• Egypt-based fintech NowPay is launching in Saudi Arabia through NowAccess, a joint venture with United International Holding Company’s consumer finance arm Tas’heel.
• The move is backed by a $20 million investment from Tas’heel, which will hold 75% of NowAccess, with NowPay retaining 25%.
• Founded in 2019 by Mostafa Ashour, NowPay focuses on improving the financial wellness of corporate employees. It enables employees to get paid at any point in time during the month.
• Funds will be used to build local engineering and operations teams, localise products, and support market entry; the deal brings NowPay’s total funding to $31 million.

Press release:

NowPay, a Cairo-based fintech focused on payroll and employee financial wellness, has announced its entry into the Saudi market through NowAccess, a newly established joint venture with Tas’heel, the consumer finance arm of United International Holding Company.

The partnership follows an MoU signed by the two companies in early 2025 and comes amid accelerating demand in Saudi Arabia for modern payroll, HR, and fintech infrastructure. Under the agreement, Tas’heel has invested $20 million in the venture and will hold a 75% stake, while NowPay will retain 25%.

NowAccess will leverage NowPay’s experience in building payroll-linked employee wellness products at scale across MENA, combined with Tas’heel’s deep local expertise, shariah-compliant balance sheet, and nationwide operational footprint of more than 310 service locations.

“Saudi Arabia represents a high-growth market for payroll and employee financial solutions,” said Mostafa Ashour, CEO and Co-founder of NowPay. “NowAccess gives us the operating depth and local expertise required to scale quickly and compliantly, while bringing our proven technology to employers and employees across the Kingdom.”

The capital injection will be used to establish a Saudi-based engineering and operations team, localise products for the market, and support the venture’s commercial launch. NowAccess is currently in its market-entry phase, with employer partnerships expected to be announced as part of the formal rollout.

By partnering with Tas’heel, NowPay aims to bypass the typical regulatory and operational hurdles faced by foreign fintechs entering Saudi Arabia, positioning NowAccess to deliver payroll, HR, and payroll-linked shariah-compliant financial solutions tailored to local market needs.