Payments Leadership · GCC
SameerSyed
A senior payments professional with 15+ years shaping issuing, acquiring and cross-border products across the GCC.
Dubai, UAE GCC Region Payments
Experience
15+ years
Region
GCC · 6 markets
15+
Years in Payments
6
GCC Markets
3.2x
Portfolio TPV Growth
40+
Partnerships Closed
About
A career built on rails, trust and regional nuance.
For over a decade and a half I've worked at the intersection of banking, technology and commerce — turning payment rails into products people actually love to use.
My home turf is the GCC: a region where the pace of digital payments transformation is unmatched, and where understanding culture, regulation and customer behaviour matters as much as the tech itself.
Payments DNA
Cards, wallets, acquiring, switches & schemes.
Partnerships
Issuers, fintechs, regulators & global networks.
Trusted Operator
Risk-aware, compliance-first, commercially sharp.
Growth Mindset
Builds P&L and teams that scale across markets.
Healthy GCC footprint
UAE✦Saudi Arabia✦Bahrain✦Kuwait✦Oman✦Qatar✦UAE✦Saudi Arabia✦Bahrain✦Kuwait✦Oman✦Qatar✦UAE✦Saudi Arabia✦Bahrain✦Kuwait✦Oman✦Qatar✦
Experience
15+ years across issuers, networks and fintechs.
Sep 2025 — Present
Vice Chairman — Acquiring & Payments Committee
UAE Banks FederationDubai, UAE
- Driving the forum's strategic agenda for the evolving UAE digital payments landscape — contactless, QR, BNPL and merchant services.
- Representing acquirers with the Central Bank of the UAE, government bodies and industry stakeholders on interchange, data security and dispute resolution.
- Aligning with peer banking forums on AML / KYC and tackling market challenges around infrastructure gaps and standardisation.
Aug 2022 — Present
Executive Manager — Merchant Acquiring
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB)Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Head the Payments Acquiring business — owning P&L, pricing, cost control and profitability across retail and e-commerce.
- Run a regional e-commerce platform supporting 35+ currencies with centralised processing, analytics and reporting.
- Lead a multi-function team across sales, product, operations and risk; previously Manager — Sales & Service, Merchant Acquiring (since Sep 2017).
- Drive loyalty propositions (EPP, e-coupons, instant rewards, rebates) and DCC acceptance across high foreign-spend merchants.
Jun 2016 — Aug 2017
Head of GCC Region — Brand Services
JCB InternationalDubai, UAE
- Led JCB Brand Services across a defined MENA subset — operating plan, product offerings, client management and partner workshops.
- Drove EMV / 3-D Secure and multi-currency acceptance and issuing of JCB cards across the region.
- Owned regional P&L, infrastructure and category development initiatives, supporting issuers to grow portfolio performance.
Feb 2012 — May 2016
Key Account Manager — Cards & Merchant Acquiring
Network InternationalDubai, UAE
- Business owner for the Emirates NBD e-wallet; managed strategic POS merchant relationships across the UAE.
- Rendered e-commerce services on MIGS (Mastercard) and Cybersource (Visa) payment gateways across the MEA market.
- Drove DCC revenue, EMV-integrated POS for hospitality & retail, and rolled out gift / staff / loyalty card programmes.
Sep 2010 — Mar 2012
IT Service Desk / Business Development Manager
OMA Emirates — Solution Gulf LLCDubai, UAE
- Drove business development across the Middle East and launched OMA Petrol Solutions at GITEX.
- Part of the NFC launch in the Middle East with du; represented the organisation at GITEX, IBEX and Cards Middle East.
Expertise
Where I create the most value.
Cards Issuing & Acquiring96%
Cross-border & Remittance92%
Digital Wallets & Tokenisation90%
Scheme & Regulator Relations94%
P&L and Commercial Strategy88%
Product & Partnerships93%
Strategy & GTM
Scheme Certifications
Risk & Compliance
Contact
Let's build the next chapter of payments together.
Whether it's a partnership conversation, an advisory engagement, or a senior leadership opportunity in the GCC payments space — I'm always open to a thoughtful conversation.