Tagged: mena

February 2, 2020 @ 2:39 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Doha Bank, one of Qatar’s largest commercial banks (incorporated in 1978 and began offering its services in Doha, Qatar in March 1979), has confirmed the official launch of its domestic and cross-border funds transfer digital service for corporate customers. The domestic and international funds transfer… Read More

January 29, 2020 @ 9:09 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Dubai-headquartered Sarwa confirmed on January 27 that it had finalized an $8.4 million Series A investment round, which was led by Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO). The firm’s hybrid automated investment platform aims to simplify the process of investing while making it more affordable. Sarwa’s platform… Read More

January 29, 2020 @ 2:48 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The venture capital division of the most profitable firm in the world, Saudi Aramco, has reportedly invested $5 million in a blockchain-enabled oil trading platform, called Vakt. Vakt’s management confirmed the news on January 28, noting that Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures is now among its… Read More

January 25, 2020 @ 11:02 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Fintech Hive has announced the introduction of their investment-focused accelerator program for startups and other small companies in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) regions. The Fintech Hive Scale Up program will provide partnership and investment opportunities for… Read More

January 14, 2020 @ 12:06 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The Qatar Financial Center (QFC), one of the largest and fastest-growing business and financial centers in the Middle Eastern country, ended 2019 with a significant 33% growth, as nearly 200 companies registered on QFC’s platform. The number of firms establishing operations out of the QFC… Read More

January 13, 2020 @ 11:35 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

The global payments industry is evolving rapidly and will only be developing faster in the coming years according to several reports. From digital transformation efforts to the increasing competition among Fintech firms to innovate, it is becoming more important for companies to upgrade their tech… Read More

January 9, 2020 @ 12:04 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Crude oil production in Saudi Arabia slowed down considerably last year, from 10,643 BBL/D/1K in December 2018 to only 9,890 BBL/D/1K in November 2019. Steady and continuous drops in crude oil production may be attributed to several different factors, such as the attendant impact on… Read More

January 6, 2020 @ 10:14 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Solidarity Bahrain, one of Bahrain’s largest insurance service providers and a subsidiary of Solidarity Group Holding, has reportedly launched its newly developed core insurance system, TCS BaNCS. The TCS BaNCS insurance platform is part of the foundation of Solidarity’s digital transformation plan and has been… Read More

January 2, 2020 @ 4:34 pm By Cali Haan  |  

International Investment (II) is reporting that Qatar’s financial regulator, the QFC, has banned the use of cryptocurrencies in the region. The ban appears to be comprehensive. It covers, “anything of value that acts as a substitute for currency, that can be digitally traded or transferred… Read More

December 30, 2019 @ 9:34 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The National Bank of Oman (NBO), the first local bank and one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle Eastern country of Oman, has been awarded Best Mobile Banking Application – Oman 2019 by the International Finance Magazine. The bank has also received various… Read More

December 20, 2019 @ 11:22 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Wamda, an established startup ecosystem supporter in the Middle East, recently co-led a $3 million Series A investment round with Global Ventures in Floranow, a business-to-business (B2B) online floral marketplace. Existing investors including Dash Ventures, Jabbar Internet Group, and new investors Sirocco Holdings, Adamtech Ventures,… Read More

December 18, 2019 @ 9:42 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Murex, an established provider of trading, risk management and processing platforms for financial markets, recently revealed that Gulf Bank, one of the largest banks in Kuwait, has chosen MX.3 to upgrade and digitize its capital markets and treasury IT. Murex was chosen to be a… Read More

December 17, 2019 @ 10:33 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bank Muscat, the leading financial services provider in the Sultanate, recently revealed that the Central Bank of Oman has approved the institution’s request to establish a $100 million (appr. OMR38.5 million) nationwide, strategic Fintech investment program. The investment program is reportedly part of Bank Muscat’s… Read More

December 10, 2019 @ 11:49 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor of Qatar Central Bank (QCB), revealed on December 8 that the nation’s central bank is in the process of developing the banking sector’s Fintech strategy. Qatar’s Fintech strategy is being created in cooperation with local financial institutions… Read More

December 8, 2019 @ 5:50 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Wamda has reportedly made an investment in United Arab Emirates (UAE)-headquartered Fintech firm FlexxPay. The social impact company offers various benefit solutions to workers, which are available for businesses in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Wamda’s latest investment is part of FlexxPay’s… Read More

November 26, 2019 @ 12:36 am By Omar Faridi  |  

Bank ABC revealed on November 24 that it has introduced “ila” Bank, as the institution prepares to enter the digital, mobile-only banking sector, beginning with the Middle Eastern country of Bahrain. The initiative’s roadmap involves promoting the new platform across the Middle East and North… Read More

October 8, 2019 @ 3:15 am By Omar Faridi  |  

The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Fintech industry is set to enter 2020 with promising deals as more investors and companies explore potential investment opportunities. One-third of Fintech firms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are based in the UAE. The number of Fintech… Read More

September 30, 2019 @ 11:27 am By JD Alois  |  

Fintech Abu Dhabi, an annual gathering organized by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) – the international Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, has announced the participation of eight separate Fintech unicorns for their upcoming event later this month. Fintech Abu Dhabi has announced that; Kraken, Airwallex,… Read More

September 29, 2019 @ 4:34 pm By Omar Faridi  |  

Three out of four, or 75%, bank customers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) prefer managing their finances online, instead of visiting a physical bank location. A majority of bank customers’ visits to physical locations has decreased to 0-2 times per year, according to a… Read More

August 27, 2019 @ 3:50 pm By Samantha Hurst  |  

FinTech Abu Dhabi, MENA’s FinTech festival that is hosted by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) announced last week its global fintech tour will be reaching even more cities ahead of the main event in Abu Dhabi this upcoming October. Abu Dhabi reported that the FinTechAD… Read More