United Arab Emirates
- DeFi Technologies has announced an expansion to serve growing institutional demand for digital assets, citing regulatory clarity and maturing infrastructure in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. »»»
- An institutional investor has projected that crypto could become the UAE’s second-largest sector within five years, driven by favorable regulation, tax advantages, low crime and forward-looking leadership. »»»
- The Block released its Impact Report 2025, analyzing shifts in crypto market structures, rising institutional adoption and compliance trends affecting liquidity and listings. »»»
- Zand is partnering with Mastercard to enhance cross-border payments, focusing on faster settlements and improved remittance experiences for SMEs and retail customers. »»»
- Lean and Tarabut have obtained central bank approval for open finance activities, advancing data-sharing, aggregation and account-to-account payments. »»»
- The UAE has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Crypto.com to explore integrating Crypto.com Pay as a customer payment option, highlighting crypto’s steady move into mainstream travel commerce. »»»
- Nawy has entered the GCC proptech market by acquiring Dubai-based SmartCrowd, expanding into fractional real estate investing. »»»
- The central bank has published an update on the digital dirham, emphasizing progress on wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) rails and cross-border pilots. »»»
- Dubai Financial Market reported strong profit growth in the first half of 2025, supported by increased liquidity and higher foreign participation. »»»
- Startup Yasmina raised USD 2 million in seed funding to scale its fintech offering, adding momentum to early-stage consumer and SME enablement in the region. »»»
- United Arab Bank is partnering with Lune to introduce data-driven personal finance analytics, reflecting the bank’s broader push into insight-led customer engagement. »»»
- The UAE has tightened its oversight over Islamic banking “windows,” requiring stronger Shariah governance and clearer product segregation. »»»
- Mastercard and IFZA have launched an AI-enabled pilot to streamline SME registration and onboarding, integrating company formation with embedded payments. »»»
- Ant International is expanding its presence in the UAE to strengthen merchant services and cross-border payment acceptance. »»»
- Mastercard is partnering with Further Ventures to accelerate fintech innovation and embedded finance across the UAE and wider MENA region. »»»
- A new market outlook projects the UAE to lead Middle East fintech growth, supported by progressive regulations, advanced digital infrastructure and strong cross-border connectivity. »»»
- The proptech sector is expected to see robust growth through 2030, driven by digitized onboarding, tokenization pilots and rising cross-border capital inflows. »»»
Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia led MENA venture capital in the first half of 2025, with USD 860 million raised across 114 deals (a 116% increase in value and a 31% rise in deal count year-on-year). This is driven by sovereign capital, LEAP momentum and new early-stage funds. Saudi Arabia ranked 2nd among emerging markets globally, only behind Singapore. »»»
- The Saudi Central Bank updated credit card regulations to strengthen consumer protection and market integrity, with implications for issuers and BNPL-style products. »»»
Qatar
- Qatar’s Islamic fintech sector has reached USD 2.7 billion and is projected to grow to USD 4.4 billion by 2028, led by Shariah-compliant payments, wealth management and SME finance. »»»
- The Qatar Central Bank has approved Trustin for entry into its fintech sandbox, allowing supervised pilots in payments and digital finance. »»»
- Al Rayan Bank has selected Finastra to modernize its corporate digital channels, enhancing its transaction banking and cash management capabilities. »»»
- Qatar is emerging as a regional fintech hub thanks to favorable regulations, overall macroeconomic strength and established Islamic finance expertise. »»»
Bahrain
- Bahrain ranks among the region’s most cost-effective financial services technology hubs, with regulatory clarity and competitive talent costs cited as key advantages. »»»
Kuwait
- Kuwait International Bank has partnered with Diebold Nixdorf to upgrade its ATM and self-service infrastructure, enhancing omni-channel access and system uptime. »»»
Oman
- Google Pay has launched in Oman and Lebanon, expanding Big Tech wallet competition and mobile payments access across MENA. »»»
- Bank Nizwa has introduced a Shariah-compliant fintech platform to accelerate the delivery of Islamic digital services. »»»
- Mashreq has launched banking services in Oman that are aligned with Vision 2040, emphasizing digital capabilities and corporate banking. »»»
- Oman has recorded its first blockchain-based trade finance transaction, marking progress in digitized trade infrastructure. »»»
- Paymob has obtained a PSP license from the Central Bank of Oman, enabling local merchant acquiring and digital payments. »»»
Egypt
- Consumer finance player valU has secured initial approval to expand into Jordan, marking its first Levant entry; additionally, valU’s market capitalization reportedly reached USD 370 million, reflecting investor confidence. »»» »»»
- DisrupTech Ventures invested in Nigeria’s agri-fintech Winich Farms, extending its pan-African thesis in supply-chain finance and farmer liquidity. »»»
- A Visa report indicated that Egyptian SMEs are accelerating the adoption of digital payments, with cash reliance continuing to decline as acceptance expands. »»»
- The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) has approved licenses for Digified, Dayra and iSupply, broadening the scope of regulated fintech categories. »»»
- Egyptian fintech Octane raised USD 5.2 million to scale its lending and financial enablement products regionally. »»»
- Cross-border fintech LemFi has expanded its services in Egypt, improving remittance interoperability and local payout capabilities. »»»
Lebanon
- The Lebanese Central Bank is partnering with a US firm to strengthen anti-money laundering and financial crime controls, aiming to stabilize confidence and support cross-border flows. »»»
- Mastercard and MyMonty are partnering to enhance consumer and SME payment solutions and digital banking features in Lebanon. »»»
North Africa
- Morocco has joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) through an agreement with Bank Al-Maghrib, enabling faster local-currency settlement for intra-African trade. »»»
- Morocco’s Ora Technologies raised USD 7.5 million in Series A funding to expand its superapp ecosystem, which spans payments, commerce and financial services. »»»
- WorldRemit has expanded into Algeria, broadening remittance options and local payout networks. »»»
- Huawei has partnered with Mondia Pay to enable digital payments in Algeria and Tunisia via carrier billing and alternative rails. »»»
- Tunisia has issued a call for tenders to roll out 5G services, paving the way for enhanced wallet, eKYC and fintech use cases. »»»
Regional/Cross‑MENA
- The MENA Fintech Association has expanded engagement in Iraq through new working groups and policy dialogues as well as leadership updates. »»»
- IHC has acquired eFunder and rebranded it as Zelo as part of an effort to scale SME financing across MENA, signaling further consolidation in lending infrastructure. »»»
- The European Union (EU) has updated its list of high-risk third countries for money laundering, with implications for correspondent banking and compliance screening in adjacent MENA markets. »»»
- Saudi Arabia and the UAE have advanced their AML and UBO frameworks, prompting tighter KYC and KYB controls for banks and fintechs. »»»
- Analysts have identified MENA as a rising fintech hub, with governments prioritizing financial inclusion, instant payments and open finance initiatives. »»»
- MENA AI startup funding has shown signs of cooling as investors shift their focus to enterprise use cases and proven unit economics over hype-driven ventures. »»»
- The MENA Fintech Association marked ‘World Fintech Day 2025’ by highlighting the region’s evolution into a globally-relevant fintech powerhouse. »»»
