Cross-border payment infrastructure in the Middle East is becoming increasingly important as banks, fintechs and payment providers look for faster and more direct ways to move money into markets with very different banking systems, digital adoption levels and remittance needs. Thunes is extending its regional reach with new payout capabilities across Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman, South Yemen, Syria and the UAE, giving members of its global payments network access to bank accounts, mobile wallets and cash pickup locations depending on the market. The expansion reflects a broader shift in cross-border payments away from a single model built predominantly around correspondent banking towards networks capable of connecting multiple domestic payment methods while managing liquidity, compliance and settlement behind the scenes.
Six New Markets Added to Thunes’ Middle East Network
Thunes said the expansion of its Direct Global Network introduces new payout services across six Middle Eastern markets, extending the company’s ability to deliver funds in local currencies through a combination of bank accounts, mobile wallets and cash pickup locations.
Members of the network can access the new payout capabilities either through direct API integration with Thunes or through existing Swift connectivity. This gives financial institutions and payment businesses different routes into the network without necessarily requiring them to replace their existing international payment infrastructure.
The expansion follows Thunes’ rollout of real-time cross-border payments into Saudi Arabia in September 2025 and gives the company a wider footprint across a region where payment requirements vary considerably from one market to another.
In Bahrain and Oman, the new capabilities are centred on direct bank account payouts, supporting markets where governments and financial institutions are investing heavily in digital infrastructure and modernisation. Bahrain’s non-oil sector accounted for 85% of real GDP in 2025, while Oman continues to pursue financial and economic digitalisation as part of Oman Vision 2040.
UAE Expansion Targets a Major Regional Payments Hub
The UAE represents a particularly significant addition because of its position as one of the Middle East’s largest centres for international commerce, financial services and cross-border money movement. Thunes will support bank account payouts for both consumers and enterprises in the country.
The rollout comes as the UAE continues to modernise its domestic payments infrastructure and expand real-time payment capabilities. For international payment providers, connecting global networks more efficiently with domestic banking rails could become increasingly important as businesses and consumers expect cross-border transactions to behave more like domestic digital payments.
Rather than treating international transfers as a separate and inherently slower payment category, the industry is increasingly moving towards infrastructure that can route transactions into local accounts and payment methods with greater visibility over delivery, settlement and liquidity.
Remittances Drive Different Requirements in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria
The expansion also demonstrates why a single payout model is unlikely to work across the Middle East. While bank account transfers are central to the company’s approach in markets including the UAE, Bahrain and Oman, Thunes is using alternative payout channels in economies where remittances and access to formal banking infrastructure play a different role.
In Lebanon, Thunes is introducing mobile wallet payouts in a market where incoming remittances have remained an important source of household income and foreign currency. The country receives approximately $7 billion annually in remittance flows, making the ability to deliver international funds through digital channels increasingly relevant to consumers.
In South Yemen, the network will support both bank account and cash pickup payouts. Remittance flows have an especially important economic role in Yemen, where they have been estimated to represent more than 38% of GDP. Providing multiple ways for recipients to access funds can therefore be as important as improving the speed of the underlying international transaction.
Syria presents another infrastructure challenge, with Thunes introducing payouts through cash pickup locations as the country’s financial sector undergoes efforts to rebuild banking capacity and strengthen financial institutions. The different delivery methods illustrate how cross-border payment networks are increasingly being designed around the realities of individual markets rather than assuming universal access to bank accounts.
Payment Networks Move Closer to Local Rails
Chloé Mayenobe, Deputy CEO of Thunes, said the new capabilities would create additional value for members of the company’s network and their end users, pointing to digital innovation and financial inclusion as important drivers across the markets covered by the expansion.
The broader significance is the infrastructure sitting between the originating institution and the recipient. Global payment providers are increasingly competing on their ability to connect international transactions directly with domestic payment rails, wallets and other endpoints while handling foreign exchange, liquidity, compliance and routing within the network.
Thunes said its infrastructure uses its SmartX Treasury System for AI-driven forecasting and real-time liquidity management. The company also uses its Fortress Compliance Platform across its network and says it holds more than 50 licences worldwide.
As cross-border payments become more digital, the competitive advantage may increasingly shift from simply having international reach to being able to deliver funds through the payment method that is most useful in each destination market. That is particularly relevant across the Middle East, where highly digitised financial centres coexist with economies in which wallets, remittances and cash access remain essential parts of the payments landscape.
What it means for the industry
- Cross-border networks are becoming more local at the point of delivery. International payment providers increasingly need direct connections to domestic bank accounts, wallets and cash networks rather than relying on a single settlement model.
- The Middle East cannot be treated as one payments market. The infrastructure required in the UAE or Bahrain can be fundamentally different from what is needed in Lebanon, Yemen or Syria.
- Remittance infrastructure remains strategically important. Faster payments matter, but accessibility at the receiving end can be equally important in markets where bank account penetration or financial infrastructure is more limited.
- Swift and API connectivity are increasingly complementary. Allowing institutions to access newer payment networks through existing Swift infrastructure could make adoption easier for banks that are not ready to move entirely towards API-based connectivity.
- Liquidity and compliance are becoming part of the technology proposition. As payment networks connect more countries and payout methods, real-time treasury management, transaction monitoring and regulatory controls will become increasingly important to delivering cross-border payments at scale.
Article Source: Thunes
