Visa Launches First Local Cloud for Payments in Saudi Arabia
▼ Summary
– Visa has launched its Visa Acceptance Platform on local cloud infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, a global first for the company.
– This move supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals by advancing secure, cashless transactions and a competitive digital economy.
– The platform enables faster and more secure payment acceptance for Saudi businesses through a single integration, supporting various transaction types.
– Local hosting reflects Visa’s investment in Saudi Arabia’s payments infrastructure and commitment to frictionless payment experiences.
– The platform, used globally by over 450 payment service providers, will improve approval rates and checkout experiences in Saudi Arabia.
Visa has launched its first-ever locally hosted cloud payments infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, a strategic move that places the Visa Acceptance Platform directly within the Kingdom’s digital ecosystem. This initiative supports the national objectives outlined in Saudi Vision 2030, reinforcing the country’s push toward a competitive, digitally-driven economy built on secure and efficient cashless transactions.
The platform, which underpins CyberSource, allows Saudi businesses to process payments faster and more securely through a unified integration. It accommodates essential transaction formats such as two-stage authorization, card-on-file payments, and recurring billing for mada cards. Once fully certified with SAMA’s new eCommerce interface, the system will also enable merchants and payment service providers to offer recurring digital wallet transactions, meeting growing consumer expectations for convenience and security.
Ali Bailoun, Visa’s Regional General Manager for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Oman, emphasized that this local deployment reflects Visa’s ongoing investment in the region’s financial infrastructure. He noted that with non-cash transactions in Saudi Arabia already reaching 79%, the enhanced local infrastructure will play a critical role in accelerating the next wave of digital economic growth.
Globally, the Visa Acceptance Platform supports more than 450 payment service providers and 100 independent software vendors, serving over 450,000 merchants across 160 countries. Rob Cameron, Global Head of Acceptance Solutions at Visa, highlighted that integration with SAMA’s updated eCommerce framework will result in quicker, more dependable, and fully compliant payment processing within the Kingdom. This is expected to increase approval rates and significantly improve the checkout experience for consumers.
By establishing a local cloud presence, Visa reinforces its position as a key enabler of Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, offering merchants access to sophisticated, secure, and scalable payment technologies designed for the future.
(Source: MEA Tech Watch)
