Checkout.com, a leading global digital payments company, today announced its intention to expand its card issuing capabilities in the UAE, marking a first-of-its-kind investment by a global digital payment service provider in the region.
Checkout.com aims to roll out domestic card issuance in the region in 2026, pending regulatory approval. This will enable businesses to launch branded cards, whether physical or virtual, power customer rewards, streamline expenses, and simplify business-to-business payouts. Issuing will also help businesses extend the value they offer to consumers, bringing greater control of complex financial money flows.
Speaking at Thrive Abu Dhabi, Checkout.com’s first conference in the UAE, CEO and Founder Guillaume Pousaz unveiled the upcoming launch alongside MENA General Manager, Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo. The keynote, delivered to over 150 merchants and partners on Saadiyat Island earlier today, also welcomed H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
“As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy,” comments Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, MENA General Manager at Checkout.com. “The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it.”
Headout, a leading marketplace for experiential travel, recently appointed Checkout.com as its primary acquiring partner and launched card issuing for its European entities. The company has already expressed interest in expanding its domestic issuing capabilities across MENA when Checkout.com’s application is approved.
Checkout.com was the first global payment service provider to obtain a Retail Payment Services license from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and to bring Mada and Apple Pay to merchants across the UAE and KSA. The highly anticipated launch of issuing marks another milestone in Checkout.com’s MENA expansion.
Most recently, the company launched Flow Remember Me, a product that lets shoppers save their card details once and then be immediately available for use across Checkout.com’s global network. Currently in beta with local merchants, early adopters are benefiting from reducing checkout time by up to 70%.
In February, the company became the first to launch Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, supporting domestic and cross-border payouts. Checkout.com’s longstanding relationship with Mastercard also grew in 2025 to enable merchants to send funds directly to third-party cards in a fast, convenient, and secure way.
“With bold moves like Saudi’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda, MENA is fast becoming a global standard for digital transformation,”adds Abbondandolo.
“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.”
