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MALY Is Helping To Fuel Saudi Arabia’s Fintech Revolution
The KSA is rapidly becoming a MENA fintech leader, and next-gen digital savings platform and money mentor app MALY is one of its key players.
Despite nearly 100% smartphone penetration and a growing awareness of digital platforms, Saudi Arabian officials are concerned by the lack of financial education and the accessibility of financial wellness advice.
Founded in 2022, fintech startup MALY aims to plug this gap, providing users with a financial wellness platform that helps cultivate better money habits, plugging crucial gaps in Saudi Arabia’s struggling consumer savings sector. Mo Ibrahim, MALY’s co-founder and CEO, described the current climate in the KSA:
“Various estimates cite up to 70% of the Saudi population as having no savings […] despite the reality of immense economic challenges. People need help in building healthier relationships with their finances, and fintechs can provide the necessary tools and platforms to enable individual financial wellness”.
Ibrahim says fintech growth in Saudi Arabia will also be aided by the country’s National Fintech Strategy (SNFS). The initiative aims to drive fintech innovation, increase the number of startups in the Kingdom to 230, and grow digital transactions by 70% by 2025.
Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East
MALY is uniquely positioned to help the KSA achieve its fintech vision. The company’s cutting-edge platform leverages data science and machine learning. According to CEO Mo Ibrahim, MALY is an essential toolbox that helps to automate and manage personal savings and investments while offering debt management tools and investment techniques.
As well as its current suite of financial tools, MALY is also planning an AI-powered Financial Stress Tracker, which will leverage Open Banking to identify patterns indicating financial stress while providing customers with personalized advice and education programs to help them manage their finances.
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Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
The payment service provider’s expansion is a first-of-its-kind investment and could reshape digital transactions across the region.
Checkout.com is laying the groundwork to become the first global payments platform to introduce card issuing in the United Arab Emirates — a move that could reshape how businesses in the region manage financial transactions.
The company plans to roll out its domestic card issuance offering in the UAE by 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The launch would give businesses the tools to issue both physical and virtual branded cards. This, in turn, opens up new ways to reward customers, streamline expense processes, and handle B2B payouts efficiently.
Checkout.com’s CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz, revealed the plans during Thrive Abu Dhabi, the firm’s debut conference in the Emirates. Joined on stage by Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA, Pousaz presented to an audience of over 150 partners and merchants at Saadiyat Island. Also in attendance was H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
Abbondandolo highlighted the strategic importance of the announcement: “As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy. The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it”.
One early adopter of Checkout.com’s UAE acquiring services is Headout, a travel experiences marketplace, which recently named the payment provider as its main partner in Europe. The company has already begun card issuing there and is keen to expand that offering into MENA once approval is granted.
The expansion of services in the UAE and beyond builds on Checkout.com’s track record in the region. It was the first global payments firm to secure a Retail Payment Services license from the UAE’s Central Bank and was instrumental in rolling out Mada and Apple Pay in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Also Read: Protecting Your WhatsApp Account From Hackers: Kaspersky Expert Tips
The firm has also been rolling out new products: One of the latest is Flow Remember Me, currently in beta testing. It allows shoppers to store their card information once and access it across Checkout.com’s entire network, potentially cutting checkout times by up to 70%.
Earlier this year, Checkout.com also introduced Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, enabling both domestic and international payouts. Its collaboration with Mastercard has grown as well, making it easier for businesses to send funds directly to third-party cards securely and quickly.
With regional tech ambitions on the rise — spurred by initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda — Checkout.com sees its role as one of a key enabler. “Our mission is to help ambitious businesses navigate the complexity of payments, so they can move faster, go further, and make the most of every opportunity,” said Abbondandolo. “In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive”.
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