Network International: Navigating the future of digital payments

As one of the largest acquirers in the UAE, Network International plays a pivotal role in enhancing the digital economy across the MENA region.  In this interview, Jamal Al Nassai, group managing director for Merchant Services at Network International, reflects on nearly two decades of growth, innovation, and leadership in the rapidly evolving payments landscape.

Tell us about your journey with Network International over the past 18 years and how your experience in various leadership roles has shaped your approach to managing Merchant Services in the MENA region.

Network has undergone a remarkable journey of growth, and innovation. Starting in an era when the payments landscape was vastly different, the company has transformed into the leading acquirer in the UAE and a key digital payments player across the Middle East and Africa. I have had the privilege of witnessing this remarkable growth in many different roles spanning operations to merchant acquiring over 18 years. Each role has reinforced the importance of adaptability and innovation, and most of all, it has taught me the value of keeping our customers at the heart of everything we do.

Our focus on innovation, operational excellence, and customer-centric solutions has positioned us to navigate the complexities of the industry while consistently delivering value to our merchants. As we continue to drive digital payment adoption and enhance the payments ecosystem, our commitment to supporting merchants remains a core pillar of our strategy.

Network International is one of the largest acquirers in the UAE. What are the key components of your merchant services strategy in the Middle East, and how do you differentiate your services from competitors?

With a track record of 30 years, Network has been helping expand consumer inclusion into the financial services industry and growing payments for a large proportion of the market including 130,000 merchants.

Our vision is to empower businesses and merchants with the latest payment technologies and contribute to building a robust digital payments ecosystem. Our strategic agreements with several partners differentiate us in delivering innovative, integrated, and secure payment solutions that offer convenience to customers in-store and online.

How are you supporting merchants across the MENA region with innovative digital payment solutions? Can you share examples of how these solutions have enhanced the payment value chain?

With a cutting-edge technological platform that has a range of value-added services fully integrated into its all-in-one payment interface, we enable our merchants who offer innovative, world-class payment experiences to their customers. This year we will process about three billion transactions across our markets, and we will cross $100bn in process volume while having managed 18 million payment credentials and processed 1.6 billion transactions.

Network International has partnered with the Central Bank of the UAE on initiatives like Jaywan and Aani. Tell us about the significance of these collaborations and how they contribute to the UAE’s vision of establishing a world-class digital economy.

Network will leverage its expertise to activate Jaywan and Aani to its merchants to support a robust digital payment ecosystem through innovation, digitisation, and global interoperability. We service a large portion of merchants in the UAE among the 130,000 we serve across the region, spanning several sectors, that stand to benefit from Aani. We also have over 26 banking partners, telecom and fintech customers whom we will support in issuing Jaywan cards and Aani payments.

What role does Network International play in supporting the UAE’s transition to a digital economy, and what are the key milestones you’ve achieved in this journey?

By reinforcing the value chain of digital payments, we support the digital economy by strengthening infrastructure, digital transactions, e-commerce, fintech, stimulating investment in digital sectors, and developing digital capabilities, as well as supporting SMEs.

Some of our key milestones include being at the forefront of the launch of Jaywan and Aani, enabling UPI QR acceptance for Indian citizens, and obtaining a Stored Value Facility licence from the Central Bank of the UAE to support prepaid card issuing and wallet provisioning.

Network International has recently formed partnerships with companies like Biz2X, Policy Bazaar, Beehive, Citibank, and Investbank. How do these collaborations enhance your digital payment ecosystem, and what impact do they have on merchant growth and security in the region?

Collaborations demonstrate our commitment to deliver technology to empower consumers. By embedding value-added services directly into our payment ecosystem, we are building a seamless financial experience that caters to the evolving needs of modern businesses. This means faster approvals, tailored financing options, and value-beyond-payment solutions for our merchants to scale and succeed.

What emerging trends do you see shaping the digital payments industry in the MENA region, and how is Network International positioned to capitalise on these trends?

We follow and introduce new payment trends to broaden financial inclusion and advance a cashless society to build a digital economy in the UAE and the MENA region. Therefore, Network has partnered with several leading enterprises in the ecosystem to advance our existing capabilities to digital wallets, mobile and contactless payments, biometric authentication, and more. We are also exploring new payment solutions in the buy-now-pay-later, cross-border, real-time, cryptocurrency, and digital assets space.

Innovation is key to economic diversification, particularly in the MENA region. How is Network International driving innovation in digital payment technologies to support merchant growth and contribute to regional economic development?

Network’s technology development and innovation broadens the scope of delivery of financial services. The advantages of digital payments manifest in easy access to the masses, reduced travel and queuing times, quicker transactions and seamless money movements. The UAE government is progressing towards establishing a strong cashless society and benefiting from the advantages that result from the transformation. As financial institutions, businesses and consumers transform to cashless payments, we are poised to support all stakeholders in the value chain.

Where do you see Network International in the next five years, particularly in terms of its role in the digital economy of the MENA region?

Network is accelerating digital transformation and has extensive experience in revolutionising digital finance. We focus on delivering innovative and integrated payment solutions through strategic partnerships to serve high-growth sectors such as retail, hospitality, travel and more in the UAE and the countries where we operate, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Jordan.