry restocks through Careem Quik, supplies on Careem Shops, and deliveries with Careem…

QNB Group has formed a strategic partnership with Ireland’s TransferMate, a provider of embedded B2B payments infrastructure, to expand global receivables and local account solutions for its corporate customers. The partnership will allow QNB to integrate TransferMate’s technology into its platform, giving clients access to international multicurrency collections and local account capabilities. Corporate customers will be able to invoice and receive cross-border payments in multiple currencies, with reduced transaction times and fees, improved cash flow management, and greater visibility and reconciliation. “QNB Group constantly strives to provide its customers with new and innovative solutions to support their business needs. This…

DMCC, the international business district facilitating global trade through Dubai, has concluded its latest trade roadshow in Vietnam, holding events in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The initiative aimed to strengthen commercial ties between the UAE and Southeast Asia while outlining plans for a new Financial Centre focused on trade finance, fintech innovation, and digital asset solutions within its 26,000-member business community. Building on the recent establishment of the DMCC Wealth Hub, which supports family offices and private capital, the Financial Centre is intended to serve as the financial core of DMCC’s ecosystem. It will bring together banks, fintechs,…

Across Africa, financial institutions are increasingly viewing small business banking as a key growth driver, with more banks turning to digital platforms, data analytics, and partnerships, to better serve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A new study by Backbase polled more than 200 senior banking executives across 40 African countries, and found that SME banking is fast becoming a strategic priority across the region’s financial sector. According to the survey, 26% of banks now cite SMEs as a primary focus, up from 19% in 2022, signaling a clear rise in attention to this segment. SMEs form the backbone of Africa’s…

Saudi-based SAB Invest has announced a partnership with Stride Ventures, an India-based growth debt and private credit platform, to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s venture capital ecosystem by introducing international expertise and firms into the local market. The collaboration marks SAB Invest’s expansion into startup-focused investments and private credit for SMEs. It also enables Stride Ventures to work with one of the Kingdom’s largest institutional investors in this sector, enhancing capital and expertise inflows into the Saudi market. SAB Invest managed over SAR 36 billion in assets as of the second quarter of 2025. According to SAB Invest, the partnership aims to…

A business delegation jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), led by Financial Secretary Paul Chan, visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 27 to 31 October. The delegation attended the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Summit and held meetings with senior government officials and business leaders to explore collaboration between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia in areas such as innovation and technology (I&T), smart cities, AI, fintech, and biotechnology. The visit supported Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and attract private sector investment. Saudi…

Ziina, a licensed Dubai-based fintech platform offering both acquiring and issuing services, has launched the Ziina Card, its first digital card powered by Visa. Available through Apple Wallet, the card allows users to spend their Ziina balance instantly, providing individuals and businesses with immediate access to received funds. Through its partnership with Visa, Ziina ensures global acceptance, enhanced security, and access to business rewards. The company said the product had been highly anticipated, with strong demand from its growing user base. “We’ve always believed that financial services should adapt to how people actually live and work,” said Faisal Toukan, Co-Founder…

Deloitte Middle East has launched its Middle East Centre of Excellence for Oracle AI Agents, a platform designed to support the adoption of agentic AI, AI capable of autonomous decision-making to enhance human workflows, across the region. The Centre brings together global expertise, regional industry knowledge, and a skilled talent pool to assist governments and enterprises in using Oracle’s AI Agents toolkit. It offers training, practical implementation, and best-practice frameworks to help organisations integrate autonomous systems into existing processes. “As a strategic partner to the public sector and private enterprises, we believe it is our obligation to bring the most…

Fawry has introduced Apple Pay to its customers in collaboration with Banque Misr. The service enables users to make secure, contactless payments using their iPhone or Apple Watch without handling cards or cash. With Apple Pay, transactions are authenticated through Face ID, Touch ID, or a device passcode, and each payment uses a one-time dynamic security code. The service is accepted across various outlets, including supermarkets, pharmacies, taxis, restaurants, and retail stores. Customers can also use Apple Pay on iPhone, iPad, or Mac to complete purchases in apps or on the web through Safari without entering payment details each time.…

Thunes and Ecobank Group, a pan-African financial institution, have announced a partnership to enable instant cross-border payments for individuals and businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in 2024 between Ecobank and TransferTo, Thunes’ parent company, which aimed to improve financial access and payment connectivity across the continent. Through large-scale integration of banking and fintech systems, the collaboration will facilitate faster settlements, improved liquidity access, and broader payment reach. The rollout will progressively cover Ecobank’s 32-country network, in line with local regulations, connecting customers to Thunes’ global network spanning 130 countries and over seven…

