AGP Executive Report

SME Finance & Regulation: Bank of Ghana is reviewing non-interest banking license applications from two commercial banks, signaling growing demand for alternative models that could widen SME access to finance. Payments & Merchant Tech: Nayax completed its $350m acquisition of IPS Group, combining smart parking payments with EV charging—an expansion that could boost cashless curbside commerce for operators and local businesses. SME Growth & Capital Markets: Egypt’s EGX market cap topped EGP 4.3tn with average daily trading near EGP 10bn, as the exchange pushes short-selling, futures and options to deepen liquidity. Business Enablement in the Region: Mastercard says EEMEA SMEs are prioritizing growth, new technologies and cyberthreat protection, while Bahrain’s Fintech Forward 2026 agenda spotlights SME finance and asset tokenisation. Entrepreneurship Spotlight: A piece on women entrepreneurs in Palestine highlights how craft businesses are turning handmade work into export-ready opportunity. Deal Watch: FREELANDER mapped a Middle East-first international rollout from the UAE via dealer partnerships, aiming to scale sales and service across MENA.

SME Finance & Policy: Bank of Ghana is reviewing non-interest banking license applications for two commercial banks, signaling momentum for alternative models that could widen SME access to finance. Women Entrepreneurship: Bethlehem’s Nisaa Al-Shams Association launched an online marketplace to help women entrepreneurs sell beyond local markets, with chamber and governorate partners backing product promotion. Halal Trade: Tunisia’s halal market is still underdeveloped, but the International Halal Forum in Tunis highlighted export opportunities in agri-food, olive oil, seafood, tourism and financial services, alongside calls for stronger certification and a higher halal council. AI for Business Skills: e& Egypt and Intel are rolling out an “AI for Citizens” literacy program in Arabic and English, explicitly including small business owners. SME Digital Payments: Mastercard says EEMEA SMEs are prioritizing growth, new technologies, and cyberthreat protection, while also pointing to rising adoption of AI and digital payments. GCC SME Credit: Abhi and NymCard expanded UAE SME credit support, aiming to streamline lending for financial institutions. Local Business Resilience: South Lebanon’s residents are adapting to shrinking livelihood options amid ongoing disruption, with agriculture and fishing hit hardest.

Energy Cost Relief for Industry: The UK launched applications for the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (Bics), aiming to cut electricity bills by up to 25% for 10,000+ manufacturers from April 2027, with firms urged to apply by Nov 30. Digital Education for SMEs’ Ecosystem: Orange Jordan and the Orange Foundation visited a Zarqa school benefiting from the “Digital Schools” program, which has equipped 10 public schools with tablets and learning tech for 3,100+ students. Private-Sector Jobs Push in Bahrain: Tamkeen reported the Musanada Program supports 7,250 enterprises and helped stabilize jobs for 11,400+ Bahraini employees, with micro and small enterprises making up 92% of beneficiaries. SME Finance in the GCC: Mastercard’s Dreamonomics report says 68% of SMEs prioritize stability over fast growth, and it’s rolling out a business card benefits package focused on productivity and cyber risk. Omani Tender Access: Oman’s Ministry of Finance circular directs authorities to award certain specialized work/services up to RO 5,000 to self-employed Omani nationals, easing barriers to government tenders.

UAE SME Finance: Abhi and NymCard teamed up to streamline SME credit in the UAE, combining Abhi’s earned wage access and fintech tools with NymCard’s payments infrastructure to speed up onboarding, decisioning and disbursement for lenders. GCC Startup Funding: Saudi fintech erad secured a $22m Series A led by MEVP to expand SME financing across the GCC. UAE Business Support: Emirates and Dubai Chambers partnered to back global growth of SMEs, while UAE Tax Authority reminded businesses of the Sept. 30 corporate tax filing deadline. Regional Trade & Industry: Armenia and Iran discussed deeper cooperation via industrial settlements after a visit to Iran’s Shamsabad Industrial Zone. Energy Cost Pressure (South Africa): Cosatu urged parliament to urgently pass a R10bn fuel price relief bill to cushion workers and commuters from oil shocks tied to Persian Gulf disruptions. Cyber & Payments for SMEs: Mastercard research says EEMEA SMEs are prioritizing AI, growth, cybersecurity and digital payments; Legit Security expanded agentic remediation to fix open-source dependency vulnerabilities. Business Growth Signals: Phocas launched inaugural Partner Awards across EMEA for distribution and manufacturing partners driving customer value.

