Visa Forms New Regional Hub for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman

Visa has established a new regional hub encompassing Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman, led from its Riyadh headquarters, to accelerate digital payments growth across these Gulf markets.

The strategic reorganisation creates a dedicated leadership structure for the three markets, reflecting their growing importance in Visa's global business and the distinct payment ecosystem development opportunities each presents. The hub will coordinate Visa's activities across merchant acceptance, card issuance, innovation partnerships, and regulatory engagement in all three countries.

The Riyadh-based leadership reflects Saudi Arabia's position as the largest market in the hub and its ambitious Vision 2030 targets for cashless payment adoption. Visa has been investing heavily in Saudi Arabia, including its Innovation Center in Riyadh and locally hosted payment processing infrastructure.

The inclusion of Bahrain and Oman alongside Saudi Arabia recognises the connected nature of payment ecosystems across the Gulf, where consumers and businesses frequently transact across borders. A unified regional approach allows Visa to develop cross-border payment solutions and coordinate with regulators across all three markets.

Both Bahrain and Oman have been actively developing their payment infrastructures, with Bahrain's mandatory digital payment acceptance and open banking frameworks, and Oman's Maal national card scheme and digital banking licensing framework. Visa's regional hub positions it to participate in these developments.

The hub formation aligns with Visa's broader strategy of deepening its regional presence in high-growth markets.