In a major strategic push into one of the world’s most rapidly digitizing regions, PayPal has announced a $100 million investment commitment for the Middle East and Africa. The global payments giant plans to inject the capital over the next few years to fuel local innovation, back entrepreneurs, and accelerate the adoption of digital commerce across these markets.
The investment isn’t a single fund but a multi-pronged strategy. PayPal intends to deploy the capital through a combination of acquisitions, minority stake investments in promising companies, and direct funding through its corporate venture arm, PayPal Ventures. The commitment also includes deploying more personnel and technology to the region, signaling a deeper operational presence.
According to PayPal’s President and CEO, Alex Chriss, the move is a direct response to the area’s explosive growth. “The Middle East and Africa are home to some of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving businesses in the world,” he stated. “By dedicating a $100 million investment to this region over the coming years, we’re investing in the technologies, partnerships, and solutions that will help entrepreneurs scale faster, expand their reach beyond borders, and unlock new opportunities for growth in the digital economy.”
This significant financial pledge builds on a series of recent moves by the company to solidify its position in the region. In April, PayPal established its first regional hub in Dubai, which it positioned as a “gateway” to connect local businesses with its global commerce platform. The hub aims to equip everyone from large corporations to small merchants with tools for frictionless payments and secure access to international customers.
PayPal Ventures has already been active, placing bets on some of the region’s most visible startups, including buy-now-pay-later firm Tabby, Egyptian payment processor Paymob, and South African open finance API startup Stitch. This new $100 million commitment suggests PayPal is ready to move beyond early-stage venture checks and pursue more substantial, long-term partnerships and acquisitions.
The core objective is to bring millions of new consumers and businesses into the formal digital economy. The investment is designed to help local companies overcome scaling challenges and provide innovators with the capital and infrastructure needed to build and expand their solutions.
“This commitment underscores our dedication to expanding PayPal’s presence in the Middle East and Africa and our focus is to build stronger connections between local businesses and the global marketplace,” explained Otto Williams, the Senior Vice President who heads the Middle East and Africa region for PayPal. “We’re focused on expanding our footprint in the region and ensuring millions of consumers and businesses can access more of the digital services they need to thrive.”
For over 25 years, PayPal has been a key player in the evolution of global e-commerce. With operations in approximately 200 markets, this latest move represents a focused effort to capture growth in markets where digital payment adoption is still accelerating, offering a significant opportunity to shape the future of commerce for a new generation of businesses and consumers.
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