Thunes Expands Direct Global Network Across Six Key Middle Eastern Markets

Thunes has significantly widened its footprint across the Middle East, launching new payout services in six key markets including the UAE and Bahrain. For fintech professionals, this expansion provides a critical bridge into high-growth digital economies and essential remittance corridors, offering real-time cross-border infrastructure that bypasses traditional banking friction through direct API or Swift integration.

What was announced

The expansion of the Thunes Direct Global Network introduces comprehensive payout capabilities across a diverse set of Middle Eastern economies. Members of the network can now facilitate transactions to millions of endpoints, including bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pickup locations, all settled in local currencies. The rollout covers the Kingdom of Bahrain, Lebanon, the Sultanate of Oman, South Yemen, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This regional move follows the company’s previous implementation of real-time payments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in September 2025.

In the United Arab Emirates, the service supports bank account payouts for both enterprise and consumer segments, aligning with the nation’s National Payment Systems Strategy (NPSS). In Bahrain, where the non-oil sector represented 85% of real GDP in 2025, Thunes is providing direct bank payouts to support the National Digital Economy Strategy. Similarly, in Oman, the infrastructure supports bank account payouts in line with Oman Vision 2040 and an anticipated 4% GDP growth in 2026.

The expansion also addresses critical humanitarian and economic needs in Lebanon, South Yemen, and Syria by providing vital remittance lifelines. These transactions are managed via the SmartX Treasury System, which utilizes AI for liquidity management and forecasting. Security and regulatory adherence are handled through the Fortress Compliance Platform, which leverages more than 50 global licenses to ensure operational efficiency across these new jurisdictions.

"Launching new payout capabilities across the Middle East unlocks significant value for our Members and their end-users. These markets are deeply committed to digital innovation and financial inclusion. Thunes is proud to provide the infrastructure that empowers businesses and individuals to participate seamlessly in international commerce and the broader global economy."

Chloé Mayenobe, Deputy CEO at Thunes.

The companies involved

Thunes operates as a global B2B payments infrastructure platform, positioning itself as a "Smart Superhighway" for international money movement. The company specializes in connecting diverse payment systems—including bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash providers—into a single, unified network. This infrastructure allows financial institutions, fintechs, and marketplaces to move funds across borders with greater speed and transparency than traditional correspondent banking routes.

The firm’s technological stack is built around its proprietary SmartX Treasury System and the Fortress Compliance Platform, which are designed to handle the complexities of real-time liquidity and global regulatory requirements. With a presence that spans across multiple continents, Thunes has established itself as a major player in the cross-border space, frequently partnering with global financial giants and local payment providers alike to bridge the gap between fragmented payment ecosystems. The company’s focus on emerging markets and high-volume remittance corridors has made it a central figure in the push for global financial inclusion and the modernization of legacy payment rails.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has followed the steady expansion of the Thunes network closely, with 96 stories documenting its global trajectory. Recently, the company partnered with Thunes and MoMo PSB Bring Real-Time Cross-Border Payments to Millions of Nigerians, highlighting its focus on high-growth African markets. The firm has also been active in the digital asset space, collaborating with Mastercard and Thunes Bring Stablecoin Payouts to the Mainstream.

In the Middle East specifically, FF News reported on the company’s efforts to Thunes to Power Real-Time Mobile Wallet Payouts for Mashreq Customers, a move that foreshadowed this broader regional expansion. Additionally, Thunes has strengthened its ties with Asian payment giants, as seen when it began Thunes Powers WeChat Pay HK’s Expansion in Cross-Border Money Transfers.

What this means

This expansion signals a shift in how cross-border providers view the Middle East—no longer just as a source of outbound remittances, but as a sophisticated digital economy requiring two-way, real-time flows. By integrating markets like Syria and South Yemen alongside the UAE and Bahrain, Thunes is tackling the extreme fragmentation that has long plagued regional commerce. This move puts significant pressure on traditional correspondent banks that rely on slower, opaque SWIFT-only routes. The industry must now consider whether specialized networks can effectively replace legacy infrastructure in high-risk or emerging jurisdictions while maintaining the rigorous compliance standards required by global regulators.