The Three Days That Redefined Payments in MENA
For three days in Riyadh, MENA took center stage in global fintech. Tap Payments introduced tapOS, announced key partnerships, and helped set the direction for the region’s payment future.
Money20/20 Middle East may have ended, but its energy is still felt across the region. For three days, MENA became the heartbeat of global fintech. Leaders, innovators, and merchants came together to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and set new directions for payments.
Money20/20 Middle East
For Tap Payments, those three days marked a new chapter. We unveiled tapOS, designed to power the region’s next generation of business payments. We joined the key conversations shaping fintech’s future and built partnerships that will help every merchant in MENA move forward.
This is how those three days redefined the road ahead.
All Eyes on tapOS
Money20/20 Middle East was the ideal stage to introduce tapOS, the business control center for payments built in MENA for MENA.
tapOS brings every part of business payments together in one place. Billing, acceptance, wallets, and payouts, all connected. No more juggling dashboards or switching between tabs. Teams can now work from a single workspace with real time visibility across every transaction.
At our booth, visitors saw it in action. Live demos showed how everything connects, how it simplifies operations, and how it helps businesses grow. It was more than a product showcase, it was a glimpse of how payments in MENA are evolving.
For us, tapOS captures our vision for the region’s payment future, a world where businesses move faster, every tool works together, and payments power growth instead of slowing it down.
Our Leaders on Stage
Our leadership joined three key sessions that sparked new conversations on AI, retail, and the next phase of fintech in MENA.
Sync or Spy? AI + Open Banking
Ahmad Alwazzan, EVP at Tap Payments, joined Lean Technologies and Paytm Middle East to explore a key question, can AI and open banking truly give customers more control, or do they risk turning consent into profiling?
Retail 4.0: Intelligence, Access, and the New Loyalty
Ali Abulhasan, our Co-Founder and CEO, shared how AI and embedded payments are rewriting retail. They discussed how loyalty is no longer about points. It’s about relevance, access, and trust.
Fintech Magnetism: Why Launch in the Middle East
Ali returned to the stage with leaders from Qlub, Global Ventures, and JISR to show why the Middle East is fast becoming fintech’s next launchpad, driven by young talent, forward-looking regulation, and bold ambition.
Partnerships That Move MENA Forward
Money20/20 Middle East was more than meetings, it was momentum. We announced new partnerships that expand what’s possible for merchants across the region.
Samsung Pay
Our biggest announcement came with Samsung Pay. This partnership allows merchants in Saudi Arabia and across MENA to accept Samsung Pay, giving customers a faster way to pay and businesses a stronger way to grow.
Other Key Partnerships
- MBC Group: The Middle East Broadcasting Center, a powerhouse of media and entertainment leading the region’s digital transformation journey.
- Lean Technologies: A leading fintech company driving open banking across MENA, helping businesses access and use financial data securely and intelligently.
- Ottu Payment Solutions: A Kuwait-based pioneer in payment orchestration, empowering merchants with smarter, more flexible control over every transaction.
- Shory.com: One of Saudi Arabia’s most trusted digital insurance platforms, making it easier for individuals and businesses to compare, buy, and manage policies online.
- Techrar: An innovative eCommerce platform from Saudi Arabia that enables merchants to launch and scale subscription-based and recurring revenue models with confidence.
- Abdul Latif Jameel Insurance: Part of the Abdul Latif Jameel Group, advancing digital insurance in Saudi Arabia through secure, accessible, and customer-focused services.
- Spare Fintech: A regional leader in open finance and banking-as-a-service solutions, strengthening financial connectivity and innovation across MENA.
- Ammant by Almamoon: A rising insurance provider helping individuals and enterprises manage their policies and payments with simplicity and trust.
Each partnership adds a new layer to the ecosystem. Together, they make payments simpler, faster, and more connected.
Looking Ahead
Money20/20 Middle East was more than an event. It was a glimpse into what’s next for fintech in our region.
With tapOS, bold partnerships, and a clear vision, Tap Payments is helping shape the next era of digital commerce.
