Checkout.com has become the first digital payment service provider to apply for a card issuing licence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The licence would allow the company to roll out domestic cards in the region, eyeing a launch date of 2026 if approved.
Checkout.com has highlighted that once the licence is granted, businesses would be able to launch branded virtual and physical cards, incentivising the addition of customer rewards, streamline B2B payouts and simplify expenses.
Guillaume Pousaz, Founder and CEO of Checkout.com and Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, MENA General Manager at Checkout.com, announced the plans at a recent conference in the UAE.
Abbondandolo noted that this announcement is “proof” of the company’s commitment to the MENA region, adding that the region’s influence on the digital economy is continuously rising.
He said: “The appetite for innovation [in the UAE] is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it.”
The MENA region is fast becoming a leading hub for digital payments, with initiatives such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda driving this transformation.
This growth has led to growing investment, with SC Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of UK multinational bank Standard Chartered, upping its activity across the region in February.
However, Checkout.com has also played a key role in this regional growth. The company became the first to launch Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE earlier this year.
Additionally, it was the first global payment service provider to obtain a Retail Payment Services licence from the Central Bank of the UAE, bringing Apple Pay to the nation’s merchants.
Abbondandolo concluded: “At Checkout.com, we’re here to support that momentum. 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.
“In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive.”
