News

IBM Opens New Doha Office To Support Qatar’s Digital Growth

The move is a significant step for the company as it deepens its presence in a market with huge growth potential.

Published

2 years ago

December 16, 2024

ibm opens new doha office to support qatar's digital growth

IBM has officially opened its new office in Al Mana Tower, situated in Doha’s Corniche area. The inauguration ceremony was attended by key figures, including H.E. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Qatar’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, U.S. Ambassador Timmy Davis, and IBM executives Shukri Eid and Wissam Shmait. Local business partners and clients also joined the event, which took place during the Qatar Global AI Summit.

This new office marks a significant step in IBM’s strategy to deepen its presence in Qatar — a market with tremendous potential for growth. With the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Digital Agenda 2030 shaping the country’s ambitions, IBM aims to contribute to Qatar’s ongoing digital transformation by delivering cutting-edge solutions and advisory services directly from its Doha base.

Speaking about this development, Sami Mohammed Al Shammari, Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Operations Affairs at Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, emphasized the importance of IBM’s role. “We are pleased to witness the expansion of IBM’s presence in the State of Qatar and its role in supporting our journey towards building an advanced digital future,” he said. He described the move as more than a commercial investment, highlighting its potential to empower key industries and foster stronger collaboration between Qatar’s public and private sectors. He added that this partnership aligns with the country’s vision of building a robust digital infrastructure and advancing a knowledge-based economy.

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IBM’s regional leader, Shukri Eid, echoed these sentiments. “The opening of our new office in Qatar reflects IBM’s commitment to supporting the country’s accelerated digital transformation journey,” he said. He underscored IBM’s focus on driving innovation and equipping clients with advanced technological solutions to help realize Qatar’s digital ambitions.

The new office not only strengthens IBM’s ties with local businesses and government entities but also positions the tech corporation as a key player in the ongoing development of Qatar’s digital ecosystem. By fostering innovation and driving technological adoption, IBM will be ideally poised to play a central role in the country’s broader goals for digital advancement.

News

NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders

A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.

Published

1 day ago

October 5, 2026

Nour Nasir

neopay wants to follow merchants across channels and borders

It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.

The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.

For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.

“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.

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NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.

The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.