News

Young Arabs Are Embracing The Fintech Revolution

Working hard and aiming for high-paying jobs no longer leads to financial security, let alone the ability to retire early.

Published

4 years ago

December 19, 2021

David Morelo

young arabs are embracing the fintech revolution

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Between government-sponsored pensions and cultural norms, older generations of Arabs living in the MENA region were never too concerned with how to invest and save money.

For them, simply working hard was enough to enjoy the financial stability necessary to focus on creating families and living well-rounded, fulfilling lives. Young Arabs on the other hand, appear to be living in a completely different world. One that is in many ways far more difficult than the world their parents grew up in.

Working hard and aiming for high-paying jobs no longer leads to financial security, let alone the ability to retire early.

“It’s not just about retiring; it’s about living better, having dreams, having time to breathe and reflect,” said Mayar Akrameh, 29-year-old management consultant, in an interview for AFP. “We’re taught that if you’re working and making enough money, even if you hate your job, you’re good. Or they think we’re good”.

To improve their financial outlook, increasingly many young Arabs are turning to various UAE-based finance platforms that educate users and simplify investing, making the daunting process more accessible.

The pandemic has accelerated the growth of the fintech industry in the MENA region even more. It’s estimated that 465 fintech firms in the UAE alone will generate about $2 billion in investment capital by 2022, up from $80 million raised in 2017.

Also Read: Dubai Establishes $272 Million Future District Fund To Attract Tech Companies

These new financial players fill the massive gap in the region’s investment landscape, which still focuses largely on high-net-worth individuals. “If someone wanted to invest $1,000 or $10,000, there was not much available” said Haitham Juma, an investment solutions manager at the UAE-based National Bank of Fujairah.

Hopefully, the blossoming fintech industry will give young Arabs the options they need to secure the stable and prosperous financial future they dream of.

News

Stake Powers Instant Payouts With Checkout.com Pay To Card

The new feature lets investors in the UAE, KSA, and UK receive real estate returns in minutes — cutting withdrawal times to under 10 minutes.

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2025

Nour Nasir

stake powers instant payouts with checkout.com pay to card

Stake, a leading digital real estate investment platform, has unveiled Pay to Card, a next-generation withdrawal feature built on Checkout.com’s global payment infrastructure. The integration enables investors to have dividends and returns credited directly to their bank cards — often within minutes — dramatically reducing the traditional multi-day payout process.

After a successful pilot in May involving over 200 users, some investors reported receiving their funds in under 10 minutes. Ricardo Brizido, CPTO and Co-Founder of Stake, emphasized the importance of speed and reliability: “With Pay to Card, we’re eliminating unnecessary delays and putting returns in our investors’ hands almost instantly. This feature was built to directly solve one of the most common pain points in real estate investing, and it’s already driving strong results”.

The feature launch coincides with rapid growth in real-time finance across the Middle East. Checkout.com’s “State of Digital Commerce in MENA 2025” report highlights a 388% year-on-year surge in Account Funding Transactions (AFTs) in the UAE, reflecting strong demand for immediate payout solutions. The same study recorded a 176% increase in total processing volume from 2023 to 2024 and noted that daily online transactions have jumped 320% since 2020.

Since its 2021 debut, Stake has facilitated over AED 1 billion in property transactions, advancing its mission to democratize real estate investment in high-growth markets. By integrating Pay to Card, Stake reinforces its commitment to customer-centric innovation and operational transparency.

Also Read: Binance Enters Syrian Market As Sanctions Lifted

Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA at Checkout.com, praised the collaboration: “Stake has always led with customer-first financial experiences. Together, we’re meeting the expectations of a region that is no longer just digital-first, but real-time-first. Pay to Card exemplifies how modern payment infrastructure can directly solve investor pain points”.

Pay to Card is now available to all Stake users in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. By slashing withdrawal times from days to minutes, Stake and Checkout.com are setting a new standard for seamless, on-demand real estate investing.