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Pure Electric Expands To UAE, Boosting Micro-Mobility Sector
Backed by a McLaren partnership, the company’s latest e-scooter range aims to redefine urban mobility.
Pure Electric, a leading UK-based e-scooter brand, recently entered the UAE market, marking its first step into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. With further expansion plans targeting Saudi Arabia and other GCC nations, the company is set to revolutionize urban micro transport across the Middle East.
The brand’s full-scale UAE launch is a significant milestone in its international growth strategy. Pure Electric is bringing its latest range of innovative e-scooters to the region, designed to offer a practical alternative to traditional city travel, while helping reduce congestion and pollution.
A Vision For Smarter Urban Mobility
Adam Norris, founder of Pure Electric, emphasized the importance of this expansion: “This launch into the UAE is a pivotal moment within our global expansion plan. It reflects our commitment to the micro-mobility sector and our dedication to providing a sustainable, safe, and enjoyable solution to urban travel”.
The company’s entry into the region is being spearheaded through a strategic partnership with Harris Qureshi, who will lead Pure Electric’s operations in the GCC.
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“I am thrilled to spearhead Pure’s expansion across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the wider GCC region. We are introducing the world’s best e-scooters to this dynamic market […] Our mission is to enhance urban mobility and contribute positively to the region’s sustainable transport landscape,” Harris Qureshi explained.
Innovative Design And Engineering At The Forefront
Pure Electric’s e-scooters are the result of in-house engineering from the company’s team of experts, with a rider-centric approach that challenges traditional design. Key features of the latest models include:
- A natural forward-facing riding position to enhance stability and comfort.
- An ultra-portable Pure Flex model designed for city living, easily fitting into car trunks, public transport spaces, or small home storage areas.
Further solidifying its reputation, Pure Electric has also partnered with McLaren, the legendary motorsport and supercar brand, to create the Pure X McLaren 2024 collection. The collaboration blends Pure’s cutting-edge e-scooter technology with McLaren Automotive’s precision engineering and expertise in hybrid power.
News
Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon
Foreign visitors will be the first users to benefit, but whether Syria’s own banks and cardholders follow is still an open question.
Visa is returning to Syria. Its first live international card transaction in the country was a test rather than a launch, and the milestone event ran through a Lebanese bank.
The acquirer (the bank on the merchant’s side of a card payment) was Fransabank Lebanon, with Paymera as the other named partner. Nadim Moujaes, who heads a Fransabank Group subsidiary, describes the test as both the culmination of “longstanding efforts to link Syria back to international payment networks” and “the first step in a larger path”.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa makes the first electronic payment in Syria using a @Visa card at a store in Damascus, following the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. pic.twitter.com/lpAN7nQ6Fc
— Tech Magazine (@TechMGZN) August 27, 2026
“We are excited to have successfully tested live transactions today as we plan to enable international visitors to use their Visa cards while in Syria,” says Leila Serhan, Visa’s senior vice president and group country manager for the North Africa, Levant and Pakistan region. Although a significant first step, that plan doesn’t come with a hard date for when a visitor’s card will work normally.
Mohammed Safwat Raslan, governor of the Central Bank of Syria, says the test paves the way for international card acceptance in Syria and that maintaining strong compliance, risk management and operational controls will remain essential. Serhan likewise stresses that Visa has worked within applicable legal, regulatory and compliance requirements. For a test transaction, it seems there was a great deal of attention paid to the rules, with the entire operation being carefully managed.
Also Read: Lebanon’s 5G Era Begins With 150 Stations And A $1M Budget
The test is the latest step in a sequence that began in December 2025, when Visa announced a strategic roadmap to support Syria’s integration into the global digital economy. In February 2026 it hosted its first industry gathering of banks, ecosystem partners and policymakers in Damascus and, the same month, signed an agreement with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in San Francisco.
Michel Kattouah, Paymera’s CEO, called the test “the return of international card acceptance,” but while that’s positive news, there’s no word yet on when a Syrian bank will issue a Visa card to a Syrian customer.
Visa’s Return To Syria Starts With A Test And A Bank In Lebanon
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