The Qatar Fintech Hackathon 2025 concluded after four days of collaborative development, where participants were challenged to propose practical solutions to current financial sector issues. The event brought together developers, entrepreneurs, and fintech professionals to prototype and present ideas under the guidance of industry mentors. This year’s selected winners reflect a strong focus on ethical finance and accessibility. Finspire (Wealthtech) Pension Beyond, powered by Finspire, is a fully Shariah-compliant micro-retirement platform that enables users to access a portion of their pension funds in 10-year cycles. Tharwa Capital (Wealthtech) A user-friendly platform that facilitates fractional investments into Shariah-based social impact…

Visa has announced the appointment of Tareq Muhmood as Regional President for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA). In this role, Muhmood will oversee operations across more than 86 markets in the region, where Visa serves over 1,800 clients through 23 local offices. Muhmood brings over three decades of experience in banking and payments. He most recently led Value-Added Services for Visa’s Europe region from London and joined the company in 2019 as Group Country Manager for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore. His previous roles include senior leadership positions at Ahli United Bank, ANZ, and HSBC. Muhmood…

Property Finder, a Dubai-based property portal, has appointed Owen Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of REA Group, to its Board of Directors. Wilson brings extensive executive and operational experience, including nearly a decade at REA Group. He joined the Australia-based company as Chief Financial Officer before being appointed Chief Executive Officer. REA Group, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with a market capitalisation of approximately US$ 20 billion, is known for operating realestate.com.au, an Australian property platform. The company is majority-owned by News Corp and was previously a shareholder in Property Finder. During his tenure, Wilson led REA Group through…

BridgeWise, an AI-driven investment intelligence platform, has introduced SignalWise, a new personalised alerts and insights system aimed at digital trading platforms and financial advisors. The tool is designed to support more informed decision-making by providing timely, relevant market intelligence tailored to individual investor behaviors and portfolios. Unlike traditional alert systems, SignalWise combines real-time event detection with AI-powered predictive analysis. It offers a layer of contextual insight, drawing on historical data and statistical analyses to help users interpret market activity across asset classes such as equities, ETFs, mutual funds, forex, crypto indices, and commodities. The system delivers insights in multiple languages…

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and CIPS, the operator of China’s Cross Border Interbank Payment System, have signed a MoU to strengthen cooperation in payment infrastructure and improve the efficiency of cross border transactions between the UAE and China. Under the agreement, both parties will collaborate on initiatives aimed at supporting the use of their respective payment systems for transactions between the two countries. The partnership will also cover areas such as risk management, compliance, and the exchange of expertise to enhance the security and stability of cross border payment infrastructure. Saif Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor for Banking…

OCTA, a fintech platform based in the UAE, has secured a US$20 million credit facility from the Sukna Fund for Direct Financing (SFDF). The funding will support OCTA’s goal to offer short-term working capital financing directly through its platform, enabling SMEs in Saudi Arabia to access credit more easily. Unlike traditional lending models that require separate applications and banking integrations, OCTA enables financing from within a business’s invoicing and payment systems. This allows companies to access funds as soon as invoices are issued or payables are due, helping to avoid the common 60 to 90 day cash flow delays. “Most…

Octane, a digital platform for fleet and on-road expense management based in Egypt, has secured US$5.2 million in a funding round. The investment was led by Shorooq Partners, Algebra Ventures, and Elsewedy Capital Holding. The funding will support Octane’s plans to expand its acceptance network, develop its technology infrastructure, and drive growth in Egypt and across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Octane offers a closed-loop digital wallet that consolidates multiple on-road expenses, including fuel, maintenance, spare parts, and petty cash, into a single platform. The system includes real-time controls and analytics to help fleet operators reduce unnecessary…

Qi, also known as International Smart Card and based in Iraq, has entered into a strategic partnership with K2 Integrity, a United States-based advisory firm specialising in compliance and financial crime prevention. The agreement is intended to enhance the financial compliance standards across Qi’s operations in the UAE, Jordan, and Iraq. Under the terms of the partnership, K2 Integrity will establish a large operations and compliance office in Jordan, which will be integrated into Qi’s broader compliance framework. Qi’s back office in the UAE will also be used by K2 Integrity as a space for testing and developing new products…

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) reinforced its role as a global business hub through a strategic visit to the Gulf Cooperation Council  (GCC) region, forging strong partnerships. The InvestHK GCC fintech delegation built on the momentum from the Chief Executive’s earlier visit to the Middle East in May, which saw three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed by InvestHK. The InvestHK GCC fintech delegation, made up of leaders from top financial and fintech firms founded locally, in Mainland China or overseas with operations in Hong Kong, engaged in high-level meetings. This included meetings with local government organisations, private equity partners and tech…

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has revoked the license of Sundus Exchange, an exchange house operating within the UAE, and has removed its name from the register of licensed entities. In addition, a financial penalty of AED 10 million has been imposed in accordance with Article (14) of Federal Decree Law No. (20) of 2018 concerning Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Illegal Organisations, along with its subsequent amendments. These measures follow an investigation by the CBUAE, the findings of which uncovered serious breaches and shortcomings in compliance with the UAE’s Anti-Money Laundering and Combating…

