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Kuwait-based digital payments provider Tap Payments has advanced to 13th place in Forbes Middle East’s Top 50 Fintech Companies 2026, marking its third consecutive appearance on the list. The company ranked 18th in 2025 and 24th in 2024, gaining 11 places over two years.

Founded in Kuwait in 2014 by entrepreneur Ali Abou Hassan, Tap Payments set out to simplify digital payment acceptance for businesses. Its services now reach more than 120,000 companies across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), supported by locally developed infrastructure connecting domestic payment methods, including Kuwait’s KNET network, with regional and international payment networks.

The platform enables businesses and small enterprises to accept payments, manage funds and operate across multiple markets. Tap Payments also holds regulatory licences and approvals in all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Egypt, allowing businesses to work with a single payments partner when entering new markets.

In September 2026, the company announced a partnership with HSBC Kuwait to support card payment acceptance for the bank’s corporate and business customers. The service is designed to help finance teams reconcile and settle transactions by providing clearer information on payments and settlement processes.

Simplifying Digital Payments

Ali Abou Hassan, co-founder and CEO of Tap Payments, said the company was established in Kuwait with a clear ambition to simplify digital payments and help businesses grow. He noted that its operations have since expanded across MENA, supported by locally developed infrastructure and partnerships with regulators, banks and regional payment networks.

He added that the company’s third consecutive inclusion in the Forbes Middle East ranking and its rise to 13th place reflect the team’s progress and Tap Payments’ expanding role in the region’s fintech ecosystem. He also thanked the employees, customers and partners who contributed to its growth.

Tap Payments is continuing to develop TapOS, its business payments management system. The platform brings together invoicing, payment acceptance, wallet balances, outgoing transfers and reporting in a single workspace, helping finance and operations teams manage payment activities across different brands and markets.

Operating as a licensed payments institution and technology services provider, Tap Payments serves businesses throughout MENA. Its infrastructure connects regional and international payment methods, supporting payment acceptance, fund management and business operations across markets.