Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain – Arab Financial Services (AFS), the region's leading digital payment processor and fintech enabler, today announced a potential strategic engagement with RestHero, a specialized restaurant technology platform through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).The engagement marks another step in AFS’s strategy to accelerate fintech innovation and expand digital capabilities across the region.

 The MOU establishes a framework for the parties to explore offering RestHero’s technology across the region’s Food & Beverage (F&B) sector, enabling merchants across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) to adopt seamless digital commerce channels. This contributes to the wider digital evolution of the region’s F&B industry, supporting merchants as they shift to more modern and scalable commerce models.
 

This partnership moves beyond simple payment acceptance. It gives F&B merchants a direct channel to capture higher-margin sales, reduce dependence on third-party aggregators, and retain more control over their customer relationships.

By combining AFS’s secure payment infrastructure with RestHero’s digital ordering, loyalty, and social commerce capabilities, the collaboration will offer merchants a unified platform to manage their online channels, consolidate operational and payment data, and coordinate customer interactions more efficiently. This practical integration helps restaurants streamline day-to-day operations, reduce manual work, and deliver a more consistent experience across every customer touchpoint, including social media. 

Mr. Samer Soliman, CEO of Arab Financial Services, commented: "Our commitment is clear: we are a pivotal enabler of promising fintech ventures across this region. This proposed strategic investment in RestHero is not merely a partnership; it is a profound step in building the future of regional F&B. By combining their sophisticated digital ordering and social commerce tools with AFS's established, secure payment network, we are creating a single, powerful ecosystem. This allows our merchant partners to instantly pivot to higher revenue capture and minimize operational friction, securing their growth trajectory in an increasingly digital consumer landscape."

Dr. Abdulla Al Shimmari, CEO of RestHero, added: “The investment and partnership with AFS is a transformative endorsement of RestHero's proprietary technology. By seamlessly integrating our dynamic customer engagement platform with their trusted, high-volume payment rails, we've unlocked a unique value proposition for F&B merchants. This unified infrastructure allows our partners to finally leverage real-time data for personalized marketing, achieving faster scale and gaining a definitive competitive edge in a rapidly evolving digital market." 

Together, AFS and RestHero will continue exploring opportunities outlined in the MOU to support F&B merchants in strengthening their digital capabilities and enhancing operational efficiency across the region.

About AFS:

Arab Financial Services (AFS) was formed in 1984 to provide payment products, services and expertise to banks and merchant groups and deliver customized payment solutions in an increasingly divergent, disruptive, and dynamic payment ecosystem.

AFS is owned by 37 banks and financial institutions and serves over 60 clients in more than 20 countries across the Middle East and Africa. Today, AFS is the region’s leading digital payment solutions provider and fintech enabler. Regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain and the Central Bank of Egypt and licensed by the Central Bank of UAE, its dedication to innovation has made AFS a driving force in the market offering a rich portfolio of payment solutions including Open Banking Hub, popular digital wallets, market-leading merchant acquisition services, digital payroll solutions and more. Providing the highest quality payments solutions that are trusted by businesses, AFS has offices and data centers in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Arab Republic of Egypt, Sultanate of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

AFS Media Relations
Email: pr@afs.com.bh

About RestHero:

RestHero is an AI-powered leading SaaS platform transforming the Food & Beverage industry by empowering restaurants to take full control of their online presence and sales. Founded to simplify digital transformation for F&B businesses, RestHero enables restaurants, cafés, and cloud kitchens to launch their own branded online ordering systems commission-free and fully integrated with delivery partners. With a focus on innovation, flexibility, and profitability, RestHero provides an all-in-one solution that includes smart menu management, real-time order tracking, customer engagement tools, and AI-driven insights for personalized recommendations and smarter business decisions. Today, RestHero is helping hundreds of F&B brands across the region grow their direct sales, strengthen customer relationships, and redefine the future of digital dining.