Dubai-based property investment platform Stake has launched a new withdrawal feature, Pay to Card, in partnership with global payments company Checkout.com. The service enables investors to receive their dividends and returns directly to their bank cards, often within minutes. The launch follows a pilot phase in May involving over 200 investors. Several users reported receiving funds in under ten minutes, in contrast to the typical multi-day withdrawal process. “Speed and trust are core to everything we do at Stake. With Pay to Card, we’re eliminating unnecessary delays and putting returns in our investors’ hands almost instantly,” said Ricardo Brizido, CPTO…

UK-based fintech infrastructure provider NayaOne has launched Saudi Arabia’s first fully Saudi-hosted Vendor Delivery Infrastructure (VDI) platform, supported by regional business expansion specialist AstroLabs. The launch marks NayaOne’s official entry into the Saudi market and is designed to support financial institutions, including banks, insurers, and fintechs, in developing, testing, and deploying products within weeks. Backed by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Saudi-hosted platform connects local institutions to both the domestic technology ecosystem and NayaOne’s global network. The platform provides access to synthetic data assets and modular testing environments aimed at reducing proof-of-concept cycles from months to…

EGBANK, a financial institution based in Egypt, has partnered with Mastercard to improve financial accessibility, promote the use of digital payments, and extend its card portfolio to include new customer segments. Under the agreement, Mastercard will assist EGBANK in developing its range of debit, credit, and commercial cards, providing customised financial solutions with additional benefits. Mohamed Assem, Country Manager for Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon at Mastercard, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with EGBANK to support the development of the bank’s card portfolio, and expansion strategy. This collaboration underscores our joint commitment to driving the growth of the digital…

ADGM, the international financial centre of the UAE capital, has announced the appointment of Rashed Abdulkarim Al Balooshi as Chief Executive Officer of its Registration Authority (RA), with immediate effect. The move is part of ADGM’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its leadership and advance its strategic objectives in line with Abu Dhabi’s long-term economic vision. Al Balooshi succeeds Hamad Al Mazrouei, who has embarked on a new role within Abu Dhabi. In his new position, Al Balooshi will oversee the Registration Authority, which is responsible for the registration, licensing, and oversight of non-financial businesses operating within ADGM. His remit includes…

International Holding Company (IHC), a global investment firm, has announced the official launch of Reinsurance Intelligence Quotient (RIQ), a reinsurance platform based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). This follows an earlier announcement and reflects the joint efforts of IHC, BlackRock, and Lunate to expand in the global insurance sector through the use of technology and strategic collaboration. RIQ integrates AI with sector expertise to offer reinsurance solutions across Property and Casualty (P&C), Life, and specialised segments, beginning with high-growth markets. The platform aims to enhance risk selection, cost efficiency, and service delivery by leveraging AI-driven tools. The company has…

The Central Bank of Kuwait has published a draft of its Open Banking Framework (OBF), outlining the country’s early steps towards enabling data sharing across the financial services ecosystem. The framework aims to provide banks and fintechs with a structure to offer open banking services that are secure, standardised, and based on customer consent. The OBF has been introduced in light of the increasing role of technology in Kuwait’s financial and payments sectors. It is positioned as a mechanism to support the development of digital banking services, with potential benefits for regulators, banks, Open Banking Service Providers (OBSPs), and consumers.…

e& enterprise, the digital transformation arm of technology group e&, is expanding its collaboration with Microsoft to deliver scalable AI and data solutions across the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region. The partnership is focused on accelerating AI adoption and supporting digital transformation efforts in key markets including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye. Amit Gupta, Vice President of Data & AI at e& enterprise, said: “This collaboration combines e& enterprise and Microsoft’s technological expertise and deep market insights to deliver transformative solutions that resonate with the unique dynamics of the MENAT region. Together, we aim…

Stake, a real estate investment platform based in Dubai and Riyadh, has launched its first private real estate development fund in Saudi Arabia. The fund is located in Riyadh’s Al Malqa district, near major commercial and government zones including the King Abdullah Financial District and the Diplomatic Quarter. It is fully Shariah-compliant and open to both local and international investors, with a minimum investment of SAR 500. This development is part of Stake’s broader regional expansion following its entry into the Saudi market in early 2024. The platform became the first regulated by Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) to…

MoneyGram, a US-based global payments network, has announced a partnership with tiqmo, a financial technology firm headquartered in Saudi Arabia. The collaboration allows tiqmo users in the Kingdom to send international money transfers to more than 200 countries and territories through MoneyGram’s global infrastructure. The integration gives tiqmo users access to over five billion digital endpoints and more than 480,000 MoneyGram locations worldwide, with support for transactions in over 120 currencies. Customers will be able to send funds through a range of methods, including bank account and digital wallet transfers, mobile top-ups, cash pick-ups, and bill payments. Launched in 2024,…

Lean Technologies, a financial infrastructure provider in MENA has published a comprehensive whitepaper detailing how Open Finance is redefining payments in the UAE. Titled The Dawn of Open Finance – Payments, the report serves as a reference for fintech companies, digital platforms, financial institutions and policymakers seeking to understand how regulatory frameworks and new technologies are coming together to reshape payment systems in the country. The whitepaper outlines the foundational components of Open Finance in the UAE, with a particular focus on payments. It explains how account-to-account payments are becoming a viable alternative to traditional card-based transactions, supported by regulatory…