Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Egypt’s retail sector is accelerating digital transformation through new partnerships in fuel and food retail. Mastercard and Fuelin are digitising fleet fuel payments, while e& Egypt is rolling out connectivity, e-payments, and loyalty systems across subsidised food cooperatives, improving efficiency, transparency, and customer experience.
Mastercard has partnered with Egypt-based Fuelin to digitize fleet fuel payments across MENA. The solution combines real-time controls, commercial cards, and advanced security to replace cash-based processes, reduce fraud, improve efficiency, and deliver richer operational and sustainability insights for fleet operators and fuel stations.
Mastercard has formed new blockchain alliances in the Middle East, including a collaboration with the ADI Foundation, to advance stablecoin payments and asset tokenization. New partners NEO PAY and INFINIOS are adopting stablecoin settlement, expanding faster, compliant digital payment options across the regional financial ecosystem.
Visa has formed a new regional hub spanning Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman to accelerate digital payments and strengthen alignment with national transformation agendas. Led from Riyadh by Ali Bailoun, the move supports cashless economy targets, enhances client proximity, and builds on Visa’s growing infrastructure investments across the region.
Visa has formed a new regional hub covering Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman to accelerate digital payments and align with national transformation agendas. Led from Riyadh by Ali Bailoun, the move strengthens client proximity, supports cashless targets such as Vision 2030, and builds on Visa’s expanding regional infrastructure investments.
Orange Money Group and Visa have formed a strategic partnership to expand access to secure digital payments across Africa and the Middle East. Through a virtual Visa card integrated into the Max it app, millions of Orange Money users can now make international online payments, supporting financial inclusion and digital commerce growth across multiple markets.
Banglalink has secured approval from Bangladesh Bank to launch digital payment services, allowing it to offer transfers, remittances, bill payments, and merchant transactions. The move targets financial inclusion in Bangladesh, where most of the population remains unbanked, and leverages Veon’s regional digital finance expertise to support the country’s digital economy.
UAE telecom operator e& is piloting AE Coin, a dirham-backed stablecoin, for everyday payments such as bills, recharges, and digital services following a partnership with Al Maryah Community Bank. The initiative signals growing regulatory-backed adoption of stablecoins in the UAE’s consumer and financial ecosystems.
Mastercard has partnered with TerraPay to expand global acceptance for digital wallet users by improving interoperability across payment networks. The collaboration aims to enable seamless cross-border transactions, support financial inclusion, and help merchants and wallet providers scale as digital payments continue to grow worldwide.
Banglalink has received Bangladesh Bank approval to operate as a payment service provider, enabling the launch of regulated digital payment and money transfer services. The move supports financial inclusion in Bangladesh, integrates payments into mobile experiences, and leverages VEON’s global expertise in digital financial services.