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The region’s leading digital payment solutions provider and fintech enabler

Our story

At AFS we empower the region’s business and banking communities, end-users and consumers with customized payments technologies and solutions.

Regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain and the Central Bank of Egypt, AFS is owned by a total of 37 banks and financial institutions and serves over 60 banks in more than 20 countries across the Middle East and Africa region.

The company provides numerous ground-breaking end-to-end digital payment products, services and solutions to banks and businesses. These include card processing services, merchant acquiring, fintech solutions and value-added services.

Our dedication to payments innovation and delivering cutting-edge payments technology has propelled AFS to become a market leader.

We are committed to being the leading enabler for digital transaction transformation and we offer unique, future-driven payments experiences.

We fast-track payments innovation and make superior digital payments experiences a more accessible, secure, convenient, and seamless reality, regionally.

Our commitment

We are committed to fast-tracking payments innovation and making superior digital payments experiences more accessible, secure, convenient, and seamless.

Our vision

To be the leading enabler for digital transaction transformation.

Our mission

Offer better, faster, and more secure products and services that support our customers’ growth.

Our values

A client centric, collaborative and consistent entity, committed to delivering superior experiences.

Our history

At AFS we take immense pride in our rich history and the milestones that have shaped us into the company we are today.

2024

Inaugurated a data center in Egypt.

2023

Launched the AFS Open Banking Hub.

2022

Commenced merchant acquiring business in Egypt.

2019

Launched Bahrain's first digital payroll solution.

2018

Launched Bahrain's first digital mobile wallet.

2018

Commenced merchant acquiring business in Bahrain.

2017

Commenced merchant acquiring business in Oman.

2011

Inaugurated a data center in the UAE.

2005

Began debit card processing services.

2003

Significant technology upgrade to Vision Plus card management system.

1999

Launched a card personalization center.

1991

Traveller's cheques sales surpassed $1 Billion.

1987

Began third party credit card processing.

1984

AFS is established. Travelers Cheques issuance commences.

Our team

Our seasoned team leads with vision and expertise, guiding our company towards a successful future.

Samer Soliman

Chief Executive Officer

Ghassan Mardini

Chief Operating Officer

Abdelmaguid Afifi

Chief Financial Officer

Charles Gill

Chief Transformation and Commercial Officer

Rizwan Khan

Managing Director, UAE & Oman

Tawfik Mahmoud

Managing Director, Egypt

Amira Ismail

Country Manager & Head of Acquiring - Bahrain

Ajmal Basheer

Head of Processing

Prajay Patel

Head of Information Technology

Kavita Nair

Head of Legal

Mouna Semaan

Head of Human Resources

Ebrahim Jassim

Advisor to the CEO

Adel Al Mahmood

Head of Compliance & MLRO

Ganesh Patil

Head of Risk Management

Asif Meghani

Head of Internal Audit

Interested in a career at AFS?

Build the future of digital payments with us! Join our dynamic team and be part of a collaborative work culture that encourages professional growth, innovation, and creativity.

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Company announcements

Oct 22, 2024

2 min read

Arab Financial Services (AFS) Secures $50 Million Capital Injection

Arab Financial Services (AFS), a pioneering digital payments solutions provider and fintech enabler in the Middle East and Africa, has raised $50 million in capital. This strategic investment, approved by AFS shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting earlier this year, will significantly enhance the company's financial position and catalyze its ambitious growth plans.The additional capital will enable AFS to expand its operations, enhance its product offerings, and drive innovation in the digital payments landscape. AFS Chairman, Sael Al Waary, expressed his confidence in the company's future, stating, 'This investment is a testament to our shareholders' belief in AFS's vision, potential and our ability to deliver sustained growth and value.'In 2023, AFS achieved notable progress in executing its strategic initiatives. Key accomplishments include successful bank migrations, the acquisition of new clients, and the launch of innovative products such as 'Wallets as Service'. The company has also made substantial strides in its acquiring business, particularly in Bahrain, Oman, and Egypt. AFS's commitment to innovation is evident in its development of advanced digital solutions, such as AFS Pay and AFS One, which caters to a diverse range of merchant segments. Moreover, the newly launched AFS Open Banking hub is driving financial inclusion and innovation in the region.With this fresh capital injection, AFS is poised to further accelerate its growth trajectory. The company plans to expand into new markets, scale up its operations in existing ones, and leverage its Payment Services Provider license in Egypt to broaden its scope of activities in the acquiring market. In the UAE, AFS is making progress towards launching merchant acquiring services. Furthermore, the company is targeting African markets for growth in its processing business.This strategic investment will empower AFS to innovate, expand, and elevate our market position,' stated Samer Soliman, AFS Chief Executive Officer. 'By leveraging technology and AI, we are committed to delivering exceptional value to our shareholders and customers through enhanced products and services.AFS is regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain and the Central Bank of Egypt offering a comprehensive range of digital payment solutions, including debit, credit, and Islamic card processing, merchant acquiring, fintech, and value-added services. With offices and data centers in Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, and the UAE.

