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Dubai

GCC Contactless Challenge, Kuwait: Schoolboy errors and then Apple Pay all the way

GCC Contactless Challenge, Kuwait: Schoolboy errors and then Apple Pay all the way

The author documents his GCC Contactless Challenge in Kuwait, attempting to live using only digital payments and his phone rather than physical cards or cash.

Digital Saudi: My super contactless journey in Riyadh

Digital Saudi: My super contactless journey in Riyadh

The author documents their contactless payment experiment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, successfully using Apple Pay at a hotel and supermarket despite expecting significant difficulties with digital payments in the region.

Another interesting job: Head of Crowdfunding, Saudi Arabia

Another interesting job: Head of Crowdfunding, Saudi Arabia

Recruiter Huxley is seeking a Head of Crowdfunding for a Financial Services/Investment company in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, signaling serious institutional interest in the region's growing crowdfunding sector. The role requires 5-12 years of fintech experience and reports to the Head of Finance.

Contactless Dubai: You can leave your cards at home!

Contactless Dubai: You can leave your cards at home!

The author reflects on their experience moving from Denmark—where contactless payments via Apple Pay and smartwatches are ubiquitous—to Muscat, where physical cards remain necessary due to limited mobile payment infrastructure, highlighting the stark differences in digital payment adoption...

My FinTech Tour of the GCC

My FinTech Tour of the GCC

A former Chief Transformation Officer at Sohar International in Oman embarks on a regional FinTech tour across GCC countries to observe banking and FinTech ecosystem developments firsthand and connect with industry leaders.

DIFC funds FlexxPay, Go Rise, Now Money & Sarwa

The Dubai International Financial Centre has invested from its $100 million fintech fund into four startups: FlexxPay, Go Rise, Now Money, and Sarwa, marking the fund's first major investment round since its 2019 launch.

Jingle Pay to Launch Digital Banking in UAE

Jingle Pay, a Dubai-based fintech company, is launching a digital banking platform in the UAE that will offer account opening, payments, remittances, virtual debit cards, and international transfer services.

Ziina secures $850k funding and introduces P2P payment app in Dubai fintech scene

Dubai-based fintech startup Ziina secured $850,000 in pre-seed funding and launched a P2P payment app enabling users to send and receive money using only a phone number, aiming to simplify peer-to-peer payments across the Middle East.

DIFC announces $10m for FinTech investments

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has unveiled a $10 million fintech fund for startups across the Middle East and North Africa, with Khaled Talhouni from Wamda Capital expressing enthusiasm about the initiative as a catalyst for regional innovation.

Gulf Robo Adviser Sarwa adds $1.3m funding

Sarwa, a Dubai-based robo advisory firm launched in December 2017, has secured $1.3 million in pre-series A funding, bringing its total funding to over $1.5 million since inception.