Unstoppable Starts Here: brand affinity, bank affinity and why Tabby chose Paymentology verified. Quick summary. In the second clip from Unstoppable Starts Here, filmed at Money20/20 Middle East 2026, Zarik Nabi of Tabby and Jeff Parker, CEO of Paymentology, discuss the neo-banking and SME opportunity in the region, whether young customers now choose brands over banks, why Tabby picked Paymentology to power its next generation of products, and why the next wave of innovation depends on configurable infrastructure rather than the app. Where are the biggest opportunities? Zarik sees two. The first is the neo-banking, single consumer finance platform space, where there is already a lot of action. The second is SMEs, which he says remain underserved by incumbents on capital, account services and basic needs. "There's still a big friction in terms of a small business trying to even open themselves up," he says, calling it an area that needs a lot of development. Will banks still dominate, or sit behind powerful brands? Jeff points to Saudi Arabia's very large young population and argues that young people now have brand affinity rather than bank affinity, with fintechs and even retailers launching financial services. Zarik doesn't think it will be one or the other: both will exist, but it is up to banks to evolve. Tabby's own experience backs the brand argument. Adoption of Tabby Cash, its debit or prepaid product in the UAE, has been fairly quick and significant, because customers who already know Tabby come looking for more products. "It doesn't matter whether you're a bank or you're a fintech platform," he says. If a brand delivers transparency, speed and reliability, "the definition of what you are is then secondary." Why did Tabby choose Paymentology? Tabby is now in both issuing and acquiring, and Zarik says it looks for partners who are better than Tabby, or at least as good. Looking across the landscape, Paymentology stood out for powering card programmes for global players, and for a mindset and technology stack that fit how Tabby works today, making it "only natural that we come together and we build a programme of our own." Jeff says Paymentology has been fortunate to build a business with 400 clients across 70 countries, and that the clients it is most excited to power are larger fintech brands venturing into digital banking with innovative, market-leading experiences. Why does infrastructure matter now? Jeff argues that the last five to ten years of innovation have centred on the front-end experience, largely through the mobile app, but there is only so much you can do there if the infrastructure underneath is not configurable, flexible, scalable and able to run in multiple markets. Paymentology's answer is a single global, cloud-native platform, increasingly using AI to support decision-making, that stays true to its SaaS roots so clients can configure on top of it and keep innovating. Zarik agrees: a lot happens under the hood that provides differentiation customers never see. Ff news take: The brand-versus-bank question is usually framed as a threat to incumbents. Zarik's answer is more practical: once customers trust a brand to be fast, transparent and reliable, they will take more products from it, whatever its licence. That puts the pressure on the processing layer, which is why both men keep coming back to infrastructure. Featured speakers.

Tabby raises $233 million at $6.5 billion valuation. * Fundraising News * 15.09.2026 02:14 pm Tabby has raised $233 million at a $6.5 billion valuation, in an equity round led by Blue Pool Capital, with participation from existing shareholders HSG, Wellington Management and Arbor Ventures. The company has been profitable since 2023 and today processes more than $18 billion in annualised transaction volume across 25 million registered users and 70,000 business partners. The new capital will support the next stage of growth as Tabby expands beyond its buy now, pay later offering into broader financial services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The round includes a liquidity option for employees. Tabby has run share tenders since 2023, and has facilitated more than $100 million in share sales, giving current and former employees the opportunity to realise part of the value they helped create. Over the past year, Tabby has secured licences to expand its financial services to customers and businesses. In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Central Bank has granted Tabby consumer and SME finance licences, allowing it to offer larger and longer-term financing to consumers and working capital to businesses. Tabby also acquired Tweeq, a SAMA-licensed digital wallet, extending its capabilities into accounts, cards and transfers. In the UAE, Tabby secured a Stored Value Facilities licence from the Central Bank of the UAE to launch Tabby Cash, an alternative to a debit account with no account or card fees. Customers earn cashback on card spending and can send money locally and internationally. Hosam Arab, CEO and Co-Founder of Tabby, said: "We began with a button at an online checkout to help people spread costs over time. Everything since, every product and every licence, has come back to the same idea: people deserve more from their money. This round means we can build further on that, without changing how we think about growth or discipline." Christopher Wu, Chief Investment Officer at Blue Pool Capital, said: "Tabby has demonstrated an impressive ability to innovate for their customers, evolving beyond payments to become the trusted platform for millions of people managing, spending and growing their money across the region. We are proud of our partnership with Tabby over the past three years, and we are excited to continue supporting the impressive growth of the company with this financing." The transaction remains subject to applicable regulatory approvals, including approval from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA).

Tabby raises US$233 million to Value BNPL firm at US$6.5 billion. Existing backers HSG, Wellington Management and Arbor Ventures joined the round, extending Tabby's run of steady valuation growth. Get the hottest Fintech Middle East News once a month in your Inbox Tabby, the Saudi Arabia and UAE-based fintech, has raised US$233 million at a US$6.5 billion valuation to expand beyond buy now, pay later into broader financial services. Blue Pool Capital led the round, with existing investors HSG, Wellington Management and Arbor Ventures also taking part. Tabby processes more than US$18 billion in annualised transaction volume. The company has run employee share tenders since 2023, facilitating more than US$100 million in staff share sales. The new round includes a further liquidity option for employees. In Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Central Bank has granted Tabby consumer and SME finance licences, letting it offer larger, longer-term financing to consumers and working capital to businesses. Tabby also acquired Tweeq, a SAMA-licensed digital wallet, adding accounts, cards and transfers to its offering. In the UAE, the Central Bank granted Tabby a Stored Value Facilities licence. The company used it to launch Tabby Cash, an alternative to a debit account with no account or card fees. The product offers cashback on card spending and local and international transfers. "Everything since, every product and every licence, has come back to the same idea: people deserve more from their money. This round means Fintech News can build further on that, without changing how Fintech News think about growth or discipline," said Hosam Arab, CEO and co-founder of Tabby. "Fintech News is proud of its partnership with Tabby over the past three years, and Fintech News is excited to continue supporting the impressive growth of the company with this financing," said Christopher Wu, Chief Investment Officer at Blue Pool Capital. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, including from the Saudi Central Bank. Featured image: Edited by Fintech News UAE, based on image by Who is Danny via Magnific