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Paymentology And Wio Bank Hope To Transform UAE Banking
Paymentology’s card issuing and analytics will support Wio Bank’s next-generation services.
Paymentology, the world’s first truly global in-cloud card issuing platform, has joined forces with Wio Bank, the UAE’s first platform bank, in a bid to empower local businesses and consumers with modern digital banking solutions.
Wio Bank, launched in September 2022, is focused exclusively on digital and embedded banking services and applications and provides startups, freelancers, and small businesses with seamless access to banking solutions. The company’s Wio Business offering provides a simplified, fully digital business account service with supplementary tools that aid business management.
Wio Bank’s new partner, Paymentology, completes the digital banking puzzle by facilitating a wide range of card services, including Visa debit cards, plus Apple and Google Pay. The cloud-based card issuer also enables Wio developers to view a real-time data feed, providing detailed customer spending insights to help the bank tailor its solutions to the exact needs of local businesses.
UAE businesses have historically relied on brick-and-mortar branches to open accounts and make transactions. With their newly announced partnership, Wio and Paymentology are promising “fast, simplified and fully digital financial services” for small-to-medium businesses in the region.
Also Read: UAE Digital Technology Spending To Hit $20 Billion By 2026
“The UAE is at the forefront of innovation in digital financial services, making huge strides toward becoming a cashless society in the not-too-distant future. We’re incredibly proud of the role we are playing in supporting fintechs achieve their ambitions in the region with increasingly localized, customer-centric, and data-driven propositions,” says Rowan Brewer, CEO at Paymentology.
The latest announcement from Paymentology and Wio Bank comes as the UAE’s financial services sector undergoes a rapid transformation. Consumer demand for digital products and services is on the rise, with research by Visa revealing that 52% of Emirates consumers plan to go cashless by 2024, compared to 41% globally.
News
Rabbit Expands Hyperlocal Delivery Service In Saudi Arabia
The e-commerce startup is aiming to tap into the Kingdom’s underdeveloped e-grocery sector with a tech-first, locally rooted strategy.
Rabbit, an Egyptian-born hyperlocal e-commerce startup, is expanding into the Saudi Arabian market, setting its sights on delivering 20 million items across major cities by 2026.
The company, founded in 2021, is already operational in the Kingdom, with its regional headquarters now open in Riyadh and an established network of strategically located fulfillment centers — commonly known as “dark stores” — across the capital.
The timing is strategic: Saudi Arabia’s online grocery transactions currently sit at 1.3%, notably behind the UAE (5.3%) and the United States (4.8%). With the Kingdom’s food and grocery market estimated at $60 billion, even a modest increase in online adoption could create a multi-billion-dollar opportunity.
Rabbit also sees a clear alignment between its business goals and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to boost retail sector innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises, attract foreign investment, and develop a robust digital economy.
The company’s e-commerce model is based on speed and efficiency. Delivery of anything from groceries and snacks to cosmetics and household staples is promised in 20 minutes or less, facilitated by a tightly optimized logistics system — a crucial component in a sector where profit margins and delivery expectations are razor-thin.
Despite the challenges, Rabbit has already found its stride in Egypt. In just over three years, the app has been used by 1.4 million customers to deliver more than 40 million items. Revenue has surged, growing more than eightfold in the past two years alone.
Also Read: Top E-Commerce Websites In The Middle East In 2025
CEO and Co-Founder Ahmad Yousry commented: “We are delighted to announce Rabbit’s expansion into the Kingdom. We pride ourselves on being a hyperlocal company, bringing our bleeding-edge tech and experience to transform the grocery shopping experience for Saudi households, and delivering the best products – especially local favorites, in just 20 minutes”.
The company’s growth strategy avoids the pitfalls of over-reliance on aggressive discounting. Instead, Rabbit leans on operational efficiency, customer retention, and smart scaling. The approach is paying off, having already attracted major investment from the likes of Lorax Capital Partners, Global Ventures, Raed Ventures, and Beltone Venture Capital, alongside earlier investors such as Global Founders Capital, Goodwater Capital, and Hub71.
Rabbit Expands Hyperlocal Delivery Service In Saudi Arabia
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