SME Finance in Egypt: Egypt’s central bank says bank financing to small enterprises hit about EGP 301bn, while microenterprise financing tops EGP 107bn, underscoring how MSMEs remain a jobs engine. Fuel Fraud Crackdown: Nigeria’s midstream regulator NMDPRA is stepping up enforcement against fuel under-dispensing, ordering dispenser calibration and threatening licence action—an issue that hits both households and small operators hard amid high pump prices. Cross-Border Trade & Corridors: Pakistan’s planning minister Ahsan Iqbal urged turning CAREC routes into “next-generation economic corridors,” linking upgraded roads, border facilities, rail freight and dry ports with logistics hubs and a digital corridor to help businesses trade profitably. Payments for SMEs: Mastercard launched AI-powered supplier payment analytics for accounts payable, with early adopters including Absa and UAE’s Emirates NBD, aiming to make working capital more efficient for corporates and smaller businesses. SME Value-Chain Support (West Africa): UN ECA convened West African SMEs and business support groups to strengthen rice value chains, tackling gaps in finance, processing capacity and cross-border market links. Business Cost Pressure: With diesel and energy costs elevated by Middle East conflict, consumer confidence in the US fell to a near 12.5-year low—another reminder of how volatility feeds into hiring and spending for small firms.

SME Finance & Growth (GCC): Emirates and Dubai Chambers teamed up to support global growth of SMEs, while Mastercard’s latest findings show Saudi SMEs are still pushing for growth and EEMEA SMEs are prioritising AI, growth and cybersecurity. SME Lending (UAE): Pakistani fintech Abhi expanded its UAE footprint via a partnership with NymCard to streamline SME credit solutions for UAE financial institutions. GCC Startup Funding: erad secured a $22m Series A led by MEVP to accelerate SME financing across the GCC. Payments & Merchant Tools (Middle East): Bank NXT signed an EGP 2.1bn credit facility with Ezz Elarab Elsewedy for automotive expansion; and Getnet and Nayax announced a partnership to boost cashless payments for unattended retail and self-service businesses across Latin America and Iberia. Business Costs & Regulation: Card surcharge bans kick in tomorrow in Australia, a reminder of how payment rules can quickly reshape merchant margins. Cyber & AI Risk for SMEs: Delinea found 87% of organisations say AI tools accessed sensitive data beyond scope, and 76% of employees admit bypassing AI approval steps.

SME Growth & Trade: Emirates and Dubai Chambers signed an MoU to help Dubai SMEs expand internationally, with Emirates SkyCargo and Emirates Courier Express offering logistics and express door-to-door options, plus Emirates Business Rewards incentives. SME Finance (GCC): UAE Tax Authority reminded businesses that 30 September 2026 is the corporate tax filing and payment deadline for the 2025 financial year. SME Digital Payments: Mastercard’s Dreamonomics-style reporting highlights EEMEA SMEs pushing growth alongside cybersecurity, AI and digital payments, while a separate UAE-focused note says 14% of UAE SMEs accept crypto payments. SME Lending (GCC): Saudi fintech erad raised $22m Series A led by MEVP to accelerate SME financing across the GCC. SME Contracting (Oman): Omani exporters were urged to target US suppliers already on GSA schedules and to map the “right route” into federal tenders. SME Support (Iraq): A new Iraq small business support fund aims to improve loan access.

SME Trade & Logistics: Emirates and Dubai Chambers signed an MoU to help Dubai SMEs expand internationally, using Emirates SkyCargo and Emirates Courier Express plus Emirates Business Rewards. SME Finance (GCC): erad raised $22m Series A led by MEVP to speed Shariah-compliant working-capital financing for Saudi and UAE SMEs, with AI approvals in about 48 hours. SME Decarbonisation: Schneider Electric expanded its Decarbonization Champion Program with Greenly, giving SME partners carbon measurement tools and consultancy to cut emissions and costs. UAE Corporate Compliance: UAE Tax Authority set a Sept 30 deadline for corporate tax filings, a key compliance date for growing businesses. Tender/Procurement: An Abu Dhabi tender seeks 15 ICACs across the emirates, with bid security set and micro/small enterprises exempt from registration requirements. Energy Services Demand: OMS Energy Technologies won $7.1m via competitive tender from Saudi Aramco for specialty connectors and pipes, with deliveries expected in Jan 2027. Startup/Scale-Up: Keeta marked its UAE first anniversary, citing nationwide merchant and delivery-partner growth since launching in Sept 2025.

