Co-Founder Highlights Dibsy’s Role in Enhancing Qatar’s Digital Payment Landscape

A Qatar-based payment infrastructure startup has witnessed significant growth since its establishment in 2021, from providing small merchants with digital solutions some four years ago to processing transactions for the country’s major enterprises today.

Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of Web Summit Qatar 2025, Dibsy co-founder Ahmed Isse said the company has established its role as a key player in the country’s digital payment landscape, helping a diverse range of domestic businesses accept payments through multiple channels, including credit and debit cards, as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Since its inception during the Covid-19 pandemic, Isse and co-founders Loyan Farah and Anouar el-Mekki have focused on helping small businesses that didn’t have a website or mobile app. Soon after, Isse said large companies also tapped their expertise in innovations like embedded checkout and tokenisation, as well as anti-fraud solutions.

Dibsy’s latest achievement, according to Isse, is the company’s partnership with QNB, allowing it to be the first bank in CEMEA (Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa) to launch the updated version of Visa’s ‘Click to Pay’ service.

Asked about other partnerships with other local companies, Isse noted that as a regulated payment service provider under the Qatar Central Bank (QCB), Dibsy exclusively serves Qatar-based businesses.

“We’re focused on providing digital payment solutions to local companies in Qatar as the Qatar Central Bank regulates us. From small businesses to large entities, we can onboard these businesses within 48 hours, provided they have the proper documentation,” Isse explained.

Asked about Dibsy’s expansion plans, Isse noted that the company currently focuses on the Qatari market. “But we are planning to expand hopefully soon; we will make the necessary announcements,” he said.

Regarding Web Summit Qatar, Isse was impressed by the growth from last year's inaugural event. He revealed that Dibsy’s foundation was born in Web Summit when he and el-Mekki met in Lisbon, Portugal. “The presence of Web Summit in Doha is a great advantage to many entrepreneurs and the event has opened Qatar to many international startups,” he said.

When asked about artificial intelligence (AI) integration, Isse indicated that while it is not an immediate focus for Dibsy, AI could eventually help with fraud management and automate repetitive tasks.