Saudi Arabia-founded fintech PayTabs Group has agreed to acquire Amazon Payment Services’ operations across the Middle East and North Africa in a transaction valued at more than $100 million, marking one of the region’s most significant payments deals of 2026.
The transaction, approved by both parties, will bring Amazon Payment Services’ regional payments business under PayTabs and significantly expand the Saudi fintech’s scale across MENA.
Following completion, the combined operation is expected to process more than SAR 150 billion ($40 billion) in transactions annually, strengthening PayTabs’ position as one of the region’s largest payment infrastructure providers.
Founded in 2014 by Abdulaziz Fahad Al-Jouf, PayTabs has built an end-to-end payments infrastructure platform spanning payment processing, automated transaction switching and payouts. Over the years, the company has expanded its regional presence through banking partnerships, regulatory licences, technology development and acquisitions.
The latest transaction adds substantial scale to that strategy.
Amazon Payment Services currently operates across nine MENA markets and serves more than 3,500 businesses. Its infrastructure supports global payment networks including Visa and Mastercard alongside regional payment methods such as mada in Saudi Arabia, KNET in Kuwait and Meeza in Egypt.
From PayFort to Amazon — and Now PayTabs
Amazon Payment Services has deep roots in the Middle East’s fintech ecosystem.
The business originated as PayFort, founded in Dubai in 2013 as one of the region’s early online payment companies. PayFort later became part of Amazon following the technology giant’s $580 million acquisition of Souq.com in 2017 and was rebranded as Amazon Payment Services in 2020.
Its acquisition by PayTabs now represents another major shift in the ownership of one of MENA’s longest-established payments platforms.
For PayTabs, the deal follows a broader expansion strategy combining organic growth with acquisitions. The company previously acquired Türkiye-based social commerce fintech Paymes in 2022 and has continued adding capabilities and market presence across the region.
A Major Consolidation in MENA Payments
The transaction comes as MENA’s payments industry continues to mature, with providers increasingly competing on regional scale, local regulatory coverage and the ability to offer merchants unified infrastructure across multiple markets.
Integrating Amazon Payment Services’ merchant relationships and regional infrastructure with PayTabs’ existing technology could create a significantly larger regional payments network.
PayTabs and Amazon Payment Services have indicated that operational continuity will remain a priority throughout the integration, with the companies aiming to minimise disruption for existing merchants while improving onboarding and strengthening local compliance capabilities.
The exact transaction value beyond the disclosed $100 million-plus figure and a completion timeline have not been announced.
