Saudi fintech PayTabs Group has agreed to acquire Amazon Payment Services’ Middle East and North Africa payments operations in a transaction valued at more than $100 million, according to people familiar with the agreement cited by CNN Economics.

The transaction, which the sources said has been approved by both parties, would significantly expand PayTabs’ footprint across the region and bring Amazon’s regional payments business into the Saudi-born company’s infrastructure.

Following the integration, the combined operation is expected to process more than SAR 150 billion ($40 billion) in transactions annually, giving PayTabs considerably greater scale in a MENA payments market that remains fragmented across countries, banking systems and regulatory frameworks.

The acquisition would also represent a significant consolidation move in the region’s fintech sector, bringing together payment processing, automated transaction switching and payouts within PayTabs’ broader infrastructure.

PayTabs Makes a Major Consolidation Move in MENA Payments

PayTabs has spent years building payment infrastructure across the region, including banking connectivity, regulatory licences and technology designed to help merchants accept and manage digital payments.

Acquiring Amazon Payment Services’ regional operations would substantially accelerate that strategy.

Rather than expanding solely through organic growth and individual market entries, PayTabs would absorb an established payments operation with existing merchant relationships and infrastructure across the Middle East and North Africa.

People familiar with the transaction said the deal is valued at more than $100 million, although an exact purchase price and detailed transaction structure have not been disclosed.

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The combined platform is expected to provide end-to-end payment infrastructure spanning transaction processing, automated switching and payouts, potentially allowing businesses to manage more of their payment operations through a single provider.

For PayTabs, the strategic value therefore extends beyond simply adding transaction volume. The acquisition could strengthen its ability to serve merchants operating across multiple MENA markets, where payment methods, banking connections and regulatory requirements can differ considerably from one country to another.

Combined Business Expected to Process More Than SAR 150B Annually

Scale is one of the most significant elements of the transaction.

The combined operation is expected to process more than SAR 150 billion annually, equivalent to roughly $40 billion, if the acquisition is completed under the current agreement.

That transaction volume would give PayTabs a substantially larger position in the regional payments infrastructure market and could create efficiencies across processing, merchant onboarding, compliance and banking connectivity.

Continuity is expected to be a priority during the integration process, with the companies seeking to minimise disruption to existing operations.

The combined infrastructure is also expected to support faster merchant onboarding and stronger local regulatory compliance, an increasingly important capability as governments and central banks across the region develop more sophisticated frameworks for digital payments and fintech companies.

Integrating the businesses will nevertheless be a critical part of the transaction. Payments infrastructure is deeply connected to merchants, banks and financial institutions, making operational continuity particularly important during any transfer of ownership.

From Payment Frustration to Regional Infrastructure: How Abdulaziz Al Jouf Built PayTabs Into a MENA Fintech Leader

From Saudi Startup to Regional Payments Infrastructure Player

The deal would mark an important step in PayTabs’ evolution from a Saudi-founded fintech into a larger regional payments infrastructure company.

The company has built its business around connecting merchants with payment networks and financial institutions while expanding its regulatory presence across different markets. It has also invested in AI-driven payment technologies and infrastructure capable of managing multiple stages of the transaction process.

The Amazon Payment Services acquisition would bring those investments into a considerably larger operation.

It also comes as payment providers across MENA increasingly compete on infrastructure depth rather than simply providing online checkout services. Merchants operating regionally need payment companies capable of handling local banking relationships, different payment methods, settlement, payouts and country-specific compliance requirements.

Owning more of that infrastructure can improve both economics and control over the payment experience, particularly as transaction volumes increase.

$100M+ Deal Could Reshape MENA’s Payments Market

The acquisition arrives during continued growth in digital commerce and financial technology across the Middle East and North Africa.

While digital payment adoption has expanded, MENA remains a collection of distinct markets with different regulators, banks, currencies and consumer payment preferences. That fragmentation creates complexity but also makes regional infrastructure providers strategically valuable.

By combining Amazon Payment Services’ MENA operations with its existing network, PayTabs would gain additional scale while consolidating several payment functions within a single regional platform.

The transaction is particularly notable because it would see a Saudi-born fintech acquire the regional payments operations of one of the world’s largest technology companies, signalling how far some homegrown MENA financial technology companies have progressed from local startups into regional infrastructure players.

With a deal value exceeding $100 million and combined annual payment volumes projected above SAR 150 billion, the acquisition could become one of the more consequential fintech transactions in the region, strengthening PayTabs’ position as consolidation accelerates across MENA’s digital payments industry.

Saudi corporate travel technology platform FlyAkeed has secured $25.15 million in growth financing, combining an equity investment with Shariah-compliant Murabaha sukuk funding.

The company announced the transaction at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh. Sanabil Investments, an investment company wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, led the equity portion.

Artal Capital, stc Group’s corporate venture capital arm tali ventures, and Aljazira Capital also participated in the equity financing. Artal Capital separately led the Murabaha sukuk component, giving FlyAkeed a blended capital structure for its next phase of growth.

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Centralising Corporate Travel Management

Founded in 2015 by Bassam Almohammadi and headquartered in Riyadh, FlyAkeed provides a platform that brings corporate travel bookings, approvals, policies and spending into a single system.

