Dubai: Payrails, the financial operating system for global enterprises, today announced that it will set up its Middle East headquarters in Dubai, located in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. The move reinforces Payrails’ long-term commitment to supporting businesses across the Middle East with modern payments and financial infrastructure built for scale.

DIFC is a leading global financial centre with a common law framework, supporting financial services, FinTech, innovation, and cross-border commerce. Its ecosystem brings together financial institutions, technology providers, and enterprises operating across the Middle East and beyond. By establishing its regional headquarters in DIFC, Payrails joins a globally trusted ecosystem designed to support businesses that require strong governance, transparency, and operational resilience as they grow.

Payrails was built to address the growing complexities faced by companies managing payments internationally. With payments at the core, Payrails provides a modular financial operating system that helps businesses manage the full payment lifecycle and the workflows that surround it: from routing across providers without lock-in, to consolidating fragmented payment data, automating reconciliation, managing disputes, and more. This approach enables businesses to reduce operational overhead and adapt their infrastructure as their needs evolve.

Payrails already supports enterprise merchants operating at scale across the Middle East, including companies such as Careem and Majid Al-Futtaim, which rely on robust payments and financial infrastructure to support complex, multi-market operations. Building on its existing presence in the region, establishing a regional headquarters in Dubai brings Payrails closer to its customers and partners, supporting closer collaboration in a market where growth ambitions continue to increase amid rising payment complexity.

Salmaan Jaffery, Chief Business Development Officer at DIFC Authority, said: “We are confident that Payrails will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and accelerating the digital transformation of financial services within the region. Payrails adds significant value to DIFC’s thriving community of FinTech innovators. As a globally recognised top 4 FinTech environment, DIFC is committed to nurturing holistic development of innovation-focused companies like Payrails, by providing access to capital, mentorship, and extensive opportunities.”

“Global businesses today need financial infrastructure that can adapt as quickly as they do,” said Orkhan Abdullayev, CEO of Payrails. “DIFC offers the innovation environment, institutional trust, and ecosystem depth required to support ambitious companies scaling across the Middle East and beyond. Establishing our regional headquarters in Dubai allows us to work more closely with both regional champions and global businesses operating in the region, while building on a foundation designed for long-term scale and reliability.”

Being part of DIFC reflects Payrails’ continued focus on building financial infrastructure that supports teams responsible for managing growth across markets. By embedding itself within a globally recognized financial center, Payrails aims to support enterprises in managing payments and financial operations more effectively as their businesses expand.

About Payrails

Payrails is the financial operating system for global enterprises. With payments at the core, Payrails helps businesses optimize interconnected financial workflows through a modular, enterprise-grade platform. By reducing complexity across providers, data, and operations, Payrails enables companies to scale their financial infrastructure with confidence.

About Dubai International Financial Centre

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is the world's most advanced financial centre, shaping the global financial landscape and cementing Dubai's reputation as a leading business destination across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA).

As the region's only financial centre operating at scale across all sectors, DIFC is home to 8,844 active firms. These include 1,052 regulated firms including over 500 Wealth and Asset Management firms (including 100 hedge funds), 290 banks and capital markets firms, 135 insurance and (re)insurance companies, and 70 brokerage entities. Home to over 1,677 AI, FinTech and innovation, DIFC sets the benchmark for financial innovation and is a top four ranked FinTech hub across the world

Underpinned by a trusted, world-class legal and regulatory framework, including the region's most utilised commercial courts, DIFC ensures efficient governance and reinforces Dubai’s leadership in the digital economy. Connecting 50,200 professionals, it offers the region’s deepest pool of financial talent, serving as the gateway to MEASA for all financial players.

Beyond business, DIFC provides the complete urban experience with world-class lifestyle amenities, establishing it as a highly sought-after destination. The 17.7mn sq. ft. DIFC Zabeel District expansion which provides capacity for over 42,000 companies and a workforce of more than 125,000, DIFC is solidifying Dubai's position as a top four global financial centre. The new District will also include premium Grade A commercial office space, over 1mn sq.ft. allocated to future technologies including the world’s largest Innovation Hub and world’s first purpose-built AI Campus, an expanded academy, residential buildings, hotels, a conference centre, and a range of retail, dining, and cultural offerings, including a first-of-its-kind art pavilion.

Anchored in integrity, DIFC is the platform for success, driving the future of finance.

For further information, please visit our website: difc.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X @DIFC.

Nivine William
Burson | bursonglobal.com
nivine.william@bursonglobal.com

Rasha Mezher | Dubai International Financial Centre Authority  
Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications
rasha.mezher@difc.ae