Oman is accelerating its push toward a cashless economy, with digital wallets becoming a central pillar of the country’s financial infrastructure. The new partnership between FOO and OMPAY reflects a broader regional trend where telecom operators and fintech platforms are joining forces to expand digital payment access. By combining scalable fintech infrastructure with Omantel’s nationwide reach, the initiative aims to deliver secure, mobile-first financial services to both banked and underbanked segments across the Sultanate.
UAE-based B2B fintech provider FOO has entered a strategic partnership with OMPAY, a subsidiary of Omantel, to power a next-generation digital wallet designed to accelerate Oman’s national digital transformation. By serving as the primary technology partner, FOO is delivering a modular and scalable platform that enables a wide range of financial services for both retail consumers and businesses. This collaboration is aligned with the Sultanate’s vision for a cashless, digitally empowered economy, with a focus on expanding access to secure financial tools for underbanked segments of the population.
The OMPAY wallet, regulated by the Central Bank of Oman, utilises FOO’s microservices architecture to provide a comprehensive suite of payment capabilities. Users can access peer-to-peer and merchant payments, QR-based transactions, and instant virtual card issuance for both online and physical retail use. Additionally, the platform facilitates international remittances to over 200 countries, offering a more affordable and efficient alternative to traditional money transfer operators. This high-performance infrastructure allows OMPAY to scale rapidly while maintaining the flexibility to introduce new financial use cases as market demands evolve.
Sami Elloumi, the chief executive officer of OMPAY, stated that the partnership reflects a deep commitment to building a resilient and inclusive payment ecosystem. The combination of local market expertise and advanced fintech infrastructure aims to redefine how individuals and businesses manage their daily finances. The platform also incorporates a fully automated digital onboarding process supported by FOO’s security framework, which includes advanced encryption, multi-factor authentication, and real-time fraud prevention to ensure a trusted user experience.
Ghady Rayess, the leader of FOO, noted that the partnership’s focus is to enable innovative financial products to launch and scale quickly across the region. As Oman experiences a surge in demand for mobile-first financial services, the ability to deploy a future-ready wallet is critical to driving national financial inclusion. The solution is now available for download across major mobile application stores, providing a secure and cost-effective gateway for users to participate in the burgeoning digital economy.
This milestone confirms that the convergence of telecommunications reach and specialised fintech infrastructure is a primary driver for regional digital adoption. By leveraging Omantel’s existing network, OMPAY is positioned to become a central pillar of Oman’s financial landscape, providing a secure alternative to cash-heavy transactions. As the partnership evolves throughout 2026, ongoing innovation in digital wallet features is expected to set a new standard for user-centric financial services in the Middle East, supporting the Sultanate’s long-term economic resilience.
What this means for the industry
- Telecom operators are becoming major fintech distribution channels
Partnerships between fintech firms and telecom providers are rapidly expanding digital wallet adoption. Telecom networks offer the scale and customer reach needed to bring financial services to millions of mobile users. - Digital wallets are central to national cashless strategies
Governments across the Middle East are encouraging wallet-based ecosystems that support peer-to-peer payments, QR transactions and merchant acceptance to reduce reliance on cash. - Microservices architecture is enabling faster fintech innovation
Platforms built on modular infrastructure allow payment providers to introduce new services quickly, such as remittances, virtual cards and merchant payments, without rebuilding core systems. - Financial inclusion is a key driver of digital payment expansion
By offering mobile-first financial tools and simplified digital onboarding, wallets like OMPAY can reach segments that previously lacked access to traditional banking services. - Remittances remain a critical use case for digital wallets in the region
With large expatriate populations across the Gulf, integrated remittance capabilities are becoming a core feature for wallets seeking to compete with traditional money transfer operators.
