Whitepaper

The Future of Payments in MENA

Navigating Fintech Landscape and Technological Innovation with Gaurav Sachddeva

This whitepaper was created with Gaurav Sachddeva, Co-Chair of the MENA Fintech Association and former Head of Acceptance and Gateway Solutions at Mastercard MENA East. It explains what’s driving the region’s payments boom and how PSPs can launch and scale there.

You’ll learn:

  • The payments landscape: how the pandemic sped up digital payments, and why MENA is now one of the fastest-developing payment markets
  • Regulation: how GCC markets compare with North Africa, plus regulatory sandboxes, open banking, SAMA’s in-country hosting rules and new digital asset frameworks
  • Banking and consumer behavior: why convenience matters most in the GCC and affordability elsewhere, and how that is fueling BNPL
  • Key trends: Tabby and Tamara, instant payments (Aani, Sarie), super apps, digital-first banks, tokenization and CBDCs
  • The tech behind it: AI-driven fraud detection, blockchain for cross-border payments, multi-cloud setups and single-API platforms
  • PSP challenges: fragmentation, legacy systems, reliance on cash, over-licensing, fraud and rising customer expectations
  • Build vs. lease: real costs ($500K+ to build) and timelines, and when each option fits
  • 3 client stories: how TESS Payments secured its QCB license, DineroPay achieved SAMA certification, and MontyPay expanded across MENA, Africa and Asia

© 2026 Akurateco. All Rights Reserved.

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This whitepaper was created with Gaurav Sachddeva, Co-Chair of the MENA Fintech Association and former Head of Acceptance and Gateway Solutions at Mastercard MENA East. It explains what’s driving the region’s payments boom and how PSPs can launch and scale there.

You’ll learn:

  • The payments landscape: how the pandemic sped up digital payments, and why MENA is now one of the fastest-developing payment markets
  • Regulation: how GCC markets compare with North Africa, plus regulatory sandboxes, open banking, SAMA’s in-country hosting rules and new digital asset frameworks
  • Banking and consumer behavior: why convenience matters most in the GCC and affordability elsewhere, and how that is fueling BNPL
  • Key trends: Tabby and Tamara, instant payments (Aani, Sarie), super apps, digital-first banks, tokenization and CBDCs
  • The tech behind it: AI-driven fraud detection, blockchain for cross-border payments, multi-cloud setups and single-API platforms
  • PSP challenges: fragmentation, legacy systems, reliance on cash, over-licensing, fraud and rising customer expectations
  • Build vs. lease: real costs ($500K+ to build) and timelines, and when each option fits
  • 3 client stories: how TESS Payments secured its QCB license, DineroPay achieved SAMA certification, and MontyPay expanded across MENA, Africa and Asia

© 2026 Akurateco. All Rights Reserved.