The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region solidified its position in 2025 as a global hub for financial services innovation, driven by ambitious government initiatives and the acceleration of digital payments infrastructure. The UAE, in particular, is deemed to be on the verge of a digitisation “inflection point,” according to Islam Shawky, co-founder and CEO of payments provider Paymob. For Paymob, interacting with Aani, the UAE’s instant payment platform, overcomes the primary disadvantage digital payments have compared to cash. FF25 also saw the successful pilot of a Google Cloud infrastructure for payments involving leading Bahraini banks and BENEFIT, enabling instant digital transactions. This concentration of investment and regulatory focus positions the MENA region to lead the global charge in payments and financial infrastructure throughout 2026.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 26, 2025 10:34 UTC