PayPal to Invest $100M in Middle East and Africa E-Commerce
TLDR
- PayPal Holdings Inc. said it will invest $100 million across the Middle East and Africa to expand digital commerce and support entrepreneurs
- The funding will be deployed through minority stakes, acquisitions, PayPal Ventures investments, and technology rollouts
- The move follows the April launch of PayPal’s first regional hub in Dubai, aimed at providing businesses of all sizes with access to global payments, security tools, and cross-border markets
PayPal Holdings Inc. said it will invest $100 million across the Middle East and Africa to expand digital commerce and support entrepreneurs.
The funding will be deployed through minority stakes, acquisitions, PayPal Ventures investments, and technology rollouts, the company said in a statement. The move follows the April launch of PayPal’s first regional hub in Dubai, aimed at providing businesses of all sizes with access to global payments, security tools, and cross-border markets.
PayPal Ventures has already backed startups such as Tabby, Paymob, and Stitch in the region. The new commitment will deepen that activity and broaden the company’s role in shaping digital commerce ecosystems.
CEO Alex Chriss said the investment is designed to help local entrepreneurs scale and connect more consumers to digital services. PayPal added that it aims to expand its presence in one of the fastest-growing e-commerce regions.
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Key Takeaways
PayPal’s $100 million commitment underscores rising global competition for influence in the Middle East and Africa’s digital economy. The regions combine young, mobile-first populations with rapidly growing e-commerce demand but face challenges of fragmented infrastructure and underbanked consumers. Global firms including Mastercard, Visa, and Stripe have already accelerated investments in payments and fintech ecosystems across Africa and the Gulf. PayPal’s Dubai hub, combined with new capital, positions it to capture regional growth by embedding its technology in local businesses while strengthening links to global markets. Its track record with startups like Tabby in Saudi Arabia, Paymob in Egypt, and Stitch in South Africa shows a focus on scaling payment innovation at both consumer and merchant levels. By mixing venture investment with direct acquisitions and infrastructure deployment, PayPal signals a long-term strategy to entrench itself as a key player in the next wave of digital financial inclusion.
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