The agreement was formally signed at Almana Group headquarters in Doha, Qatar, marking the start of a strategic collaboration to develop payroll-linked Earned Wage Access (EWA) solutions across the GCC, with broader expansion plans expected to extend into selected Southeast Asian markets.
Doha, Qatar โย The scope of the investment includes the development and scaling of Liabifyโsย Earned Wage Access (EWA) and Salary Loans with pre-paid/salary Cards Issuance, plus its embedded finance models in wallets, ERPs and HRMS, and a broaderย AI-powered ย payroll-linked financial ecosystem for Sending Now Pay Later (SNPL) models.
The initiative will reach more than 4,000 Almana Group direct employees in Qatar, representing USD 13M+ worth of monthly payroll transactions and approximately USD 164Mon an annual basis, [MZ1]ย with the objective of enhancing financial flexibility and improving access to earned income in a more dynamic and responsive way.
Almana Group, Qatarโs leading diversified conglomerate since 1960, with operations spanning automotive, industrial, Oil & Gas ย , real estate, trading, healthcare and services, is leveraging this partnership to empower employees across the group with access to a modern financial wellbeing solution designed to support greater financial inclusion, flexibility, and day-to-day financial resilience, while also positioning itself as a key contributor to the broader development and expansion of financial wellbeing solutions [MZ2]ย initiatives across the GCC in collaboration with Liabify.
Official signing ceremony held at Almana Groupโs Headquarters in Qatar, featuring representatives from Almana Group, Managing Director Mr. Tariq Omar Al Mana and Group CEO Mr. AlMoatasim Billah Sharqawi, alongside Liabifyโs co-founders Dr. Allan Villegas (CEO), Michael Javier (COO), and Abdul Rhasid (CTO).
The rollout strategy is designed to enable coordinated and scalable expansion across key GCC and Southeast Asian markets through a phased approach aligned between all stakeholders. The initial focus will be Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while broader expansion plans will also extend into Southeast Asian markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines. Across each market, both parties will adapt the solution to local payroll structures, regulatory frameworks, and workforce needs, with the objective of progressively going live across these regions by 2027.
In parallel, the UAE serves as the first fully operational market, providing a live environment to validate performance, optimize capabilities, and gather real usage insights. This phased deployment acts as a reference point to support further regional expansion, ensuring a more efficient and data-driven rollout while balancing speed with operational readiness and full regulatory compliance.[MZ3]ย
Mr. Tariq Omar Al Mana, Almana Group Managing Directorย “This partnership reflects our strategic vision to create value beyond our core business โ investing in our people’s financial solutions while positioning Almana Group as a key enabler of modern workforce financial infrastructure across the GCC.”
Mr. Almoatasim Billah Sharqawi, Almana Group CEOย “With over 4,000 employees across our Qatar operations, integrating a payroll-linked financial wellbeing solution is a strategic and impactful step. We are committed to ensuring a seamless, compliant, and efficient rollout that delivers real benefit to our workforce from day one.”
Dr. Allan Villegas, Co-Founder and CEO of Liabify added:ย โWith this strategic investment and partnership, we expect to distribute over USD 10 million in Earned Wage Access within the first 18 months, [MZ4]ย serving over 4,000 Almana Group employees with this benefit, and subsequently expanding to the broader corporate ecosystem as we pursue a regulatory license with the Qatar Central Bank, while ensuring full compliance under the Central Bank of the UAE framework through our partnership with Mawarid Finance.โ
The collaboration also opens the door to potential strategic cooperation with Al Mana Exchange Company, a Qatar Central Bank (QCB)-licensed financial institution, which will facilitate a pivotal role in integrating these solutions for the benefit of users[MZ5]ย , further strengthening the development of compliant and scalable financial infrastructure across the region. This strategic partnership marks a significant step in advancing embedded financial wellbeing solutions across the GCC, combining Almana Groupโs regional scale and operational depth with Liabifyโs technology and innovation capabilities. Together, both organizations aim to set a new benchmark for how earned wage access and employee financial wellbeing solutions are deployed and scaled across enterprise environments in the region.
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