Tabby, a financial services app headquartered in Saudi Arabia, has completed a secondary sale of shares held by certain existing investors. HSG, Boyu Capital and others acquired these shares, implying a company valuation of US$4.5 billion. No new shares were issued, and Tabby did not receive any proceeds from the transaction. Hosam Arab, CEO and Co-Founder of Tabby, said: “We’re proud to welcome our new shareholders who share Tabby’s ambitions and the impact we’re making on financial services across the region.” Rock Wang, Managing Director at HSG, commented: “Tabby’s product velocity and rapid path to scalability reflect exceptional execution and…

HUMAIN, a Saudi-based AI company, and AirTrunk, a data centre platform in the Asia-Pacific region, have announced a strategic partnership to develop data centres in Saudi Arabia. The first project involves an investment of around US$3 billion to establish a large-scale data centre campus in the country. The partnership combines HUMAIN’s role as Saudi Arabia’s national AI entity with AirTrunk’s experience in developing and operating hyperscale data centres. It supports the country’s objective of becoming a global hub for innovation and digital infrastructure. HUMAIN is owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. AirTrunk is backed…

The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has appointed Nabeel Mustafa as Group Chief Operating Officer. Mustafa brings over two decades of experience in the financial services sector and has held several senior leadership positions since joining NBB in 2018. He most recently served as Acting Group Chief Operating Officer, where he played a key role in advancing operational efficiency, digital transformation, and process optimisation across the Group. He holds an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in banking and finance from the University of Bahrain, and has completed the Emerging Chief Operating Officer Programme…

Thawani Pay has become the first fintech company in Oman to be licensed by Visa to issue credit cards. The partnership enables Thawani Pay to issue Visa-powered credit cards, which will be integrated into its digital payment platform. The cards will offer global acceptance, enhanced security features, and a fully digital onboarding experience through Thawani’s mobile application. Majid Al Amri, CEO of Thawani Pay, said: “Being licensed by Visa to issue credit cards not only positions Thawani Pay as a trusted player in the region’s digital payments landscape but also reflects our strategic vision to make financial services simpler, smarter,…

CyberKnight Technologies, a Dubai-based cybersecurity value-added distributor (VAD), has entered into a strategic partnership with the National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) to introduce specialised distribution financing solutions for the cybersecurity sector. The collaboration addresses growing regional demand for flexible and compliance-driven financing amid rising investments in digital transformation and security resilience. As organisations in the Middle East enhance their cybersecurity frameworks, access to tailored financial models has become increasingly important for channel partners and vendors. The partnership is among the first in the region to connect cybersecurity distribution with banking support, bridging a gap between technology provision and sustainable financial…

Saudi-based Najeeb.ai, a platform integrating AI with insurance technology, has announced the successful completion of its pre-Seed funding round, supported by a group of local and regional angel investors. The funding will be directed towards the development of AI-driven products, expanding integrations with insurance companies and healthcare providers, and enhancing operational capabilities ahead of both local and regional commercial expansion. Founded in 2023 by Ahmed Yasmina and Hammam Homsi, Najeeb.ai was established in line with Saudi Vision 2030’s digital transformation objectives. The company seeks to improve efficiency and transparency in insurance operations through AI-based solutions designed for the automotive and…

11 companies from the Middle East and Africa (MEA) have been featured in this year’s CB Insights Fintech 100, recognized among the top 100 most promising fintech startups in 2025. The CB Insights Fintech 100 ranking is an annual list which highlights the fintech firms shaping the future of financial services. These companies are selected based on factors such as deal activity, industry partnerships, investor strength, hiring momentum, commercial traction, and CB Insights’ predictive Mosaic Score, which assesses a company’s health, growth, and success potential. This year’s cohort of 100 companies was selected from over 15,000 companies. They have an…

JCB International, the international operations subsidiary of JCB, Japan’s only international payment brand, and STC Bank have signed a MoU to begin discussions on enabling JCB payment acceptance in Saudi Arabia. The MOU provides a framework for both organisations to explore opportunities to expand card acceptance and improve payment services for JCB customers in Saudi Arabia. Mohammad Yahya Refaie, Senior Director, Business Banking at STC Bank, said: “Discussion toward building a relationship with JCB will allow STC Bank to support JCB Card acceptance broadly in Saudi Arabia, facilitate cross-border payments and offer special benefits for JCB cardmembers, such as rewards…

Jeel, the innovation and technology subsidiary of Riyad Bank, has partnered with Mambu, a global cloud-native core banking platform, to enhance the unified ecosystem supported by the newly launched Jeel Sandbox. The Jeel Sandbox, developed in collaboration with Fintech Saudi, is Saudi Arabia’s first fintech sandbox accelerator aimed at enabling startups, financial institutions, and innovators to test and deploy digital financial solutions in a secure and scalable environment. The platform plays a key role in the Kingdom’s fintech strategy by bridging the gap between concept and market deployment, reducing development time and supporting innovation across Saudi Arabia’s financial sector. Built…