News

Sarwa’s New Cash Accounts Boost Growth By 250% In 3 Months

Despite some financial institutions suffering during the economic downturn, Sarwa’s reliability and trustworthiness seem to be paying dividends.

Published

3 years ago

April 5, 2023

Nour Nasir

Sarwa

Sarwa, the personal finance and investment platform, recently launched a new high-yield cash account known as Sarwa Save. Despite the gloomy worldwide economic outlook of late, the new service has been a roaring success, with monthly deposits growing by 250% in just three months.

Sarwa users are increasingly prioritizing short-term savings with generous interest levels, as historically high inflation and aggressive Federal Reserve policies have led to challenging investment conditions.

“We are thrilled to see the rapid adoption of Sarwa Save, which reflects the growing demand for secure high-yield, low-risk products. Sarwa’s customers recognize the value in the offering and trust it with their hard-earned money. This trust has played a pivotal role in the impressive growth. Sarwa Save is a testament to the company’s commitment to providing innovative financial solutions and empowering clients to navigate the evolving economic landscape confidently,” says Shane Shin, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Shorooq Ventures.

Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East

In the UAE, most savings accounts offer low to zero interest, while Sarwa Save delivers a rate of 3% — nearly four times the average amount. As well as tempting short-term yields, the new accounts have no monthly or low-balance fees. When combined with hassle-free account setup, Sarwa’s platform makes for an appealing choice compared to traditional banks, especially as the startup offers a special, Sharia-compliant option known as Sarwa Save Halal.

Disclaimer: Sarwa Save is a product offered through Sarwa Digital Wealth (Capital) Limited that is regulated by the FSRA in the ADGM. This offering is not regulated by the DFSA. Sarwa is not a bank. We can unlock high-yield accounts through our banking partners.

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.

Published

6 days ago

August 27, 2026

Dana Saadeh

visa's return to syria starts with a test and a bank in lebanon

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.