#Fintech

Tony Hallside, CEO of STP Partners

SME story: How STP Partners leverages tech in its financial solutions

Tony Hallside, CEO of STP Partners, a full-service DIFC-based prime broker, discusses the firm’s innovative prime brokerage services, strategic successes, and future plans in the dynamic financial landscape

UAE reportedly considering 10-year golden business licences

UAE: New guidelines for public-private partnerships, Sandbox Conditions regulation

The PPP Manual and the Sandbox Conditions regulation are crucial steps in the UAE’s strategy to build the country’s business ecosystem

Careem app

Payrails and Careem: Strategic partnership to upgrade payment integration in MENA

By leveraging Payrails’ platform, Careem can route payments along the most strategic paths, driving higher payment conversions and simplifying the checkout experience for its customers

Egyptian fintech Sahl successfully raises $6m in Series A round

Egyptian fintech Sahl successfully raises $6m in Series A round

Sahl’s strategic vision is to dominate Egypt’s EGP2.5tn digital payments sector by capturing a significant portion of collections for utility companies, a segment worth EGP250bn annually

Zand Bank, MANTRA partner to streamline real-world asset tokenisation

The digital bank and MANTRA will develop frameworks for RWA tokenisation that comply with regulations set by the Dubai’s VARA

Rasan’s $224m IPO draws orders worth $19bn

Saudi fintech firm Rasan’s $224m IPO oversubscribed 129.1 times

The company priced its IPO at the top of the previously announced range, selling its shares at SAR37 per share apiece to raise SAR841m

GB business breakfast - tech trends - panel event

GB Panel Event: Tech trends impacting business and real estate

Gulf Business will host a technology-themed panel discussion on June 12 to discuss the latest trends impacting the worlds of finance, banking, real estate, construction and more

Mastercard

How Mastercard is driving financial inclusion in the Middle East

Mastercard’s chief operating officer for EEMEA region Khalid Elgibali tells us about how his company is innovating when it comes to cross-border and digital payments

Saudi Arabia’s Rasan to divest 30% stake via IPO

Saudi Arabia’s Rasan to lists 30% stake on local bourse

The fintech firm is offering 5.3 million new shares and 17.4 million existing shares to investors – equivalent to 30 per cent of the company’s paid-up capital

banking

Revolutionising banking-as-a-service: BKN301 on bridging financial markets across Europe and MENA

Stiven Muccioli’s insights shed light on BKN301’s mission to revolutionise banking services, underscoring the importance of innovation, adaptability, and cybersecurity in the ever-evolving fintech landscape

Moove raises USD100m in series b round Image Moove

Moove raises $100m in Series B round: Mubadala, Uber invest

The funding comes after a year of significant growth for Moove that saw the company increase its annual recurring revenue to more than $115m

BNPL startup Tamara raises $340m, now valued at $1bn

BNPL startup Tamara now valued at $1bn after raising $340m

With this transaction, the BNPL platform will have raised a total of $500m in equity funding, and well above $400m in debt financing

MASTERCARD

Interview: Mastercard’s Andrea Prazakova on navigating the sustainability transition

Mastercard’s position at the critical juncture of finance and sustainability allows it to influence the transition to net zero

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao pleads-guilty-ot-money-laundering-charges-GettyImages 1239957173.jpg

Binance CEO Zhao quits, pleads guilty to money laundering

Zhao, who was born in China and moved to Canada at the age of 12, pleaded guilty in a Seattle court on Tuesday afternoon

blockchain

Cover story: Pioneering proptech: Transforming real estate through blockchain

Robin Ubaghs, co-founder of Propchain and the Welfare Group shares how his ventures are using blockchain technology to transform the real estate industry

Botim hits Dhs1.3bn transactions in 4 months

Astra Tech’s Botim exceeds Dhs1.3bn transactions in 4 months

PayBy has witnessed a 75 per cent increase in the number of transactions quarter-on-quarter across its fintech offerings

EFG Holding’s Valu to launch in Jordan in early 2024

EFG Holding’s Valu to launch in Jordan in early 2024

The fintech firm said its expansion into Jordan is at an advanced preparation stage

Egypt credit sector

Egypt: Driving financial independence

As the first licensee of consumer finance in Egypt, Contact has played a pivotal role in growing the non-bank credit sector

DIFC’s five-year innovation strategy for financial services

DIFC unveils five-year innovation strategy for financial services

Investments in fintech is further accelerating the ongoing pace of fintech innovation globally and in Dubai

Emirates NBD launches-sustainTech program Dubai Media Office

Emirates NBD launches SustainTech Accelerator Program ahead of COP28

The accelerator programme is accepting applications from September 6 to October 10 this year

Bybit-Aus sponsorship for 38 students Image Bybit

Bybit-AUS sponsorship fund: Here’s how 38 bright students will benefit

In addition to sponsoring the selected students, Bybit is contributing Dhs100,000 to sponsor the first AUS-Bybit Inter-College Hackathon in November

Dubai business

Dubai trumps Lisbon as top destination for globetrotting executives: Report

The findings were based on research conducted by real estate broker Savills, which ranked 20 prime residential markets by their appeal to long-term remote workers

Top startups

GCC: Top startups to watch in 2023

We shine the spotlight on some of the region’s most prominent startups

Mastercard MTN

Mastercard to buy stake in MTN’s $5.2bn fintech unit

Signing of the definitive investment agreements is expected to occur in the very near term, said MTN chief executive officer Ralph Mupita

Moove

Moove raises $76m with investment from Mubadala, BlackRock

The round brings total funding to over $335m since inception across equity and debt

Dubai’s VARA, DET to establish market assurance standards for virtual assets

The MoU strengthens VARA’s aim to achieve full transparency and market conduct adherence across virtual asset service providers licenced to operate in Dubai

Twig

SME story: Interview with Chafic Idriss, Rayan Antonios, Karam El Dik, founders of Twig

We facilitate effective goal planning and provide a user-friendly experience to help individuals achieve their financial objectives

FOO

SME story: Interview with Ghady Rayess, managing director of FOO

Financial services embedded into existing business models are no longer optional, but necessary

NymCard acquires BNPL firm Spotii

NymCard acquires Middle East BNPL firm Spotii

The integrated platform will serve both B2C and B2B markets seamlessly, enabling instant instalment options

Brian Armstrong, chief executive officer of Coinbase Global Inc., speaks at the IFGS 2023 summit at the Guildhall in London, UK, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Innovate Finance's Global Summit -- part of U.K. Fintech Week -- runs until Tuesday.

Crypto exchange Coinbase weighs UAE as potential international hub

Coinbase has been navigating a market downturn and a difficult US regulatory environment