UAE Banking Oversight: The UBF council reaffirmed the resilience of the UAE banking sector, citing strong capital and provisioning, and flagged priorities like Emiratisation, digital transformation, SME growth and sustainable finance. Kuwait Procurement Reform: Kuwait issued Decree-Law No. 94/2026 amending public tenders, raising contract thresholds (including KD1m for simpler approvals), boosting SME bid preference (10% above lowest acceptable), and setting a faster grievance committee process. Oman Zakat Push: Oman kicked off its 4th Zakat Conference and Exhibition in Suhar and Sohar, launching a “Zakat Institutions Readiness Index” and focusing on turning zakat governance into measurable sustainability outcomes. Egypt SME Financing: Egypt’s finance minister said EGP 80bn is earmarked in the 2026/27 budget to support production, exports and entrepreneurship, with concessional financing routed via MSMEDA and a simplified tax system for small businesses. Qatar-Syria Skills for Jobs: Qatar Charity launched a $1mn+ project to train 540 women and men in northwestern Syria, linking vocational and digital skills (tailoring, solar, maintenance, marketing) to small-business opportunities. Corporate Tax Deadline (UAE): The UAE Federal Tax Authority reminded taxable persons to file and pay Corporate Tax for periods ending 31 Dec 2025 by 30 Sept 2026 via EmaraTax. Cross-border Dealmaking (Qatar): Qatar Chamber joined the Azerbaijan International Investment Forum and held talks on expanding trade and investment in agriculture, industry and banking.

Fuel shock hits SMEs: A diesel shortage tied to wars is pushing UK forecourt prices toward record levels, squeezing drivers, haulage and small traders as higher fuel costs flow into goods and inflation. Energy bills crush operators: In rural France, small bakers say heating-oil prices have jumped sharply since the Iran-war start, forcing painful margin losses and price increases. UAE tax deadline: The UAE Federal Tax Authority reminded Corporate Tax filers (including those eligible for Small Business Relief) that returns and any due payment for the 31 Dec 2025 tax period must be submitted by 30 Sep 2026 via EmaraTax, with proper records needed to avoid penalties. Kuwait procurement reform: Kuwait issued amendments to its public tenders law, raising thresholds for approvals, setting SME bid preferences (within 10% of the lowest acceptable bid), and creating a grievance committee with 30-day decisions. Qatar-U.S. business ties: Qatar Financial Centre and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce signed an MoU to boost cross-border investment in fintech, digital assets and enterprise tech. SME digitalisation in Egypt: Egypt’s Industrial Modernisation Center signed with Corporate Stack Solutions to help industrial SMEs adopt ERP and digital tools via local SaaS subscriptions. Skills for jobs in Syria: Qatar Charity launched a $1mn+ program training 540 women and men in northwestern Syria, linking them to employment and small-business opportunities. Qatar Chamber expands regional links: Qatar Chamber met Azerbaijani counterparts at the Azerbaijan International Investment Forum to explore trade and investment in agriculture, industry and banking.

UAE Corporate Tax: The UAE Federal Tax Authority reminded businesses that corporate tax returns for the 2025 tax year (ending Dec 31, 2025) must be filed and any tax paid by September 30, 2026, via EmaraTax, with proper records required to support Small Business Relief eligibility. SME Digitalisation (Egypt): Egypt’s Industrial Modernisation Center signed a cooperation protocol with Corporate Stack Solutions to help industrial SMEs adopt ERP and other digital tools through locally developed SaaS on monthly subscriptions. SME Payments Security (Jordan): Orange Money (Orange Jordan) partnered with ADSTRA to deploy AI-powered AML/CFT screening and sanctions-list checks, aiming to strengthen compliance and transaction safety. SME Growth & Tech (Qatar): Qatar Chamber took part in the Azerbaijan International Investment Forum and held meetings with Azerbaijani SME and investment bodies to explore trade, investment, and market opportunities. Skills for Jobs (Syria): Qatar Charity launched a $1m vocational project in northwestern Syria to train 540 women and men and connect them to employment and entrepreneurship, including digital marketing and solar/maintenance tracks. Digital Marketing Cost Relief (UAE): UAE-based Keze.ai launched publicly as an AI social media manager for small businesses, promising ready-to-post content at a low monthly cost. Fuel Pressure (Region-wide): Diesel price spikes continue to squeeze operators and consumers, with businesses facing higher logistics costs and pressure to raise prices or add fuel surcharges.

