News

RemotePass Secures $5.5M Series A Funding, Led By 212VC

The company will use the funds to drive market expansion, improve its already award-winning app, and unlock a new phase of product innovation.

Published

2 years ago

March 6, 2024

Nour Nasir

RemotePass

RemotePass, a platform aiding companies in remote workforce management, has acquired $5.5 million in a recent Series A funding round.

The round was spearheaded by 212 VC, with contributors from the US, Europe, and the Middle East, such as Endeavor Catalyst, Oraseya Capital, Khwarizmi Ventures, Flyer One Ventures, Access Bridge Ventures, A15, and Swiss Founders Fund. With the cash injection, RemotePass’s total raised funds now exceed $10 million, adding to previous investments from BECO Capital, Wamda Capital, Plug & Play, and Flat6Labs.

“Witnessing RemotePass’s remarkable product growth and stellar customer service since early 2023 solidified our belief in their visionary team & business model [which] positions them as game-changers in the UAE & KSA, hubs poised for global dominance,” said Ali Hikmet Karabey, Managing Director for lead investor 212 VC.

Established by Kamal Reggad and Karim Nadi, RemotePass caters to various sectors and clients, ranging from startups to major corporations like Spotify, Logitech, and Paymentology. The platform facilitates onboarding, management, and workforce payment in countries where companies lack local legal representation. RemotePass also allows the hiring of full-time employees and contractors across 150+ nations.

“Our platform helps democratize access to global opportunities, leveling the playing field for skilled individuals and enabling them to compete in a global job marketplace. This funding fuels our mission to empower countless lives and help global teams succeed,” explained Kamal Reggad, CEO and Co-Founder of RemotePass.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Freelance Platforms In The Middle East

Amidst the evolving global remote work trend, RemotePass has positioned itself as a leader, notably making significant gains in the MENA region. The platform is accompanied by a comprehensive “super app” delivering financial services and tailored benefits for remote workers, including varied payout options, a USD debit card, and access to premium health insurance.

Initially conceived in 2019 as a SaaS platform for business travel, RemotePass’s founders, being remote work advocates, transitioned to address the challenges of remote team management, particularly in emerging markets. The pivot, catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, enabled substantial growth for the company, with a remarkable 35% month-over-month increase in the first two years, predominantly propelled by client referrals.

News

Samsung And Spotify Offer Free Premium Deal In MENA

Nearly seven in ten streams in the region come from 18-to-34-year-olds — the audience Samsung is hoping to entice into its ecosystem.

Published

12 hours ago

August 7, 2026

Nour Nasir

Samsung

Samsung has announced a partnership with Spotify spanning the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye, bundling Spotify Premium with select devices across its ecosystem. The headline offer — up to four months of Premium for free — is a first for the region.

Customers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Türkiye who buy any OLED or 98-inch television, or any Galaxy S or Z series mobile device, get four months of Spotify Premium. The offer, tiered by market and device, is available at retail and on Samsung.com, and redeemed through the Samsung Promotion and Samsung Members apps.

For Samsung, the strategy is less about free music than about lock-in. The Korean tech giant’s pitch is continuity: a track starts on a Galaxy smartphone through Galaxy Buds on the commute, moves to a Samsung TV and soundbar in the living room, and stays controllable from a Galaxy Watch. The more seamlessly music travels between those devices, the harder it becomes to swap any one of them for a rival’s.

“Technology should bring people closer to the things they love, and few things connect people the way music does,” said Omar Saheb, Regional VP of Marketing and Online Business at Samsung Electronics MENA. The partnership, he added, gives customers “a genuine reason to choose Samsung for the experience, not only the product”.

Also Read: Shokz OpenFit Pro Review: Open-Ear Audio Finally Grows Up

For subscribers, Premium brings the usual package: ad-free listening, offline downloads, richer audio quality on Galaxy Buds and Samsung sound devices, and Jam, which lets friends build a shared queue.

“At Spotify, we are always working to make every listening moment feel more personal, meaningful, and worth it,” said Rami Jamal, Head of Partnerships at Spotify for South Asia, Middle East, and Africa.

The demographics go a long way to explaining the strategy. Across MENA, Türkiye, and Pakistan, nearly seven in ten Spotify streams come from listeners aged 18 to 34, according to the company — precisely the audience Samsung wants inside its hardware ecosystem before buying habits harden.