Apr 25, 2024

3 min read

AFS Launches Data Center and Disaster Recovery (DR) site in Egypt

Arab Financial Services (AFS), a leading force in digital payments across the Middle East and Africa, has strategically expanded its footprint in Egypt with the inauguration of a brand-new data center. This investment marks a significant step forward for AFS in the Egyptian market, fuelling their growth trajectory in two key ways: Accelerated Expansion, the secure and reliable data center empowers AFS to rapidly scale their business operations within Egypt and Enhanced Reach, building on their established presence since 2022, AFS can now extend their trusted payment processing services to a wider range of Egyptian businesses, banks, and financial institutions.AFS boasts an impressive track record, currently serving over 60 banks in more than 20 countries across the Middle East and Africa by offering advances payment solutions, and this new data center positions AFS to become a dominant player in the Egyptian market.“For four decades, AFS has been a driving force in payments technology, pioneering innovative digital solutions that empower businesses, banks, and consumers throughout the Middle East and Africa,” said Samer Soliman, CEO of Arab Financial Services. “Our new Cairo data center represents a strategic leap forward. It provides a robust and scalable foundation for our existing merchant acquiring business, while simultaneously serving as a platform for our comprehensive issuer payment processing services in Egypt. This investment underscores our commitment to the dynamic Egyptian market. We aim to be a key partner in the banking sector's digital transformation by delivering agile, secure, and seamless payment solutions that unlock new opportunities for all stakeholders.”AFS’s portfolio of payments processing products and services includes versatile card solutions such as credit, debit, prepaid, contactless, virtual, and tokenized cards, and ATM Driving and switch. It also includes commercial and shariah compliant cards, digital wallets, and gift cards, ensuring convenience and security in every payment. AFS’s USP also includes optimizing business performance with state-of-the-art security features such as real time fraud monitoring, data streaming and data analytics, and 24/7 operational and customer support.Tawfik Mahmoud, Managing Director of AFS Egypt said, “We are committed to investing in the country’s technology infrastructure and its human talent. Building on the capabilities that this new data center affords our business, AFS’s human capital investment is a priority that will set the pace for our accelerated growth across business lines in Egypt. Our workforce is estimated to reach almost 300 Egyptian payments professionals by year-end, and this will cement AFS’s reputation for delivering the best experiences and highest quality payments expertise for our customers.”The launch of this innovative data center, complemented with a Primary Disaster Recovery (DR) site featuring the latest payment applications – switch, card management system, and more is part of AFS’s ongoing dedication to industry-leading infrastructure and advance technologies that further solidifies its position as the preferred partner for Egyptian businesses and underscores the critical importance they place on the Egyptian market.Regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain & The Central Bank of Egypt, AFS is owned by a total of 37 banks and financial institutions and serves over 60 clients in more than 20 countries across the Middle East and Africa region. The company provides numerous ground-breaking end-to-end digital payment products, services and solutions to banks and merchant groups. AFS’s innovative approach to the provision of financial services is evidenced by a series of market-leading payment services that span card processing services, merchant acquiring, fintech solutions and value-added services.

Mar 05, 2024

2 min read

AFS Transaction Index: Season-Opening Bahrain GP Delivers 66% Surge in Spends

This weekend’s action-packed season-opening Bahrain GP delivered an epic increase in spends. Data shared in the annual Transaction Index published by Arab Financial Services (AFS), the Middle East and Africa region’s leading digital payment solutions provider and fintech enabler, compared the year-on-year difference in spends during the F1 week, recording a 66% surge in payments spends during the recently concluded 2024 F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. The accelerated spends also reflects an increase of 78% in international spends as the race marked its 20th anniversary in the Kingdom of Bahrain this year and successfully garnered even greater global appeal.Samer Soliman, the CEO of Arab Financial Services (AFS), commented: “The Bahrain Grand Prix ignites excitement for both residents and international visitors. AFS Transaction Index data shows a sharp rise in spending by foreign issued card during race week, highlighting the event's significant economic impact.”While the overall number of transactions surged, visitors from Qatar, Singapore, Oman, Kuwait, and the US particularly fueled this growth. Beyond the overall surge, Saudi Arabian visitors kept the lead position as the race week's top spenders by value, followed by the US, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.AFS is the Middle East and Africa region’s leading digital payment solutions provider and fintech enabler. Regulated by The Central Bank of Bahrain, and majority-owned by Bank ABC, AFS boasts numerous ground-breaking end-to-end digital payment services and solutions. These span debit, credit, and Islamic card processing, merchant acquiring, fintech, and a suite of state-of-the-art value-added services. Providing the highest quality payments solutions that are trusted by businesses, AFS has offices and data centers in Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, and the UAE. Its dedication to innovation has positioned AFS as a driving market force delivering a rich portfolio of payment solutions including its Open Banking hub, popular digital mobile wallets, market-leading merchant acquiring services, Bahrain’s leading digital payroll solution, global contact centers and more.

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