More and more companies in the financial services sector are adopting cutting-edge technology, and customers now have an increased expectation of what their financial providers should be able to do. If a company cannot complete tasks promptly or lacks essential capabilities, customers are likely to seek a new provider. The wealth management sector is a…
The Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024 featured a panel discussion titled ‘Fintech for All: Harnessing Innovation to Benefit Women and Beyond’, which focused on how financial technology is reshaping opportunities for women and communities worldwide. The panellists in the session included Hela Cheikhrouhou, Regional Vice President at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for the Middle…
UAE-based Reem Finance has selected Swiss banking tech vendor Temenos to power its upcoming digital community bank. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Reem Finance provides corporate and retail financing solutions to help “facilitate business growth and advance trade capacity for private entities within various sectors”. Through its partnership with Temenos, Reem Finance…
One of the top qualifiers from the second edition of the “FinTech Got Talent” competition, organized by “FinTech Egypt”—an initiative by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE)—has secured first place at the “Arab FinTech Challenge” for the second consecutive year. The competition took place in Dubai as part of the “GITEX North Star 2024” exhibition….
Commercial Bank International (CBI), leading UAE bank, has announced a strategic partnership with areeba, a global payment infrastructure provider, to become the first UAE bank to offer areeba’s comprehensive card and payment solutions to fintechs across the country. The partnership aims to empower UAE fintechs with scalable, secure card management capabilities and accelerate the growth…
EdfaPay, a Riyadh-based FinTech platform redefining digital payments for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the MENA region, has announced the successful closure of its $5m pre-Series A funding round. The funding was led by OmanTel Innovation Labs, with participation from Aljabr MENA and Waad Investment. EdfaPay provides a comprehensive suite of financial tools tailored…
Paymentology has signed a referral partnership with Zand Bank, the UAE’s first fully licenced, all-digital bank. This collaboration focuses on expanding financial services for fintechs and startups, aiming to accelerate innovation and growth in the UAE. Since 2022, Zand Bank has empowered UAE and global corporate, institutional and wealth clients to unlock new opportunities, foster…
Lean Technologies, a Riyadh-based FinTech infrastructure platform, has raised $67.5m in its latest Series B funding round. This financing was led by General Catalyst, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm known for supporting high-growth tech companies. The funding round also saw participation from several major investors, including Bain Capital Ventures, Stanley Druckenmiller’s Duquesne Family…
Zain KSA has announced its financial results for the first nine months of 2024, achieving revenue of SAR 7.7 billion, a 4.5% year-on-year growth. Net profit over the period amounted to SAR 322 million, a 33% increase compared to the corresponding 2023 period, excluding the tower sales earnings. This financial performance reflects Zain KSA’s strategic…
The FDI boom is a product of Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’ plan, first announced in 2016. Driven by a desire to diversify away from hydrocarbons, Saudi Arabia is looking to transform its economy by nurturing new industries, attracting investment and positioning itself as an early adopter of advanced technologies. One area that Saudi Arabia is…
