Policy
The Archive
Egypt's central bank reports on the digital pound, and the research continues
Egypt's digital pound research continues, and the continuation is the discipline the question requires.
The GCC's financial regulators publish a joint financial inclusion report, and the numbers are comparable
A GCC joint financial inclusion report with comparable numbers is the regional measurement the market has lacked.
The UAE's central bank updates its open banking standards, and the version is the third
The UAE's third open banking standards update is the evidence that the framework is being used and improved.
Saudi Arabia's capital market regulator approves a tokenised sukuk, and the asset class widens
Saudi Arabia's tokenised sukuk approval widens the tokenisation perimeter to Shariah-compliant instruments, and the widening is the market's next step.
Bahrain's fintech sandbox graduates its first company, and the path is proven
Bahrain's fintech sandbox graduating its first company to a full licence is the proof that the sandbox's design works.
Bahrain's regulator publishes a framework for buy-now-pay-later, and the rules are proportionate
Bahrain's BNPL framework is proportionate — it regulates the conduct without regulating the product out of existence.
The GCC's financial regulators announce a joint crypto supervision protocol, and the coordination is real
A GCC joint crypto supervision protocol is the regional coordination that the cross-border nature of the asset class requires.
Bahrain's regulator publishes a framework for open finance, and the perimeter includes insurance
Bahrain's open finance framework, extending data portability beyond banking, is the regional first the market needed.
Egypt's central bank reports on financial inclusion, and the numbers show real progress
Egypt's financial inclusion figures show that the decade-long investment in access is producing measurable results.
Oman's regulator approves the first digital-only insurance licence, and the cost model changes
Oman's first digital-only insurance licence enables a cost model that traditional insurers cannot match.
The UAE's financial crime regulator issues guidance on crypto tracing, and the capability gap narrows
UAE guidance on crypto tracing is a signal that the region's financial crime capability is catching up with the asset class.
The UAE's financial regulator consolidates its fintech licences, and the effect is speed
Consolidating fintech licences into a single framework reduces the time and cost of operating, and the market is responding.
The UAE's central bank publishes CBDC research, and the conclusion is cautious
UAE CBDC research that declines to recommend a launch is a more credible document than one that does.
The GCC's cross-border data flow rules are converging, and fintech is the beneficiary
GCC data flow convergence is reducing the cost of building a regional fintech, one harmonised rule at a time.
Saudi Arabia's central bank issues crypto guidance, and the line is clearer than expected
Saudi crypto guidance that draws a clear line between regulated and unregulated is more useful than a ban or a blank cheque.
Oman opens a fintech sandbox, and the design favours operators over experiments
Oman's sandbox is built to graduate companies, not to host them indefinitely.
Egypt's data localisation rules reach fintech, and the trade-offs come into focus
Egypt's data localisation is a sovereignty decision with a balance-sheet consequence for every fintech in the country.
The GCC's common payment infrastructure is closer than it looks
The Gulf's six national payment systems are converging. The question is whether the politics catches up to the technology.
Saudi Arabia's open finance framework widens beyond banking
Open banking was about bank data. Open finance is about everything else, and it is harder.
Daily intelligence on the financial technology reshaping the Middle East.
Fintech Oasis is an independent editorial desk covering the companies, regulators, and capital flows defining the region's most consequential economic transition. We publish one considered dispatch each morning — original reporting and analysis across banking, crypto, venture capital, policy, and payments.
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