About us

The region’s leading digital payment solutions provider and fintech enabler

Our story

At AFS we empower the region’s business and banking communities, end-users and consumers with customized payments technologies and solutions.

Regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain and licensed by the Central Bank of Egypt and the Central Bank of UAE, AFS is owned by a total of 37 banks and financial institutions and serves over 60 banks in more than 20 countries across the Middle East and Africa region.

The company provides numerous ground-breaking end-to-end digital payment products, services and solutions to banks and businesses. These include card processing services, merchant acquiring, fintech solutions and value-added services.

Our dedication to payments innovation and delivering cutting-edge payments technology has propelled AFS to become a market leader.

We are committed to being the leading enabler for digital transaction transformation and we offer unique, future-driven payments experiences.

We fast-track payments innovation and make superior digital payments experiences a more accessible, secure, convenient, and seamless reality, regionally.

Our commitment

We are committed to fast-tracking payments innovation and making superior digital payments experiences more accessible, secure, convenient, and seamless.

Our vision

To be the leading enabler for digital transaction transformation.

Our mission

Offer better, faster, and more secure products and services that support our customers’ growth.

Our values

A client centric, collaborative and consistent entity, committed to delivering superior experiences.

Our history

At AFS we take immense pride in our rich history and the milestones that have shaped us into the company we are today.

2025

Commenced merchant acquiring business in UAE.

2024

Inaugurated a data center in Egypt.

2023

Launched the AFS Open Banking Hub.

2022

Commenced merchant acquiring business in Egypt.

2019

Launched Bahrain's first digital payroll solution.

2018

Launched Bahrain's first digital mobile wallet.

2018

Commenced merchant acquiring business in Bahrain.

2017

Commenced merchant acquiring business in Oman.

2011

Inaugurated a data center in the UAE.

2005

Began debit card processing services.

2003

Significant technology upgrade to Vision Plus card management system.

1999

Launched a card personalization center.

1991

Traveller's cheques sales surpassed $1 Billion.

1987

Began third party credit card processing.

1984

AFS is established. Travelers Cheques issuance commences.

Our team

Our seasoned team leads with vision and expertise, guiding our company towards a successful future.

Mr. Suresh Padmanabhan

Chairman

Dr. Fakher Buferna

Director

Mr. Musab M. Msallem

Director

Mr. Siegfried Heimgaertner

Director

Dr. Yousif Almas

Director

Samer Soliman

Group Chief Executive Officer

Ghassan Mardini

Chief Operating Officer

Charles Gill

Chief Transformation and Commercial Officer

Rizwan Khan

Managing Director, UAE & Oman

Amira Ismail

Country Manager & Head of Acquiring - Bahrain

Ajmal Basheer

Head of Processing

Kavita Nair

Head of Legal

Khadija Ebrahim

Head of Human Resources

Ganesh Patil

Head of Risk Management

Asif Meghani

Head of Internal Audit

Interested in a career at AFS?

Build the future of digital payments with us! Join our dynamic team and be part of a collaborative work culture that encourages professional growth, innovation, and creativity.

Our trusted partners

Company announcements

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Mar 17, 2026

1 min read

Arab Financial Services Appoints Mahmoud Ismail as Managing Director, Egypt and Group Head of Acquiring Products

Arab Financial Services (AFS), the leading digital payments provider and fintech enabler across the MENA region, announced the appointment of Mahmoud Ismail as Managing Director, Egypt and Group Head of Acquiring Products.Mahmoud joins AFS from Adyen, where he led regional growth and planning across MEA. With over 20 years of experience across major global and regional payment organizations, he brings the technical and operational expertise required to scale payment ecosystems in high-velocity markets.He will execute a dual mandate focused on advancing AFS’s position in the Egyptian market while evolving the Group’s regional acquiring strategy to deliver more intuitive, merchant-centric solutions across the MENA region.Samer Soliman, CEO of AFS, commented: “In Egypt, our focus is market dominance. Mahmoud has the operational grit and technical depth required to scale our footprint and evolve our product proposition across the Group.”Mahmoud Ismail added: “AFS has built a formidable reputation and a solid foundation in Egypt. I look forward to working with our 200-strong local team to accelerate our momentum and deliver the seamless, omnichannel payment experiences that the modern market demands.”

