MENA

World Cup Runs Dry as Qatar Bans Booze at Stadiums
World Cup Runs Dry as Qatar Bans Booze at Stadiums
November 18, 2022  |  International

More than one million fans are expected to travel to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as the so-called “beautiful game’s” biggest stage kicks off...

READ MORE >
Qatar World Cup Boosts Ride-Hailing, Food Delivery Demand Across MENA
Qatar World Cup Boosts Ride-Hailing, Food Delivery Demand Across MENA
November 17, 2022  |  International

Ahead of the World Cup opening ceremony on Sunday (Nov. 20), soccer fans from around the globe have been arriving in Qatar, giving an economic...

READ MORE >
Neobank Licensing Sets Stage for Saudi FinTech Acceleration
Neobank Licensing Sets Stage for Saudi FinTech Acceleration
November 15, 2022  |  Digital-First Banking

In the evolution of FinTech in any given market, there are certain phases and milestones that can be observed. For example, the development of payment...

READ MORE >
Abu Dhabi, Dubai Shine as Crypto Adoption Continues to Accelerate in MENA
Abu Dhabi, Dubai Shine as Crypto Adoption Continues to Accelerate in MENA
November 13, 2022  |  Cryptocurrency

Home to two of the largest financial centers in the Gulf region — the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the Dubai International Financial Center...

READ MORE >
Egyptian B2B eCommerce Platform SPEED Acquired by X-ERA
Egyptian B2B eCommerce Platform SPEED Acquired by X-ERA
November 11, 2022  |  Acquisitions

The UAE-based logistics tech company X-ERA has completed its takeover of the Egyptian business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce platform SPEED, Martechvibe reported Thursday (Nov. 10). The Emirati logistics...

READ MORE >
EV Manufacturing, Micro-Mobility Enable Middle East Transport Electrification
EV Manufacturing, Micro-Mobility Enable Middle East Transport Electrification
November 09, 2022  |  Transportation

As world leaders gather in Egypt this week for the COP27 climate summit, the question of how best to approach fossil fuels is being hotly...

READ MORE >
Mobile is King as Digital Payments Gain Ground in GCC
Mobile is King as Digital Payments Gain Ground in GCC
November 07, 2022  |  Mobile Payments

Between growing smartphone penetration, the proliferation of new FinTech solutions and a growing shift from cash to digital payments, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region...

READ MORE >
Saudi Arabia Central Bank Launches Open Banking Framework
Saudi Arabia Central Bank Launches Open Banking Framework
November 04, 2022  |  emea

The Central Bank of Saudi Arabia (SAMA) on Wednesday (Nov. 2) announced the launch of its open banking framework, which includes a set of legislation,...

READ MORE >
Remittance Marketplace Model Unlocks Payments Innovation for GCC Expats
Remittance Marketplace Model Unlocks Payments Innovation for GCC Expats
November 04, 2022  |  Cross-border Payments

As elsewhere, in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, the remittance market has traditionally been dominated by a few major players. According to Amir Fardghassemi,...

READ MORE >