Resal Unveils Ambitious Global FinTech Strategy with New Partnerships and Services

Malaz Madani

Last updated 18-09-2025

4 min

Resal is ambitiously transforming global transactions with a "programmable value economy" at Money20/20.

A major partnership with Runa enables Resal's "Pay to Card" services in over 60 countries.

Resal Pay lets users convert loyalty points into spendable cash, activating forgotten financial resources.

The micro-loans initiative connects borrowers and lenders through open APIs, offering controlled credit solutions.

Resal Connect aims to integrate banks, loyalty schemes, and merchants for seamless financial interactions.

At the Money20/20 Middle East event, Saudi-based fintech firm Resal laid out three big plays that show just how ambitious its global vision has become. The company, already known in the region for its digital vouchers, loyalty points and alternative finance solutions, is now setting its sights on building what it calls a “programmable value economy.” Sounds a mouthful, but in simpler terms it’s about making everyday rewards and credit much smarter and far more useful.

One of the big announcements was a strategic partnership with Runa, a company that operates global payment infrastructure. Through this tie-up, Resal users will gain access to “Pay to Card” services in over 60 countries. For institutions and non-profits, that means they can push funds securely straight to beneficiary cards – no middlemen, no faff. As Runa’s founder Aaron Alexander put it, the idea is to unlock a new level of flexibility and speed in global payments, while keeping things transparent and secure. Spot on if you ask me, because much of traditional cross-border finance is still a slog.

Resal also revealed *Resal Pay* – a service that lets people convert unused loyalty points or cashback into daily money they can actually spend. Personally, I’ve lost count of the times I left airline miles or store points to expire; so being able to turn them into real buying power is a clever move. For businesses, it isn’t just a customer perk either – it means tapping into cash flows that would otherwise gather dust. I reckon merchants will be quite chuffed to bits about that.

On the flip side, Resal isn’t neglecting credit markets. It introduced a micro-loans solution built on open APIs, aimed at platforms and lenders who want to issue tightly controlled credit. Borrowers would receive restricted-use cards – spendable only with pre-approved merchants – while lenders enjoy clearer oversight of their funds. Given that embedded finance in the region is forecast to hit $10 billion by 2030, it feels like Resal is trying to strike while the iron’s hot.

Chief executive Hatem Kameli explained that the company’s goal is to deliver more inclusive and programmable financial infrastructure, enabling smaller lenders to offer credit that is easier, safer and more transparent. Well… I mean, it’s a bold promise, and fintech history is littered with big claims, but there’s no denying that the direction matches wider shifts we’ve seen in MENA startups.

Alongside Resal Pay, the firm is rolling out *Resal Connect*, a unifying platform designed to bridge banks, loyalty schemes and merchants. Think of it as the wiring behind the scenes so that all these players can actually talk to each other instead of operating in silos. For anyone who’s wrestled with disconnected systems in commerce, that’s not just welcome – it’s almost a relief.

At Arageek we’ve often seen how startups in the region hit hurdles not because of ideas but because partnerships and infrastructure were lacking. Seeing a Saudi firm like Resal actively building out these bridges gave me a small flashback to a mentoring session years ago, when a young founder complained that his loyalty programme was “a bit of a faff” to integrate with banks. Back then, solutions felt distant; now they’re taking shape.

Global expansion, loyalty innovation and embedded credit all at once – it’s certainly a heavy plate for Resal. If they manage to pull it off, though, the company could well set down a marker for how MENA’s fintechs play on the international stage. And believe it or not, that stage is desperate for models that are both regionally grounded and globally scalable. For now, the market will be watching closely to see how these promises translate when the rubber hits the road.

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