Thunes has expanded its Direct Global Network payout services to six Middle East markets, including Bahrain, Lebanon, and the UAE.
The announcement gives members of the network access to bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pickup locations across the six markets in local currencies. Members can connect either through direct API integration with Thunes or via existing SWIFT connectivity.
The Middle East expansion builds on Thunes' rollout of real-time cross-border payments in Saudi Arabia in September 2025. With the addition of the six new markets, Thunes now covers a broader range of economic profiles across the region, from digitally advanced hubs to markets where remittance inflows form a substantial share of national income.
Digital economy alignment in Bahrain and Oman
In Bahrain, where the non-oil sector accounted for 85% of real GDP in 2025 according to the country's Ministry of Finance and National Economy, Thunes supports direct bank payouts in line with the National Digital Economy Strategy. In addition, in Oman, bank account payouts are positioned to support the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, a national economic diversification programme, at a time when the International Monetary Fund projects GDP growth of 4% for the country in 2026.
In the UAE, Thunes now supports bank account payouts for both consumers and enterprises. The market is a regional payments hub shaped by the National Payment Systems Strategy, which promotes instant payment infrastructure across the country.
Remittance-dependent markets gain new access points
Three of the six markets rely heavily on remittance flows. In Lebanon, Thunes supports mobile wallet payouts in a market that receives an estimated seven billion USD in remittances annually, according to World Bank data cited by L'Orient Today. In South Yemen, the company enables bank and cash pickup payouts in a market where remittances represent over 38% of total GDP, placing it among the most remittance-dependent economies globally, per ReliefWeb. In Syria, Thunes has introduced payouts to cash pickup locations, providing access to funds as the country works to rebuild its banking system, an effort supported by the UNDP and the Central Bank of Syria.
The payout services are underpinned by Thunes' SmartX Treasury System, which the company describes as using automated forecasting for liquidity management, and its Fortress Compliance Platform, which the company states holds more than 50 licences worldwide. A Thunes official said the expansion is intended to give members and their end-users more direct access to markets that are prioritising digital payments and financial inclusion.
The expansion adds to a series of moves by cross-border payment providers to deepen coverage in the Middle East, a region where regulatory modernisation and remittance dependency are shaping demand for payout infrastructure in different ways across markets.
