Mastercard Partners with Qlub to Revolutionise Dining Payments in the GCC

It seems the dining experience in the Gulf might be about to get a whole lot faster—with a little help from fintech ingenuity and one of the world’s biggest payment giants. Mastercard has just entered a partnership with Qlub, the Dubai-based startup making waves in hospitality payments, aiming to push digital and contactless payments deeper into the GCC region. And honestly, it’s not before time; who hasn’t found splitting the bill at the end of a meal a bit of a faff?

This collaboration is quite the blend of muscle and innovation: on one hand, you’ve got Mastercard’s global payments know-how, and on the other, Qlub’s smart tech, which lets diners pay instantly via QR code—no need to flag down a harried waiter or hand over a battered banknote. Part of the deal involves Mastercard taking a minority stake in Qlub, not to mention handling all those behind-the-scenes card transactions for Qlub’s restaurant partners in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

What’s more, Qlub’s journey has been picking up speed. Since it popped up in 2021, the company’s already got its tap-and-pay solution running in over 3,000 restaurants, reaching more than 3 million users in 10 different countries. That’s no small feat for a scrappy startup with less than 300 employees—and, if you ask me, a testament to just how hungry the hospitality sector is for smarter, snappier payments. The team clinched $30 million in funding recently, attracting backers like Shorooq, Cherry Ventures, e&, Mubadala Investments, and Legend Capital. That’s not too shabby.

Spot on to something John Mady, Qlub’s UAE boss, mentioned: the main aim here isn’t just about speed, but making the whole dining process more secure and rewarding for everyone—no matter if you’re in Dubai or Doha, or wherever a meal brings folk together. Mastercard’s own Gina Petersen-Skyrme spoke about this new phase as a way to empower fintechs who are shaking up how we all do business. Admittedly, from an Arageek perspective, it does give a bit of a thrill to see MENA players getting genuine support to take their ideas wider.

But here’s the thing: while tech like this promises smoother evenings out, I reckon there’s something to be said for that old-school human touch in restaurants. A seamless payment is handy, but let’s not let our meals become entirely rushed affairs—or worse, just another button to press.

That said, with the GCC states continuing to bang the drum for cashless economies, this partnership comes at a perfect moment. It gives Qlub the clout and connections to scale well beyond the region, all while putting this part of the world’s fintech spirit on the global map. As someone keeping an eye on these shifts at Arageek, I’m chuffed to bits seeing local innovators get international nods—even if, sometimes, change feels a tad too quick for comfort. Well… change has a habit of turning up whether we’re ready or not.

🚀 Got exciting news to share?

If you're a startup founder, VC, or PR agency with big updates—funding rounds, product launches 📢, or company milestones 🎉 — AraGeek English wants to hear from you!

✉️ Send Us Your Story 👇

https://en.arageek.com/send-us-your-story-or-a-news-tip