News

Botim Launches MENA’s First-Ever “Send Now, Pay Later” Service

The new feature offered via the Botim Ultra App allows users to make instant transfers internationally while deferring payments.

Published

2 years ago

September 20, 2024

Nour Nasir

botim launches mena's first ever send now pay later service

Abu Dhabi-based tech group Astra Tech has launched a first-of-its-kind “Send Now, Pay Later” (SNPL) service in the UAE via its Botim Ultra App. The new feature lets users instantly send funds internationally while deferring payments, making Botim the first fintech provider in the MENA region to offer this kind of solution.

Astra Tech’s fintech ecosystem has seen a huge increase in transaction volumes quarter-on-quarter, and the new SNPL feature follows the success of the company’s expanded remittance services in 2023.

botim snpl service

Expatriates form a significant portion of the UAE’s workforce. SNPL offers these residents, in particular, enhanced financial flexibility to send money overseas and pay later in manageable installments. In the first five months of 2023 alone, Dh6.74 trillion was processed by Botim in remittances from the UAE, highlighting the importance of the service.

Abdallah Abu Sheikh, Founder of Astra Tech and CEO of Botim, commented: “The launch of ‘Send Now, Pay Later’ marks a pivotal moment for Botim and Astra Tech. By leveraging advanced credit infrastructure, we’re offering users a faster, more accessible way to send remittances. This service gives millions of users the flexibility to manage their financial obligations more effectively while continuing to support their families abroad.”

Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East

The launch of Botim Ultra’s SNPL service aligns with Astra Tech’s mission to expand financial inclusion across the MENA region. The fintech startup has already acquired a Finance Company License through Quantix, a financial service provider licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE. Quantix provides various credit solutions, including SNPL and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL).

Ahead of the official rollout of SNPL services, Botim will open pre-registration to its more than 9 million users, allowing early adopters to benefit from instant remittance transfers with flexible payment terms.

News

Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

3 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.