GCC Startup PayTabs Aims To Go Global With A US$20 Million Raise

By Sindhu Hariharan | Aug 28, 2017
PayTabs

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

MENA-based payment processing startup PayTabs has raised a US$20 million in funds in a Series A round from undisclosed private investors. Starting out of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 2014 and growing their base there, PayTabs subsequently entered Bahrain, and its current fundraising is directed towards further expansion in the MENA region, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and Europe in the next two years. Not just that, the fintech startup also counts product development as a key priority, and seeks to “engage in key strategic acquisitions to further expand our portfolio of products and services.”

As a B2B payment solution provider, PayTabs enables businesses to execute their online payment capabilities, thus empowering small and medium enterprises, and e-commerce ventures in the region. The company believes that its “unique technology and exclusive partnerships with fraud prevention systems” sets them apart from other electronic payment companies in this part of the world.

Explaining PayTabs’ differentiation amid a cluttered MENA fintech market, Abdulaziz F. Al Jouf, founder and CEO, PayTabs says, “When you talk about global scale, we offer 160+ currencies alternative payment methods. We are in the process of building a better checkout flow, which will offer a seamless experience. Security is very critical at PayTabs, hence we have an advanced fraud management system in place, with the highest level of PCI-DSS compliance. Apart from systems, we have a dedicated dispute resolution team along with 24-hour customer support.”

Al Jouf refers to the fundraising process as “fairly long drawn and time consuming,” and says the challenge was to convince investors that a fintech startup operating out of the GCC can not just aspire to be a global player, but also achieve it. “Through the proposed expansion plan, we aim to create over 4000 direct and indirect jobs in the next two years, across the world,” he says.

Related: The New Frontier: The Rise Of Fintech Brings With It New Opportunities

MENA-based payment processing startup PayTabs has raised a US$20 million in funds in a Series A round from undisclosed private investors. Starting out of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 2014 and growing their base there, PayTabs subsequently entered Bahrain, and its current fundraising is directed towards further expansion in the MENA region, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and Europe in the next two years. Not just that, the fintech startup also counts product development as a key priority, and seeks to “engage in key strategic acquisitions to further expand our portfolio of products and services.”

As a B2B payment solution provider, PayTabs enables businesses to execute their online payment capabilities, thus empowering small and medium enterprises, and e-commerce ventures in the region. The company believes that its “unique technology and exclusive partnerships with fraud prevention systems” sets them apart from other electronic payment companies in this part of the world.

Explaining PayTabs’ differentiation amid a cluttered MENA fintech market, Abdulaziz F. Al Jouf, founder and CEO, PayTabs says, “When you talk about global scale, we offer 160+ currencies alternative payment methods. We are in the process of building a better checkout flow, which will offer a seamless experience. Security is very critical at PayTabs, hence we have an advanced fraud management system in place, with the highest level of PCI-DSS compliance. Apart from systems, we have a dedicated dispute resolution team along with 24-hour customer support.”

Sindhu Hariharan

Former Features Editor, Entrepreneur Middle East
Sindhu Hariharan is the Features Editor at Entrepreneur Middle East. She is a financial consultant turned business journalist with a FOMO when it comes to everything technology.

Related Content

Technology

Arabic.AI Collaborates with Stanford University’s Center for Research on Foundation Models to Advance Arabic AI Benchmarking

Arabic.AI, the regional leader in Arabic artificial intelligence and enterprise technology solutions, today announced a collaboration with Stanford University’s Center for Research on Foundation Models (CRFM) to establish the first holistic benchmark for evaluating Arabic large language models (LLMs). The project represents a significant milestone in global AI research and ensures that Arabic receives the […]
Technology

NLPearl’s Vision for Scalable, Human-Centered AI Voice Infrastructure

A growing share of organizations adopting artificial intelligence in their customer service have reported an increase in customer satisfaction percentage, yet tech entrepreneur David Sztern, CEO of NLPearl, believes that few technologies have succeeded in making those interactions feel natural. NLPearl was built to bridge that gap by blending technical innovation with a clear operational […]
Technology

From Master Planning to Autonomous Security Operations: How Mustafa Masri Is Expanding the Boundaries of Security Consultancy in the Gulf

The security industry in the Gulf is taking to the skies. No longer confined to walls and cameras, it now reaches into drones and autonomous systems. Mustafa Masri, founder of DSP Consultants, is shaping how UAVs are applied for medical delivery, agriculture, and security, transforming how developments monitor and manage their environments. Masri brings nearly […]
Technology

“Arabic.AI” to Deliver FREE Arabic Vibe Coding Education Across the Middle East

Arabic.AI today announced full courses that deliver Replit’s complete learning experience in Arabic, bringing the global development platform trusted by millions of builders worldwide to Arabic learners. The collaboration aims to expand access to modern software development education for engineers across the Middle East, ensuring Arabic-speaking talent can learn, build, and grow using world-class tools […]