Saudi Arabia Unveils Alipay+ to Shake Up Cashless Payments by 2026

Malaz Madani

Last updated 17-09-2025

3 min

Saudi Arabia plans to integrate Alipay+ with mada, launching in 2026, boosting cashless payments.

This allows international visitors to pay with QR codes at Saudi merchants using linked digital wallets.

The partnership aligns with Vision 2030, aiming to boost tourism and create a digital economy.

Ant International has already established a presence in the Middle East, preparing for smooth implementation.

Though challenges exist, the promise of accessing billions of potential customers is a strong motivator.

Saudi Arabia is preparing for another leap forward in its digital transformation, and this time it’s all about payments. The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has teamed up with Ant International to bring Alipay+ into the Kingdom, with the service officially going live in 2026. The plan is to integrate it with mada, Saudi Arabia’s national payment network, making it possible for international visitors to pay at local merchants simply by scanning a QR code. Spot on timing, if you ask me, given the country’s push to welcome more tourists and strengthen small businesses.

What does this mean in practice? Essentially, Saudi shops, restaurants, and other businesses will soon be able to accept payments from people using one of 36 different digital wallets worldwide—all linked under the Alipay+ umbrella. That’s access to more than 1.7 billion users, which is no small feat. On the flip side, holidaymakers and business travellers can pay seamlessly without fumbling for cash or faffing about with exchange rates. As someone who’s seen small cafes in Riyadh struggle to keep up with international customers, I can imagine many owners being chuffed to bits with this shift.

Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, made it clear the move ties neatly into **Vision 2030**, the country’s blueprint for becoming a global hub for tourism and innovation. He tapped into the idea of tourism as an engine for growth and stressed that partnerships between government and private players are essential for building a stronger, more digital economy. Hard to argue with that logic.

Tourism is central to Vision 2030. The government wants 150 million visitors by the end of the decade, and considering they already hit the 100 million mark in 2024, the momentum is certainly there. Pair that tourism surge with plans for 70% of payments to go cashless, and it’s clear SAMA is not just chasing big numbers but laying down infrastructure to back them up.

Ant International has been planting roots in the region already. Earlier this year, it secured the required SAMA licence and rolled out its unified **Antom merchant solution**. Not long after, the company opened its first Middle East office in Riyadh. With similar payment system tie-ins already live in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and a handful of South Asian countries, the Saudi launch feels like a natural progression rather than an experiment.

Now, I reckon there will be challenges—convincing every small vendor deep in Riyadh or Jeddah’s souqs to adopt QR codes won’t be a walk in the park. Still, if there’s one thing I’ve noticed while covering startups across MENA for Arageek, it’s that entrepreneurs don’t shy away from change once they see the benefit. And getting access to billions of potential customers? Well… that’s a pretty convincing argument, even if the rollout might be a bit of a faff at first.

One thing’s certain: Saudi’s digital transformation isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And believe it or not, we may look back in a few years and realise that a simple QR scan at a coffee kiosk was the sign of something much bigger taking root. It’s not just about payments—it’s about connecting Saudi businesses to the world. Or as one merchant once told me over tea, “it’s like opening your shop door and suddenly seeing the whole globe walk in.” Pretty spot on, really.

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