The companies marked the expansion of their partnership with a signing ceremony in Riyadh and launched a simpler way to activate SiFi business cards.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 14 September 2026: SiFi, a Saudi fintech company specializing in business spend management, and IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST), a global leader in payment and connectivity solutions, formalized the expansion of their partnership during a signing ceremony at Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh, where they launched Tap to Activate for SiFi business cards.

Sifi and IDEMIA Secure Transactions teams following the signing ceremony at Money 20/20 Middle East in Riyadh: Ahmed Ihab, Partnerships and Market Expansion Lead at SiFi; Onib Nasir, Business Operations Director at SiFi; Fatih Kihtir, CTO of SiFi; Rami Panayoti, Co-founder & CBO of SiFi; Serigne Dia, Deputy Head of Payment Services MEA, Payment Services at IST; Mansoor Ali, Business Development Manager, Payment Services at IST; Rizwan Muhammad, Account Services Manager, Payment Services at IST; Rabih Berberi, Customer Relationship Executive, Payment Services at IST; Ali Akbar, Head of Strategy, Offering & Pre-Sales, Payment Services at IST.

The new service enables SiFi cardholders to activate a new card instantly by simply tapping it on their smartphone. This reduces the steps required to prepare a card for use and creates a smoother connection between receiving a physical card and managing it digitally through SiFi.

Developed by IST, the Tap to Activate solution brings activation directly to the cardholder’s smartphone, to provide businesses and their employees with a secure, convenient, and straightforward way to prepare their cards for use directly on the card issuers mobile application, without relying on ATMs or call-centers.

The launch reflects SiFi and IST’s shared focus on simplifying card management and delivering secure, intuitive payment experiences that meet the evolving expectations of businesses and cardholders in Saudi Arabia.

Rami Panayoti, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at SiFi, said: “Our customers expect their corporate cards to be ready when their teams need them. By expanding our partnership with IDEMIA Secure Transactions, we are reducing the steps between receiving a card and using it, while maintaining the security businesses rely on. Tap to Activate is another example of how SiFi is making everyday spend management faster, simpler, and more intuitive for companies across Saudi Arabia.”

Serigne DIA, Deputy Head of Payment Services MEA, IDEMIA Secure Transactions, said:“I’m thrilled about this new phase of our partnership with SiFi, expanding our collaboration to deliver an even more seamless customer experience. In today’s digital-first world, convenience and immediacy are increasingly important to customers, who expect simple, intuitive experiences across every interaction with their financial services provider. At IST, we are committed to working closely with our partners to bring meaningful innovation to payments, and that starts with removing friction from the customer journey, beginning with card management. Together with SiFi, we are putting customer-centricity at the heart of this next step, making everyday corporate payment experiences simpler and more intuitive for customers.”

The signing and launch at Money20/20 Middle East mark the next phase of the collaboration between SiFi and IST, supporting their shared commitment to making business card management simpler and more intuitive for customers in Saudi Arabia.

About SiFi

SiFi is a Saudi fintech company specializing in corporate spend management, serving more than 7,000 businesses through a single platform for issuing and managing business cards, setting spending controls, tracking expenses in real time, managing approvals, and connecting spending data with accounting processes.

SiFi is licensed as an Electronic Money Institution by the Saudi Central Bank.

About IDEMIA Group

  • IDEMIA Group is a global technology leader with more than 10,700 employees worldwide. Its two market-leading divisions deliver mission-critical solutions that simplify and secure interactions in the physical and digital realms:IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST) is the leading technology provider making it safer and easier to pay and connect. With unmatched expertise in cryptography and credential issuance, IST is trusted by over 2000 financial institutions, mobile operators, automotive manufacturers, and IoT providers worldwide. Every day, IST secures billions of essential transactions, ensuring the highest levels of data protection and convenience.
  • IDEMIA Public Security (IPS) is a trusted provider of government-grade and secure biometric-based solutions for 600 government, state and federal agencies. With decades of experience in biometric technologies, IPS enables safer, frictionless and fairer ways to secure travel, access and citizen protection. 

For more information, please visit www.idemia.com.