The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) has kicked off the development of the pioneering Islamic Finance Knowledge Pavilion Marketplace.

The Pavilion will provide a digital marketplace of validated solution providers (institutions, consultants, and experts) in Islamic finance and economic development, and offer a one-stop shop for listing opportunities and seamless digital experience in the matchmaking of suppliers and customers.

Consumer card spending increased just 4.1 percent year-on-year in 2023 – noticeably lower than the growth seen in 2022 (10.6 per cent) – as Brits cut back on new clothes, eating out and home improvements amid rising inflation and household bills. However, consumers continued to prioritize moments of joy and shared experiences, boosting travel, entertainment, and pubs & bars. 

The Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (Invest Qatar) has partnered with Microsoft to develop AI.SHA is an innovative AI-powered assistant harnessing GPT capabilities through the Azure OpenAI service. This groundbreaking initiative positions Invest Qatar as one of the first investment promotion agencies (IPA) in the world to adopt advanced technology, paving the way for transformative changes in professional interactions between investors and businesses in Qatar.

Circle, a global financial technology firm and the issuer of USDC and EURC, has today announced receipt of a conditional registration as a Digital Asset Service Provider (‘DASP’, or ‘Prestataire de Service sur Actifs Numériques’ (PSAN)) with the French Financial Markets Authority (‘Autorité des Marchés Financiers’ (AMF)).

Tameed Digital Lending Platform, which offers shariah-compliant  Government Purchase Orders Financing for SMEs in Saudi Arabia, announced that it has successfully closed a funding round (Series A) amounting to SAR 56.75M (USD 15M) led by Alromaih Investments.

AppTech Payments Corp., a pioneering Fintech company powering frictionless commerce between business-to-business and business-to-consumer, announces Reno International Airport as the first international airport to adopt its newly acquired FinZeo platform, which manages all financial transactions and payments within the airport’s facilities. The Company anticipates additional airports to fully adopt the platform in the coming weeks.

StoneX is delighted to announce that it is one of the first financial organizations to enable Swift’s new leading-edge solution for cross-border payments.

Cross-border payments have long been a complex area marked by ongoing regulatory and compliance changes, bank offline hours, and increasing competition. Swift has consistently played a pivotal role in facilitating such transactions, connecting a vast network of financial institutions as well as banks worldwide.

OakNorth – the neobank for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs, today announces the further strengthening of its board with the appointment of Lord (Adair) Turner, as its Chairman.

Hakbah - the KSA-based fintech savings platform - announces a new partnership with Tarabut - MENA’s leading open banking platform, and an investor in the region’s digital transformation.

Rising costs forced young people to use buy now, pay later (BNPL) to afford Christmas this year as a quarter (23%) of young people admitted they were planning on buying their Christmas dinner this year using BNPL, according to new research from responsible lender, Creditspring.