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Saudi Arabia And UAE Are At The Forefront Of An AI Revolution

The AI market in the MENA region is expected to grow at a rate of 47.8% per year.

Published

4 years ago

April 4, 2023

saudi arabia and uae are at the forefront of an ai revolution

According to the latest reports from Research and Markets, the MENA region is making significant gains in artificial intelligence, with the AI market set to grow from $500 million in 2020 to $8.4 billion by 2026.

The UAE, in particular, shows great promise as a leader in the field of AI, with a projected growth figure of 36.2% bolstered by the government’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, which focuses on attracting talent, funding research & innovation hubs, and developing infrastructure and data ecosystems.

Also Read: ChatGPT Is Accelerating The AI Revolution In The Middle East

With its considerable Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia has also announced a $500 billion funding package for AI and other technologies over the next decade, launching initiatives including the Saudi Arabian Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority and the National Data Management Office.

A recent study by global consultancy firm Proviti Middle East showed that over 80% of CEOs in the region believe that AI will be critical to future business success, with over 70% of companies already investing in the technology.

Related Topics:Artificial Intelligence Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates

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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.

Also Read: In Kuwait, Your Surgeon Might Be Operating From Another Country

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.