News

NEOM Unveils Zardun, A High-End Ecotourism Retreat

The project aims to further improve the ever-growing Saudi ecotourism market with an upscale sanctuary resort.

Published

3 years ago

January 25, 2024

Nour Nasir

NEOM

According to recent data from Savills, the global ecotourism sector is projected to experience an annual growth rate of 15% from 2021 to 2027. In alignment with that upward trend, NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s ambitious $500 billion urban development, has disclosed plans to build an upscale sanctuary resort.

The lavish retreat, known as Zardun, will be built on a four-square-kilometer site, offering breathtaking vistas of the Gulf of Aqaba. NEOM officials have also confirmed that Zardun will boast no fewer than three deluxe boutique hotels.

Zardun will be populated by indigenous flora and fauna from the mountains to the shores and provide educational programs and on-site initiatives dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and rejuvenation of nature.

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The site will be meticulously crafted to “blend harmoniously with the natural surroundings” as a further commitment to sustainable tourism. Additionally, Zardun will incorporate a 360-degree observation platform, affording guests unparalleled panoramas. Ecotourism pursuits available to visitors will include hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, stargazing, meditation, yoga, and more.

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.