Employees can use the platform to book flights, hotels and ground transportation within the rules set by their employers. Businesses can automate approval workflows, monitor travel expenditure and manage company policies through a central dashboard.

FlyAkeed currently serves more than 150 corporate customers across Saudi Arabia. Its client base includes the Public Investment Fund, Maaden, Golf Saudi and the National Housing Company.

The platform targets businesses that still coordinate travel through fragmented channels, including phone calls, messaging groups and spreadsheets. By consolidating these processes, FlyAkeed aims to give companies clearer oversight of each trip and reduce the time required to approve employee travel.

Almohammadi said the company is replacing manual corporate travel processes with an operating system that keeps bookings within policy, makes expenditure visible in real time and completes approvals within seconds.

Adding Flexible Payment Terms

FlyAkeed will direct most of the new financing towards launching and expanding an embedded deferred-payment product for large enterprises.

The offering will allow corporate customers to settle travel invoices under more flexible terms, addressing a financial requirement that booking and expense-management software alone does not solve.

Large companies may incur substantial travel costs across multiple departments and employees, creating a need to coordinate both the operational and financial sides of each trip. Integrating deferred payments into the platform could allow FlyAkeed to manage that process without requiring customers to arrange separate financing.

Almohammadi said enterprise customers want more than improved software; they also need payment terms that better suit their operations. FlyAkeed intends to provide both through the expanded platform.

The combination of equity and Murabaha sukuk financing gives the company capital for product development while aligning part of its funding structure with Shariah-compliant financial principles.

Targeting Saudi Arabia’s Corporate Travel Market

FlyAkeed is expanding as corporate travel spending in Saudi Arabia grows. According to figures cited by the company, business travel expenditure exceeded $10 billion in 2024 and could roughly double by 2033.

That growth creates an opportunity for platforms capable of managing bookings, compliance, approvals and payments at enterprise scale. It also raises expectations around visibility and financial control as companies handle larger and more complex travel programmes.

The latest funding positions FlyAkeed to deepen its role beyond travel booking and become a broader operational and financial layer for corporate mobility. Its ability to integrate flexible payments without complicating existing workflows will be central to that strategy.

Saudi e-commerce platform Salla has acquired local fintech company Paylink as part of a push to expand its payment and financial services for merchants. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction.

The acquisition will combine Salla’s commerce platform with Paylink’s regulated payment infrastructure, allowing the company to develop tools for accepting and managing transactions across digital stores and physical sales channels.

Salla also plans to expand into point-of-sale payments, including SoftPOS technology, while using Paylink’s capabilities to support international transactions, multiple currencies and different payment methods.

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Bringing Payments Into Salla’s Commerce Ecosystem

Salla provides technology that allows merchants to build and operate e-commerce businesses. The acquisition represents an effort to extend its role beyond digital storefronts and operational tools into the financial services underpinning merchant transactions.

By integrating payment acceptance and management into its wider platform, Salla aims to reduce the number of separate providers that businesses need to manage as they grow.

The combined system will cover online commerce as well as payments completed through physical sales channels. Its planned SoftPOS capabilities would allow compatible devices to function as payment terminals, giving merchants more flexibility to accept transactions wherever sales take place.

For Salla, the strategy is to create an ecosystem that follows merchants through different stages of growth, from launching an online store to managing payments across multiple channels and markets.

Paylink Adds Regulatory and Technical Infrastructure

Founded in 2017 by Ammar AlTwaijri and Abdulelah Alsayegh, Paylink develops electronic payment solutions for companies and merchants in Saudi Arabia.

The fintech holds the “Saudi Tech” label and is licensed by the Saudi Central Bank to provide e-commerce payment services. It has built specialised payment infrastructure serving businesses across the Kingdom.

That combination of technology and regulatory experience gives Salla a foundation for developing financial products around its existing merchant base. Salla said the transaction brings together its understanding of commerce and the needs of tens of thousands of merchants with Paylink’s expertise in payments.

The acquisition also gives Salla greater control over the payment layer within its ecosystem. This could help the company build products more closely aligned with merchant workflows instead of relying entirely on externally provided payment systems.

Supporting International Sales

Paylink’s infrastructure supports cross-border transactions, multiple currencies and different payment methods. Salla plans to use those capabilities to help Saudi merchants sell to customers beyond the domestic market.

International payment acceptance can create operational complexity for growing brands, particularly when customers expect local payment options or transact in different currencies. Integrating those functions into Salla’s platform could make regional and global expansion more accessible for its merchants.

The company expects the acquisition to support Saudi brands as they enter new markets and reach customers outside the Kingdom.

A Broader Financial Services Strategy

Salla founder and CEO Nawaf Hariri said the company has sought from the outset to help merchants build and expand their businesses through an integrated platform that reduces complexity.

He described financial services as a natural extension of that strategy, adding that Paylink brings capabilities and expertise that will help Salla develop more connected payment products. The objective is to let merchants accept payments wherever their customers are, whether online or at physical points of sale, inside Saudi Arabia or internationally.

The deal moves Salla closer to becoming a combined commerce and financial technology platform. Its next phase will centre on integrating Paylink’s infrastructure while developing payment products that can support merchants across channels and geographies.