New portal allows local merchants speedier access to cash withdrawal; enables them to transfer PayPal funds to a UAE bank account as often as they like

Strategic partnership expected to help MENA e-commerce grow exponentially and encourage new online business start-ups

Dubai, UAE, January 27, 2015 - Network International, the leading payment solutions provider in the MENA region, and PayPal announced today the launch of a dedicated portal that will enable UAE merchants to withdraw funds from their PayPal accounts to any UAE bank in the local currency (AED).

The new portal, the first in the region, is expected to significantly increase e-commerce opportunities in the UAE, as it allows PayPal users with merchant accounts faster and easier access to their PayPal funds. Merchants can now register for this service by visiting www.paypal-withdrawal.ae.

The service will also lower the cost of managing online funds and will give merchants more control over their cash flow - a vital asset for small businesses and start-ups that need access to capital. In addition, the introduction of AED transfers means lower currency conversion charges for merchants.

"We expect the introduction of this feature to help MENA ecommerce grow exponentially," commented Kivanç Onan, the Regional Director of PayPal MENA & Turkey. "One of the biggest challenges facing any online business is access to payments, and we believe PayPal's partnership with Network International will help existing e-merchants in that regard, and allow start-ups and small businesses to set up an online shop easily.

"Our vision is to enable and empower both merchants and consumers to make the most of the convenience of online shopping. The partnership is another indication of our commitment to the region and provides everyone with the opportunity to conduct business online, essentially making every consumer a potential future e-business owner," concluded Kivanç. 

"As the leading provider of payment solutions in the MENA, one of our strategic objectives at Network International is to enable the growth of e-commerce across the region through developing speedy and secure payment solutions," said Bhairav Trivedi, Chief Executive Officer, Network International. "Our partnership with PayPal empowers local merchants and start-ups by providing safer and quicker access to cash payments."

The launch of the portal coincides with an incredible growth for e-commerce in the UAE, with an increasing number of websites offering products that were unavailable previously in the region. This is combined with a gradual positive shift in consumer behaviour toward online shopping.

Paolo Zambonini, Executive Vice President - Product & Innovation, Network International, commented: "E-commerce is among the fastest growing businesses in the region, with transactions estimated to reach USD 15 billion by 2015. The new portal establishes a robust payment infrastructure for local merchants as well as creating opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to enter the e-commerce market."

About Network International:
Established in 1994, Network International LLC is the largest acquirer in the UAE, and a leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The company's service offering comprises a comprehensive range of payment products and services for both the Issuing and Acquiring segments of banks, financial institutions and retail merchants. This includes credit, debit and prepaid card processing, ATM management and monitoring, merchant acquiring and processing, fraud management, e-commerce services and mobile solutions for the payments industry, with the objective of enabling speedy, secure and convenient payment transactions for customers. In addition, the company offers several value-add products including data analytics, scoring and loyalty solutions. Network International has Operation centers in the UAE, Egypt and India, with its corporate head office in Dubai. The company continues to invest in strategic partnerships that will increasingly see its influence spread across the region.

Network International is a Principal Member of Visa International and MasterCard International in the UAE and enjoys extension of its MasterCard License in other key countries. It is also a member of JCB and Union Pay card schemes, and it owns and manages the Diners Club International Franchise in the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. In 2013, the company launched a GCC based domestic scheme, Mercury, and partnered with Discover Financial Services (DFS) to allow global acceptance of Mercury cards on the Discover, Diners Club International and PULSE networks. Network International, a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) certified company, is also a major player in the international remittance industry and owns a majority stake in TimesofMoney Ltd., a leading global online remittance and digital payments company facilitating cross-border remittances and domestic payments in emerging economies. 

About PayPal:
At PayPal, we put people at the center of everything we do. Founded in 1998, we continue to be at the forefront of the digital payments revolution, processing almost 11.5 million payments for our customers per day. PayPal gives people better ways to connect to their money and to each other, helping them send money without sharing financial information and with the flexibility to pay using their PayPal account balances, bank accounts, PayPal Credit and credit cards. With our 162 million active digital wallets, we have created an open and secure payments ecosystem people and businesses choose to securely transact with each other online, in stores and on mobile devices. PayPal is a truly global payments platform that is available to people in 203 markets, allowing customers to get paid in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds to their bank accounts in 57 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 26 currencies. PayPal is an eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) company. In September 2014, eBay Inc. announced the planned separation of eBay and PayPal into independent publicly traded companies in 2015. More information about PayPal can be found at www.paypal.com and www.paypal-media.com. More information about the planned separation of eBay and PayPal can be found at update.ebayinc.com.

For further information on Network International, please contact:
Tricia Rego / Ajith Henry
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Dubai, UAE
Tel: 971-4-4507600 Fax: 971-4-4358040
Email: tricia.rego@bm.com / ajith.henry@bm.com

For further information on PayPal, please contact:
Helen Pickerill
Account Director
T: +971 4 375 8951
Helen.pickerill@grayling.com

© Press Release 2015