Saudi Arabia’s digital payments sector has seen major developments this week, as the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) announced several collaborations with global fintech leaders including Ant International, Google Pay, and Thunes. These initiatives align with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programme, aimed at boosting financial inclusion, tourism, and economic diversification.
SAMA and Ant International revealed plans to launch cross-border QR code payments in 2026, linking Saudi Arabia’s mada national payment scheme with Ant International’s Alipay+ wallet gateway. The move will allow Saudi merchants, including SMEs, to accept QR payments from Alipay+’s international partners, which currently connect 1.7 billion users across 36 partners and 70 markets worldwide.
In another key initiative, SAMA confirmed the integration of Google Pay with the mada payment network. Users can now manage their mada cards and digital credit cards directly through Google Wallet, further expanding payment flexibility for consumers in the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Thunes and barq, one of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing digital wallets, announced the rollout of enhanced international remittance services. Leveraging Thunes’ Direct Global Network, barq customers can send real-time transfers to billions of bank accounts and mobile wallets globally. This strengthens barq’s role in one of the world’s largest remittance markets and builds on the partnership established with Thunes in 2024.
Collectively, these partnerships highlight Saudi Arabia’s rapid progress in modernizing its payment ecosystem and reinforcing its position as a regional hub for financial technology and innovation.
