Saudi Arabia recorded a 51% year-on-year increase in business registrations for blockchain technologies by the end of the second quarter of 2025, according to figures released Tuesday by the Ministry of Commerce. The number of active blockchain business records rose to 4,005, up from 2,644 in the same period last year, as the Kingdom continues…
Alpaca, a self-clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure API, and ZAD, a leading Kuwait-based investment platform for Shariah-compliant US stocks and ETFs, today announced their strategic partnership to expand access to Shariah-compliant investment products. This partnership continues to open financial access for investors seeking to align their financial growth with Islamic principles. With global Islamic finance assets…
Qatar is positioning itself as a regional hub for open banking and Islamic Fintech, supported by robust regulatory frameworks, advanced API infrastructure, and strategic partnerships, according to the latest Islamic Finance Report by the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC). The report outlines how Doha is building a pioneering open banking ecosystem aimed at transforming the financial…
Klarna and Bolt have recently announced a partnership, which will see Klarna’s payment options integrated into Bolt’s checkout operating system. This deal means Klarna will show up as a buy now, pay later choice on Bolt devices. Merchants using Bolt can offer Klarna’s Pay in 4 or monthly financing options to shoppers in physical stores,…
EFG Holding’s subsidiary U Consume Finance (valU) commenced floating its shares on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) under the ticker valu. valU’s debut on EGX aligns with its objectives to boost Egypt’s fintech landscape and EFG Holding’s commitment to innovation, financial inclusion, and sustainable growth. The listing was implemented through an innovative in-kind dividend distribution, where…
Investment firm Carlyle Group has partnered with U.S. banking giant Citigroup to provide asset-backed financing to fintech lenders, the companies said on Thursday. As part of the partnership, Carlyle and Citi will share market intelligence, and explore co-investment and financing opportunities, the companies added. The rise of fintech lending, fueled by convenient application processes and flexible credit,…
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…
The UAE is reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most attractive and secure destinations for fintech startups, as fresh data and investor sentiment point to rising momentum across the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. MENA fintech startups raised a combined $289 million in May, a 25% increase from April, with a Wamda report showing that…
Stockholm-based, Polar, has announced a €8.6 million Seed funding round to expand its remote-first team across Europe and invest in growth, developer relations, and strategic partnerships throughout the payments ecosystem. The round was led by Accel, with continued backing from Abstract and Mischief, including Angel invetors Guillermo Rauch (Vercel), Paul Copplestone (Supabase), Tobi Lütke and Harley…
Mastercard and enza have collaborated to connect fintech companies across Africa to the Mastercard network. This collaboration will enable fintech players to build propositions on the enza platform that serve both consumers and businesses with embedded Mastercard payment solutions capabilities. According to a report by the European Investment Bank, the number of fintech companies in…
