Tarabut Gateway appoints Chun Ong as new chief operating officer
Ong joins from UK digital mortgage lender Molo, where he spent three years as COO.
UAE
UAE central bank partners R3 and G42 Cloud for CBDC implementation initiative
The CBDC initiative will look at a range of use cases across domestic and cross-border use.
Qashio taps Alinma Bank to launch operations in Saudi Arabia
According to both firms, the partnership is the first between a bank and a fintech in Saudi Arabia.
Central banks of UAE and India partner for cross-border CBDC testing
The central banks will conduct joint proof of concept and pilots of bilateral CBDC cross-border transactions.
UAE lendtech Ezra appoints new chief risk officer, Andrew Goodrich
Goodrich will lead the data engineering, predictive analytics, credit risk and fraud functions across Ezra.
UAE’s Mashreq Bank taps i2c for digital payment capabilities
Through the partnership, Mashreq will leverage i2c’s SaaS platform to offer digital payments.
First Abu Dhabi Bank hires Michel Longhini to lead global private banking
Longhini joins from Edmond de Rothschild where he was CEO of private banking.
Saudi fintech Hala acquires UAE paytech Paymennt.com
Maher Loubieh, co-founder of Hala, says Paymennt’s product was a “clear fit” with their own strategy.
Dubai’s VARA outlines new virtual asset framework
VARA says the new framework will offer “regulatory certainty”, giving market participants greater clarity.
UAE’s central bank launches financial services digital transformation programme
The UAE is aiming to become a “financial and digital payment hub”.
Open banking fintech Tarabut Gateway appoints new VP of engineering
Derek Lakin has more than 20 years’ worth of experience in the software industry.
Dubai Investments buys 9% stake in UK challenger Monument Bank
Dubai Investments says the acquisition gives it a “unique opportunity” to move into the digital banking space.
BNPL fintech Tabby lands $58m in Series C funding
The Dubai-based firm plans to use the funding to support its growth and expand its product line.
Radu Topliceanu named as new head of digital bank Mashreq Neo
Mashreq Neo is the digital offshoot of UAE’s Mashreq – “a bank for a brilliant new world” – launched in 2017.
Fintech Galaxy snaps up Egypt’s Underlie to boost regional open finance
Fintech Galaxy will leverage Underlie’s open banking APIs expertise to speed up market penetration in Egypt.
Network International appoints group chief business transformation and technology officer
Network’s new hire Sandeep Chouhan brings over three decades of experience working in consumer banking and payments.
GCC fintech Now Money taps ThetaRay for AML Sonar solution
Now Money provides mobile banking services to the financially underserved, including low-fee cross-border remittances.
UAE’s National Bonds taps Azentio for digital Islamic banking solution
Azentio says its iMAL platform will enable National Bonds to roll out Islamic products and services faster.
Mobility fintech Moove lands $30m to fuel UAE expansion
Moove intends to use the funding to scale to 2,000 EVs in the UAE over the coming year.
UAE investment fintech Baraka lands $20m Series A
The start-up offers investors access to more than 6,000 US stocks and ETFs.
Dubai-based fintech Leap aims to improve youth financial literacy
The Dubai-based start-up wants to improve youth financial literacy, targeting the under-18s.
Invest Bank in major tech overhaul with Temenos and NdcTech
Invest Bank is one of the first in the UAE to adopt a full SaaS model for digital and core banking systems.
BML Istisharat signs new core banking tech clients in Iraq and UAE
Two banks in Iraq and one in the UAE are implementing BML Istisharat’s ICBS core banking system.
DFSA fines Bank of Singapore $1.1m citing inadequate AML controls
The regulatory authority also says that the bank acted outside the scope of its DFSA licence.
UAE’s Wio Bank goes live on Mambu’s cloud banking platform
The challenger says it chose Mambu’s API-led cloud platform to achieve a “faster” time to market.
Lendtech Ezra appoints Erwan Gelebart as new CEO
Gelebart has spent the past 14 years working for digital financial services firms across Africa and Asia.
Dubai’s Pyypl lands $20m Series B as it eyes regional expansion
The round saw participation from new international investors and 10 existing investors.
DFSA introduces new “crypto token regime” to boost digital asset regulation
The DFSA says it is a “progressive regulator” that recognises the growing interest in crypto.
UAE fintech start-up Mamo receives regulatory approval
Mamo can now provide money services and expand operations without user restrictions.
New fintech start-up Five FS launches in the UAE and KSA markets
The start-up has officially launched in the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets.
Dubai-based fintech YAP in talks to raise further $20m
If completed, the new funds will take the firm’s total Series A raise to $61 million.
Dubai’s Fintech Surge set to accelerate MENA region’s rapid fintech growth
Fintech Surge will host top innovators across digital banking, paytech, insurtech, regtech and much more.
UAE’s Fintech Galaxy announces new COO and CFO hires
Former Salt Edge CEO and co-founder Dmitrii Barbasura joins as COO while Iaroslav Babenco joins as CFO.
New family banking app Verity launches in MENA region
Verity aims to help children develop their personal finance skills.
New challenger Wio Bank launches in the UAE
It will provide financial solutions via digital banking apps, embedded finance and as Banking-as-a-Service.
UAE’s Ajman Bank to launch Mastercard ‘touch’ card for visually impaired
The card was co-designed by Idemia, an identity technology solutions provider in the physical and digital space.
ICYMI fintech funding round-up: Banco and Stake
Our weekly fintech round-up for you to get the latest funding news from around the world.
UAE start-up Huspy acquires Just Mortgages and Finance Lab
The founders and employees of both companies will be joining Huspy.
Dubai BNPL firm Tabby secures $150m debt financing
The debt financing has been supplied by Atalaya Capital Management and existing investor Partners for Growth.
SC Ventures launches digital onboarding platform Appro in UAE
Appro is designed to reduce application times for a range of banking products from several hours to three minutes.
