Digital wallet

Careem Pay launches peer-to-peer transfer facility and digital wallet in the UAE

It will soon issue Careem cards that can be used at ATMs and merchants, and will also introduce international remittance solutions

Saudi Arabia’s Foodics raises $170m in Series C round in MENA

The Series C funding was led by Prosus and Sanabil Investments, with participation by Sequoia Capital India and existing investors

UAE’s fintech startup FlexxPay expands into Egypt

The company estimates that around 20 million people across Egypt could benefit from early wage access

Dubai-based Stake hosts MIT student team for six-month project

The project will entail developing a analytics model that will collect historical market data on Dubai’s residential market dating back over 10 years

Wa’ed Ventures and Maydan Capital to fund ‘ethical’ fintechs in Saudi

The two companies will coordinate and collaborate on finding, backing and mentoring founders as they launch and grow their ethically-focused startups

Bahrain-based cryptocurrency platform Rain announces 0% trading fees

The simplified fee structure aims to help customers feel more comfortable and confident placing their first trade in the crypto world

How DIFX is bridging the gap between traditional and digital assets

With a growing startup ecosystem and tech-driven individuals, the Middle East region is on the verge of becoming a global fintech leader, says Jeetu Kataria, co-founder and CEO at DIFX

Binance

How fintech solutions can support small exporters

Fintech companies are uniquely positioned to fill the gap and help SMEs get access to flexible injections of liquidity

EMEA to see increasing investment in DeFi in 2022: KPMG

KPMG’s latest Pulse of Fintech report shows investment in fintech companies in Europe, Middle East and Africa touched $77.4bn across 1,859 deals in 2021

Bahrain’s Central Bank issues operating licence to Binance

Bahrain is the first GCC country to issue regulatory approvals to the blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider

How One Global helps make day-to-day digital service payments more mobile

Our forward-thinking approach and business platforms are on the verge of disrupting the status quo for entrepreneurs, says Mohammed Al-Rashidi, executive chairman, One Global

FOO, NymCard partner to bring end-to-end payment solutions for innovators in MENA

With the signing of this partnership agreement, both the companies aim to play a key role in supporting the growth of the fintech ecosystem in the region

How open banking is transforming the regional financial services

Tarabut Gateway’s 2022 MENA Open Banking Spotlight explores how regulation, implementation and adoption are enabling a new era of financial services across the region

UAE digital bank Zand wins backing from Franklin, Aditya Birla

Digital banks have taken off with the spread of finance technology in Middle East

Fintech company Postpay collaborates with Commercial Bank of Dubai

The strategic partnership will support Postpay on several fronts, including transaction banking, debt funding and e-commerce solutions

Landmarks Of The City Of Riyadh, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

Sequoia picks Saudi fintech for first Gulf deal as foray expands

Sequoia is deepening its presence in the Middle East after recently backing companies from Turkey to Egypt

Bahrain’s Al Waha Fund of Funds invests in $50m fintech fund

The VentureSouq MENA FinTech Fund will support fintech companies in Bahrain and across the region

DCT Abu Dhabi signs MoU with fintech platform PayBy

The secure platform will be used across hospitality and tourism establishments

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre Authority

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre achieves record growth

More than 8,347 new companies joined DMCC between 2018 to 2021, with 2,485 companies joining DMCC last year

UAE’s new digital bank Zand set to launch ‘imminently’ after Dubai Bank acquisition

Dubai Bank, acquired from Emirates NBD, will be relaunched as Zand

UAE looks to attract Asian firms to bolster crypto sector

The UAE has intensified its push to adopt the use of blockchain in recent years

Binance planning to tie up with Dubai for crypto activities – report

Dubai is reportedly being regarded as an option for the company’s global headquarters

Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco’s Wa’ed invests SAR19m in fintech startup Lamaa

The Riyadh-based startup was established in March 2021 by entrepreneur Sumeet Khutale who has recently relocated from London to the kingdom

Hub71

Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 partners with Stripe on payment solutions for tech startups

It will allow these startups to accept payments online, payout funds, and manage their business growth

Saqr - Fintech surge and United Arab Bank

The disruption of financial industry with challenger banks

In an interview with Gulf Business, Saqr Ereiqat, co-founder and managing partner of Riddermark and Ahmad Abu Eideh, CEO of United Arab Bank, share their insights from the industry

GITEX Global: What’s new in 2021?

The region’s largest IT exhibition has been defining the newest trends, and displaying product developments from across the world for over 40 years