The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and Ant International, a global leader in digital payments and financial technology, have partnered to introduce cross-border QR code payments integrating KSA's national scheme, mada, with Alipay+ in 2026. This initiative will enable local merchants, including SMEs, to accept payments from Alipay+'s 1.7 billion user accounts across 36 partners, supporting Vision 2030's digitization and tourism goals for inclusive economic growth.
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, launched in 2016, seeks economic diversification via innovation and sustainability, with digital payments and tourism as pillars. The collaboration aligns with ambitions for 70% non-cash transactions by 2030 and 150 million visitors annually, creating jobs and growth opportunities. In 2024, the Kingdom exceeded targets with over 100 million domestic and international tourists, achieving the highest global tourism revenue growth rate of 148% compared to 2019, outpacing G20 peers.
Local KSA merchants will gain the ability to process QR payments from Alipay+ partners, simplifying transactions for international travelers and fostering inclusivity for SMEs. Alipay+ links 1.7 billion users to over 100 million merchants in 70 markets, offering merchants digital tools for efficiency and omni-channel expansion. This builds on Ant International's 2025 KSA milestones, including Antom's SAMA PTSP certification for unified payments and the Riyadh office launch.
“We are deeply honoured to support the ambitious goals of Vision 2030 and build on the strong digital infrastructure by SAMA to enhance payment connectivity and boost Saudi Arabia’s status as a global tourism hub,” said Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International. “Tourism is a powerful force for economic growth and cultural connectivity. Through such joint innovations across public and private sectors, we can unlock more opportunities and help local businesses and communities flourish, while creating a more seamless experience for global consumers.”
“This agreement deepens our presence and commitment to Saudi Arabia, and we look forward to working to promote QR payments locally as we build a thriving digital future for the Kingdom,” added Mr. Feagin.
This partnership exemplifies public-private synergy, positioning Saudi Arabia as a fintech and tourism leader. By streamlining cross-border payments, it empowers merchants to capture global spending, accelerates non-cash adoption, and contributes to Vision 2030's vision of a vibrant, inclusive economy.
With headquarters in Singapore and main operations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider. Through collaboration across the private and public sectors, our unified techfin platform supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth through a comprehensive range of cutting-edge digital payment and financial services solutions. To learn more, please visit https://www.ant-intl.com/
Ant International's Alipay+ is a unified wallet gateway with cross-border payment and digitisation services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments a broad choice of deals and the convenience of digital services using their preferred payment app/e-wallet while travelling abroad. Many small and medium-sized businesses already use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.
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