Insights
Analysis for payments practitioners
Analysis of payments regulation, infrastructure and strategy across the GCC, MENA and Europe, written by people who work in the industry.
Tokenisation · GCC
Network Tokenisation: What GCC Issuers and Merchants Must Do Now NEW
MENA network tokenisation volumes surged 345% year on year. This briefing covers the live Mastercard CoF mandates, Visa SAMA certification, and the deadlines every GCC issuer and merchant must meet.
ISO 20022 · GCC
ISO 20022 SR2026 Deadline Shock: What GCC Banks Must Do NEW
Swift has deferred the SR2026 payments changes, including structured addresses. What GCC banks should do with the extra time.
VRP · GCC
UK Commercial VRPs Are Live: What GCC Payments Teams Must Know NEW
The UK launched its first new payment scheme since 2008 on 2 June 2026. With SAMA targeting a VRP rollout in Q3 2026, GCC teams must understand the model now.
BNPL · GCC
BNPL Regulation in the GCC: SAMA, CBUAE and QCB Compared
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar all license BNPL providers, but their rules on credit limits, tenor, fees and credit checks differ. What payment firms and merchants need to know.
Card Fees · UK / Europe
Card Scheme Fees Under Pressure: The UK Regulator's Intervention
The PSR found Visa and Mastercard fees up at least 25% in real terms since 2017. New governance rules, the cross-border interchange cap and what they mean for acquirers and GCC groups.
Open Banking · GCC
Open Banking Goes Live in the GCC: From Sandbox to Scale
Saudi Arabia issued its first open banking licence in March 2026 and the UAE is rolling out open finance through AlTareq. What banks, PSPs and fintechs need to do now.
Stablecoins · GCC / Global
Stablecoins as Payment Instruments: GCC and Global Regulation
The UAE, the US, the EU and Hong Kong now regulate stablecoins as payment instruments. Where Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain stand, and what GCC payment firms should do.
Infrastructure · GCC
GCC Instant Payments: SARIE, Aani, Fawran and What Comes Next
Every major GCC market now runs an instant payment system. The fraud, AML and liquidity problems that irrevocable payments create, and the controls that work.
Regulation · Qatar
Qatar Payments Regulation: The QCB Framework and What Comes Next
QCB's 2021 Payment Services Regulations, Qatar's national payment infrastructure, direct PSP access to QA-RTGS, open banking and AML obligations for payment firms.
Cross-Border · GCC
GCC Remittance Corridors: Economics, Compliance and Digital Change
Saudi Arabia and the UAE each send close to $40 billion a year. Corridor economics, pressure on exchange houses, the FATF Travel Rule and licensing for cross-border firms.
AML & KYC · Europe / GCC
AML, KYC and PEP Screening: What Payment Institutions Must Do Now
AMLA and the EU single rulebook from July 2027, perpetual KYC, PEP and sanctions screening, and how AI is changing both detection and attack.
Fraud · UK / GCC
APP Fraud, Synthetic Identity and the New Fraud Liability Landscape
How the UK's APP fraud reimbursement rules work, why synthetic identities and deepfakes are beating onboarding checks, and the fraud picture in the GCC.
AI & Payments · Global
AI in Payments: Fraud Detection, Credit Scoring and the EU AI Act
Where AI is used in payments, how criminals are using the same tools, and what the EU AI Act requires from December 2027.
Agentic Commerce · Global
Agentic Commerce: What Payment Processors Need to Know
Visa, Mastercard, Google and Stripe are building payments for AI agents. What it means for authorisation, fraud models and liability.
AI & Regulation · Europe
The EU AI Act: Compliance Obligations for Payments and Credit Firms
High-risk obligations now apply from 2 December 2027. Which payment and credit systems are in scope, which are excluded, and what conformity assessment requires.
Regulation · Europe
PSD3 and the PSR: What Changes and What Stays the Same
The EU's new payment rules are expected to apply from 2028. What changes from PSD2 on fraud, open banking and licensing, and what to do now.
Infrastructure · Global
Tokenised Settlement: From Experiment to Production
Central bank work on settling tokenised assets is moving towards live infrastructure. What the ECB's plans and mBridge mean for payment service providers.
Infrastructure · Europe / GCC
A2A Payments at the Point of Sale: Where the Economics Work
Account-to-account payments have been predicted to replace cards for a decade. Where they are winning, where cards keep their advantages, and the GCC picture.
Strategy · GCC
B2B Payments: Where Technology Is Cutting Costs
Open banking account checks, virtual accounts and instant transfers are reducing the cost of B2B payments in the GCC. Where each works and where it does not.
Card Issuing · GCC
Card Issuing in 2026: Instant Issuance, Tokenisation and the Modern Issuer
Network tokenisation, instant issuance and cloud-native processing are changing card issuing. What it means for established and new issuers in the GCC.
Digital Currency · Europe
The Digital Euro: A Practical Guide for Payment Service Providers
The digital euro regulation passed the European Parliament's economic committee in June 2026. Distribution through PSPs, holding limits and what to prepare.