UAE Business Compliance: The UAE Federal Tax Authority set Sept. 30, 2026 as the deadline to file and pay 2025 corporate tax returns, with submissions handled via the Emirates Tax digital platform and support for small business relief eligibility. Fintech & Compliance: Orange Money (Jordan) signed a strategic deal with ADSTRA to roll out AI-powered AML/CFT screening against sanctions lists and boost fraud-risk controls. SME Support in Egypt: Egypt’s MSMEDA chief met Arab Women Investors Union leaders to expand cooperation on entrepreneurs, women-led SMEs, and export readiness, including plans to engage in the Arab-African Investment Summit in Luxor. Digital Payments for MENA SMEs: Mastercard’s Dreamonomics report says EEMEA SMEs are prioritizing growth and cybersecurity, with many already using protection tools and showing strong interest in AI and emerging payment methods. SME Financing Push: Nasser Social Bank highlighted low-interest financing aimed at economic empowerment and education costs, including its “Mastoura” women-focused program. Business Growth via Tech: Paymob secured $35m pre-Series C to expand MENA payments infrastructure, signaling continued investment in SME-friendly financial rails.

SME Growth & Cyber Priorities: Mastercard’s Dreamonomics report says EEMEA SMEs are chasing growth while still valuing stability, with 78% prioritizing cyberthreat protection and 77% excited about AI—plus higher interest in crypto and stablecoins for payments. Retail Stress in Singapore: A very small retailer in Singapore says one or two bad months could sink the business, citing rising costs and weaker consumer sentiment, echoing broader liquidity pressure for debt-heavy SMEs. Climate-to-Investment Push: Fiji was picked for the BRIDGE pilot to turn climate pledges into funded projects, with a focus on renewable power for rural communities—aimed at unlocking wider economic benefits for households and small businesses. Payments & SME Financing in MENA: Paymob secured a $35m pre-Series C led by Mubadala and EBRD to expand MENA payments infrastructure, while Mastercard and Upfront are also moving into commercial card payments for MENA SMEs. Fuel Cost Squeeze (Middle East-linked): Coverage ties diesel/heating-oil spikes to Middle East conflict and supply disruptions, warning that small operators face margin pressure as transport and energy costs surge. SME Lending in Iraq: A workshop highlights Iraq’s push to strengthen SME resilience and improve loan access through targeted support.

SME Payments & Cross-Border Rails: Amaiz launched an international payments service using local banking networks across 96 countries, aiming to speed up smaller cross-border transfers (often within 24 hours) and cut reliance on SWIFT for routine supplier and contractor payments. SME Lending Gap & Fintech: Planto unveiled an “Agentic AI CFO” for SMEs at Money20/20 Middle East, pitching a white-label way for banks to move from passive dashboards to active SME finance support. Cross-Border Provider Switching: A Mastercard/Bain poll found most SMEs plan to switch cross-border payment providers within two years, with faster settlement and reliability driving changes—good news for fintechs that can prove performance. Local Business Cost Pressure (Energy): France’s rural bakeries and food trucks are absorbing sharp energy price hikes tied to the Iran-linked global crisis, squeezing wages and investment. SME Support via Policy: Iraq’s SME resilience push includes a workshop focused on improving loan access, while Oman’s Riyada and Duqm move to boost SME access to major contracts. Halal Certification for Small Firms: Indonesia is expanding halal-certification support with targets that explicitly include small industrial businesses to help them reach domestic and global markets.

SME Finance (Iraq): Iraq’s Small Business Support Fund held a board meeting to tighten loan procedures and speed up approvals, aiming to simplify lending requirements for entrepreneurs. SME Lending (UAE): Pemo received in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE, signaling room to expand spend-management services for SMEs as fintech moves into a more regulated phase. Payments & Cross-Border Trade (MENA): Paymob secured a $35m pre-Series C to expand MENA payments infrastructure, while J.P. Morgan chose Thunes to improve cross-border payouts for its large base of consumer and small business customers. Energy Costs Hit Operators (Region-wide): Diesel price spikes tied to the Iran conflict are squeezing small operators and fueling calls for drastic policy moves as fuel becomes a bigger share of operating costs. Local Business & Growth (Oman): Oman’s SME owners say Omanisation implementation is raising fees and costs, forcing some businesses to close and pushing owners into debt and job seeking. Real Estate for Buyers (UAE): OBG Real Estate Brokers rolled out a staged payment plan for Nasim Al Bahr on Al Marjan Island, with handover targeted for Q1 2028. Business Climate (Saudi): Saudi’s National Day coverage highlights Vision 2030 momentum, including the scale-up of the digital economy and e-commerce—key tailwinds for local entrepreneurs.