Karm Legal

Karm Legal’s Kokila Alagh on advancements in virtual assets regulation

VARA has come out with detailed regulations and rulebooks for the virtual assets sector, indicating just how fast things are moving

Regional banks

Should regional banks buy or build their innovations?

In the early years of the digital era, building was the only option, but today the region is strewn with fintechs

Tamara, Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs backs BNPL startup Tamara with $150m facility

The facility will help finance the growing demand for bringing the buy now, pay later products in the GCC while continuing its growth across new verticals

Tarabut

Tarabut Gateway partners with Saudi’s micro-lending firm Tamam

The partnership will make micro-loans easily accessible, resulting in more favourable loan arrangements for both fintechs and customers

fintechs UAE

Fringe to forward: Charting fintech’s journey in the UAE 

Initiatives launched by the government to support crypto and metaverse firms have created strong incentives for fintech companies to invest and grow in the country

Fintech

Fintech 2023: The year of digital transformation

As we look towards 2023, several key trends are set to redefine the fintech space

Savii

Women in tech: Jane Harvey, co-founder and CEO at Savii

Young girls need role models and as women operating in this space, it is incumbent to show that there is a seat for females at the table

Saudi Arabia's central bank launches open banking lab

Saudi Central Bank launches Open Banking Lab

The bank is tracking the development of banks and fintechs to ensure their readiness to launch open banking services in Q1 2023

Dubai Chambers WAM

Dubai Chamber of Commerce sets up Fintech & Payments Business Group

Dubai Chamber of Commerce plans to increase the number of economic sectors and activities represented by business groups to 100 by March 2023

ThetaRay

Dubai-based Now Money appoints ThetaRay to ward off financial crimes

The agreement highlights ThetaRay’s expansion into GCC financial institutions

Fintech PayTabs acquires Turkey’s social commerce platform, Paymes

The acquisition aims to create a unified social commerce platform for micro merchants, fempreneurs and webpreneurs across the MENA region

Mobility startup Moove raises $30m for UAE expansion

Moove, which was founded in Nigeria and provides revenue-based vehicle financing has scaled up to 13 markets in 2022

Ajman

Ajman Bank signs strategic partnership with KMMRCE Pay

The partnership equips Ajman Bank with the technology to accelerate its digital transformation and enrich its client offering by adding new payment services

Qashio

UAE-based fintech Qashio raises $10m in a seed round

The company’s virtual and physical cards combined with its software allow businesses to manage their spending in a more automated and transparent way

Here’s how fintech helps businesses control their expenses and manage financial operations

Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, VP of Commercial – MENA at Checkout.com explains how the company is helping firms optimise existing payment methods

Baraka

UAE fintech baraka raises $20m Series A funding round

The company marks the first regional investment for Valar, a venture capital firm backed by entrepreneur Peter Thiel

FOO

FOO, Network International partner to enhance digital experiences in the Middle East and Africa

The collaboration will deliver a comprehensive digital wallet solution designed to boost customer-centricity

Riyadh to host global fintech experts, aims to become truly digital

Riyadh to host World Fintech Show, aims to spur financial innovation

The event aims to connect global fintech innovators with enterprises, investors, policymakers, government authorities and collaborators

Awards

Winners revealed: GB Tech Awards 2022

The awards attracted the top technology brands highlighting strong vision, creative projects, dynamic leadership and solid regional presence

UAE Payments

UAE payments revenue expected to reach $18.7bn by 2031 – report

The compound annual growth rate of the UAE’s overall payments revenue is forecasted to be at 7.7 per cent from 2021 – 2031, while the region is expected to grow by 9.3 per cent within the same period

Geidea

Fintech firm Geidea launches integrated point-of-sales solutions in the UAE

The UAE launch is expected to be followed up by further rollouts to other markets including Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Fintech Surge

Top firms to watch out for at Dubai’s Fintech Surge 2022

The second edition of the event will host insurtech and payments innovators

ADGM launches Abu Dhabi Finance Week

Abu Dhabi Global Market, ADDED announce inaugural edition of Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2022

Abu Dhabi Finance Week, which is set to run between November 14-18, will bring together global market leaders in financial technology, asset management and capital markets

IG Group appoints Sharaz Hussain to senior executive officer role

IG Group appoints Sharaz Hussain to senior executive officer role

Prior to that, he held senior finance executive positions at several institutions including ICAP, MF Global, Credit Suisse and JP Morgan

amana_CEO_Muhammad Rasoul

Neo broker amana launches trading app, offers access to regional and global markets

The platform offers stocks, commodities, ETFs, currencies and crypto among other assets through the app

Tintra

Tintra secures fintech services licence to operate in Qatar

Tintra is using artificial intelligence and Web3 technologies to build a global, borderless banking infrastructure

Bahrain's Al Waha Fund, Hambro Perks launch HP Spring Studios to support fintech startups

Bahrain’s Al Waha Fund, Hambro Perks launch HP Spring Studios to support fintech startups

The studio aims to create new highly skilled jobs in Bahrain for both local and international talent, on both its core team and at the startups it helps to launch

Direct Debit

UAE’s first paperless Direct Debit Marketplace launched

Fintech company Direct Debit System, launched the platform to facilitate recurring payments such as school fees, rent and subscription services

Ziina

UAE-based fintech Ziina eyes Jordan in regional push

The company successfully raised $9m during a seed round from prominent investors

Africa

McKinsey sees Africa fintech sales surging eightfold by 2025

Financial services revenues in Ghana and francophone West Africa will enjoy the fastest growth, with Nigeria and Egypt the next quickest