MUSCAT — In 2026, handling money will feel less like visiting a bank and more like using a digital utility that runs quietly in the background of daily life. Artificial intelligence, embedded finance and real-time payments are converging into a new operating system for money, reshaping profit models and challenging legacy banking structures.
This transformation was highlighted by Rajesh Chandiramani, CEO of Comviva, during his visit to Oman. Speaking to Times of Oman, Chandiramani said the future of digital payments will be shaped by gamification, proactive risk management and stronger cybersecurity.
“Gamification helps keep customers engaged on platforms. At the same time, technology today allows us to proactively identify risks, prevent money laundering and strengthen compliance,” he said.
He warned that cyber threats are growing in an increasingly connected world. “Hackers today can operate from anywhere globally. There are malicious apps that can sit on your phone without your knowledge and read transactions. This makes robust digital identification tools more critical than ever.”
Chandiramani said Comviva’s growth across the Middle East and North Africa has been driven by long-term partnerships and deep local market understanding. “We have worked closely with telecom operators and financial institutions to build scalable AI, analytics and cloud-native platforms,” he said.
He explained that Comviva’s DigiTech, RevTech, MarTech and FinTech portfolios enable financial inclusion, digital commerce and next-generation customer experiences. “From mobile financial services and digital payments to intelligent marketing and monetisation platforms, our solutions help organisations unlock new revenue streams and improve service accessibility.”
According to Chandiramani, the MENA fintech ecosystem is expanding rapidly, fuelled by a young digital-first population, supportive regulation and national visions focused on financial inclusion. As demand rises for secure, mobile-first financial services, both fintechs and established institutions are innovating across payments, remittances, lending and savings.
Comviva currently operates more than 80 deployments across 55 countries, serving over 500 million customers. Its digital payments platform processes nearly $400 billion annually, averaging $1 billion per day.
He also highlighted Comviva’s partnership with Global Money Exchange to launch the Global Pay Oman mobile application. “This represents a major milestone in Oman’s fintech ecosystem,” he said. “It demonstrates how strategic partnerships can accelerate digital payments adoption, simplify cross-border remittances and strengthen financial inclusion.”
The application allows users to make fast, secure payments and manage foreign exchange services directly from their mobile devices, supporting Oman’s transition toward a digital-first economy.
Comviva, which began as an India-based platform company, expanded into Africa where it helped digitally include nearly 400 million people, before growing into North Africa, the Middle East, and now Europe and the Americas.
In Oman, Chandiramani described the launch as a landmark moment. “This is one of the most important days for Comviva and GME in the country, delivering AI-first technology that enables digital inclusion for both citizens and expatriates.”
