News

Tesla Brings Cybertruck To Qatar In Latest Regional Push

The move comes after slowing demand in the U.S. and China, and the Gulf states continued push to roll out broader decarbonization plans.

Published

1 year ago

October 6, 2025

Joanna Melki

Tesla

Qatar joins Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the first markets outside North America to get the angular, futuristic pickup. Orders are open through Tesla’s website, with local Supercharger points, pop-up showrooms, and service centers set to support early buyers.

Deliveries are due in March 2026. Prices start at QAR 384,990 (about $105,750) for the All-Wheel Drive model and QAR 434,990 (about $119,000) for the higher-performance Cyberbeast.

The move comes as Tesla looks beyond slowing demand in the U.S. and China. Gulf states are building out charging networks and courting global EV brands as part of broader decarbonization plans. “The Middle East is becoming a critical test bed for premium electric mobility,” said one regional analyst.

Tesla’s regional buildup has been steady. The Cybertruck launch in Saudi Arabia earlier this year also marked a quiet reset with the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund after years of strained ties. The company has since expanded its Supercharger coverage across Riyadh, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, giving the region one of Tesla’s densest charging networks outside Europe.

Also Read: Abu Dhabi Sets 2027 Target For AI-Run Government

Globally, Tesla has built more than 46,000 Cybertruck vehicles since late 2023. The company posted record deliveries in Q3 2025, largely driven by U.S. buyers racing to secure vehicles before the federal EV tax credit expired in September. Analysts expect overseas demand to help offset a likely dip in U.S. sales as that incentive winds down and competition from BYD, Zeekr, and Lucid intensifies.

For the Gulf, Qatar’s addition strengthens Tesla’s hold in a region intent on electrifying transport under Vision 2030 and similar national drives. With governments investing in battery assembly and EV workforce training, the Cybertruck’s arrival signals a tougher, more competitive phase for the Middle East’s high-end EV market.

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.