Jan 05, 2025

2 min read

AFS Launches SoftPOS (Tap-to-Phone) Solution Across Egypt Following CBE License

Arab Financial Services (AFS), A premier digital payment and fintech solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, is pleased to announce that its Egyptian subsidiary has received a SoftPOS license from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). This regulatory approval has enabled the company to launch the service nationwide, making AFS Egypt one of the first in the country to bring a fully licensed SoftPOS solution to market.The AFS SoftPOS solution transforms any NFC-enabled smartphone into a secure, fully functional payment terminal, eliminating the need for expensive hardware. It offers businesses a quick, cost-effective, and highly scalable way to accept payments. By supporting all contactless cards, it is the ideal tool to meet the growing demands of Egypt's digital economy.“Going live with SoftPOS in Egypt is a transformative milestone for AFS and the Egyptian market,” said Samer Soliman, CEO of AFS. “This fully licensed solution allows us to instantly turn any NFC-enabled Android smartphone into a secure payment terminal, eliminating hardware costs and making digital acceptance accessible to businesses of all sizes. We view this launch as the foundation, and our immediate plan is to continuously expand its feature set and introduce innovative use cases that will further accelerate financial inclusion and power a digitally empowered economy”.The launch aligns directly with Egypt's remarkable growth in mobile payment adoption. AFS’s solution makes it easier than ever for businesses to accept payments, simplifying digital commerce and building a more accessible and inclusive financial landscape for all.

Dec 2, 2025

2 min read

160 Percent Payment Growth Drives Major Success for AFS at Jewellery Arabia 2025

AFS delivered a standout performance at Jewellery Arabia 2025, supporting seamless digital payments across the five-day event and recording one of the strongest years in terms of both domestic and international activity. According to the AFS Index, overall daily payments volumes processed during the exhibition grew by more than 160 percent, driven largely by a surge in international visitors and consistently strong purchasing power from the local community.International spending played a major role in this year’s growth, reflecting the global appeal of the exhibition. The highest transaction volumes came from visitors within the GCC region, with buyers from Saudi Arabia contributing the largest share of international payments, followed by significant inflows from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Oman. Beyond the Gulf, the event drew a diverse mix of luxury shoppers from North and Central America, Europe, East Asia, Central and South Asia, and other Near and Middle Eastern markets. Notable activity came from the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Jordan, Malaysia, and India, showing the extensive international reach of the event.Transaction activity was equally strong, with tens of thousands of secure card payments flowing through AFS’s acquiring infrastructure. Premium cardholders in particular showed high engagement, reflecting the luxury positioning of the exhibition and the confidence visitors placed in the reliability of AFS’s payment network.Samer Soliman, Chief Executive Officer of AFS, offered key insights into the results and strategic value: Our success at Jewellery Arabia demonstrates how advanced, reliable payment infrastructure adds significant strategic value to high-volume events. This year, the integration of the ASB Pay Business application was crucial, allowing merchants to accept payments quickly and flexibly directly on their mobile devices. We're proud to deliver this blend of advanced technology, seamless acquiring, and trusted security, significantly improving the experience for both exhibitors and buyers. AFS remains dedicated to powering Bahrain’s retail sector with world-class technology and robust digital capabilities.The combination of a strong international presence, elevated spending levels, and steady local demand made this year’s Jewellery Arabia one of the most commercially successful editions to date. AFS’s ability to process high-value, high-volume transactions with speed and security once again reinforces its position as the trusted digital payments partner for Bahrain’s flagship events and the wider region.

Sep 8, 2025

1 min read

AFS Certified to Power Jaywan, Catalyzing the UAE's National Payment Ambition

Arab Financial Services (AFS), a premier digital payment solutions provider and fintech enabler across the Middle East and Africa, announced its platform has been certified to power the UAE Central Bank’s national card scheme, Jaywan. This certification enables AFS to empower its client banks and financial institutions to issue Jaywan Prepaid and Debit Cards, directly contributing to the UAE’s strategic initiative to establish a more secure and accessible payments landscape for its citizens and businesses.“This achievement marks a decisive step in our transformative journey, reflecting the constant evolution of the payments industry. It enables us to provide our partners with the precise tools to navigate this new era of financial technology, ensuring they remain at the leading edge of innovation and can deliver a modern experience to their customers,” said Mr. Samer Soliman, AFS’s Chief Executive Officer.The successful validation of the AFS Card Management System (CMS) reinforces AFS’s instrumental role in a payments landscape where national schemes and global networks intersect. The company remains committed to providing its partners with the cutting-edge solutions necessary to lead the regional digital transformation.