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Yango Unveils Yango Play For GCC Region
The AI-powered entertainment super app features movies, TV series, music, and mini-games.
Entertainment company Yango has introduced Yango Play for the GCC region. The innovative entertainment service uses artificial intelligence and boasts a wide array of entertainment, including exclusive premieres of Arabic and international movies and series, personalized music streaming, and interactive mini-games.
The service is now accessible in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, plus other GCC nations, offering cross-platform compatibility for smartphones and TVs.
The Yango super app prioritizes authentic content, supporting regional production studios and artists. By serving as a platform for local talent and offering original content that resonates with cultural identity, Yango Play contributes to the diversification of the regional entertainment landscape.
Multilingual AI Companion
Integrated into Yango Play, Yasmina is a bilingual AI assistant proficient in Arabic and English. Fluent in Khaleeji and capable of understanding various Arabic dialects, Yasmina recommends music, engages in conversation, and provides information on a wide range of topics, enriching the user experience.
Customized Endless Music Streaming
Central to Yango Play’s offerings is an AI-powered music streaming service that creates personalized playlists based on user preferences, highlighting regional favorites. This ensures a unique and tailored experience for each user, with evolving recommendation technology adapting to individual tastes and cultural nuances.
Roman Shimansky, Yango Play’s MENA Region Business Director, expressed the company’s dedication to providing an enjoyable entertainment experience: “Whether by curating uplifting music for your drive, engaging shows for family time, or quick games for a brief pause in your day. We are deeply committed to enhancing these experiences through our original content and strategic collaborations with regional creatives, ensuring that each choice on our platform is a step towards discovering vibrant new emotions”.
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Featuring titles like the acclaimed Arabic blockbuster “Mr. Ex” and the sequel to the beloved classic “Awlad Harim Kareem”, Yango Play will continue to expand its catalog with top-tier acquired and original content. New users enjoy a 60-day free subscription, with a subsequent paid plan available at 29.99 AED per month for multiple devices in the UAE.
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Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
The payment service provider’s expansion is a first-of-its-kind investment and could reshape digital transactions across the region.
Checkout.com is laying the groundwork to become the first global payments platform to introduce card issuing in the United Arab Emirates — a move that could reshape how businesses in the region manage financial transactions.
The company plans to roll out its domestic card issuance offering in the UAE by 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The launch would give businesses the tools to issue both physical and virtual branded cards. This, in turn, opens up new ways to reward customers, streamline expense processes, and handle B2B payouts efficiently.
Checkout.com’s CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz, revealed the plans during Thrive Abu Dhabi, the firm’s debut conference in the Emirates. Joined on stage by Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA, Pousaz presented to an audience of over 150 partners and merchants at Saadiyat Island. Also in attendance was H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
Abbondandolo highlighted the strategic importance of the announcement: “As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy. The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it”.
One early adopter of Checkout.com’s UAE acquiring services is Headout, a travel experiences marketplace, which recently named the payment provider as its main partner in Europe. The company has already begun card issuing there and is keen to expand that offering into MENA once approval is granted.
The expansion of services in the UAE and beyond builds on Checkout.com’s track record in the region. It was the first global payments firm to secure a Retail Payment Services license from the UAE’s Central Bank and was instrumental in rolling out Mada and Apple Pay in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
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The firm has also been rolling out new products: One of the latest is Flow Remember Me, currently in beta testing. It allows shoppers to store their card information once and access it across Checkout.com’s entire network, potentially cutting checkout times by up to 70%.
Earlier this year, Checkout.com also introduced Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, enabling both domestic and international payouts. Its collaboration with Mastercard has grown as well, making it easier for businesses to send funds directly to third-party cards securely and quickly.
With regional tech ambitions on the rise — spurred by initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda — Checkout.com sees its role as one of a key enabler. “Our mission is to help ambitious businesses navigate the complexity of payments, so they can move faster, go further, and make the most of every opportunity,” said Abbondandolo. “In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive”.
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