Almana Group has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Liabify to develop and scale payroll-linked Earned Wage Access (EWA) solutions across the GCC, with plans to expand into selected Southeast Asian markets.
The agreement was signed at Almana Group’s headquarters in Doha and marks the start of a collaboration focused on employee financial wellbeing, payroll-linked lending solutions, and embedded finance services.
The official signing ceremony was attended by Tariq Omar Al Mana, Managing Director of Almana Group, AlMoatasim Billah Sharqawi, Group CEO of Almana Group, and Liabify co-founders Allan Villegas, CEO, Michael Javier, COO, and Abdul Rhasid, CTO.
As per the agreement, Liabify will develop and scale its Earned Wage Access platform, salary loans, prepaid and salary card issuance services, and embedded finance solutions integrated into digital wallets, enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, and human resource management systems (HRMS).
The partnership will also support the development of an AI-powered payroll-linked financial ecosystem, including Sending Now Pay Later (SNPL) models designed to improve access to earned income and enhance financial flexibility for employees.
Image credits: Liabify | Cropped by GBN
The initiative is expected to serve more than 4,000 Almana Group employees in Qatar, covering monthly payroll transactions exceeding $13 million and annual payroll volumes of approximately $164 million, while providing workers with faster access to earned wages and a broader range of payroll-linked financial services designed to enhance financial flexibility and overall financial wellbeing.
Rollout to begin in Qatar and Saudi Arabia
The rollout strategy will follow a phased approach across key GCC and Southeast Asian markets. Initial deployment will focus on Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with future expansion planned for markets including Indonesia and the Philippines.
According to the companies, the solution will be adapted to local payroll systems, regulatory requirements, and workforce needs, with the objective of progressively launching across these markets by 2027.
Image credits: Liabify | Cropped by GBN
The UAE will serve as the first fully operational market, providing a live environment to validate performance, optimize capabilities, and generate operational insights ahead of broader regional expansion.
Executives outline strategic objectives
Tariq Omar Al Mana, Managing Director of Almana Group, said that the collaboration reflects the group’s strategic vision to create value beyond its core business by investing in employee-focused financial solutions while positioning Almana Group as a key enabler of modern workforce financial infrastructure across the GCC.
Almoatasim Billah Sharqawi, CEO of Almana Group, commented that the introduction of a payroll-linked financial wellbeing solution for more than 4,000 employees in Qatar represents a strategic and impactful step for the organization. He added that the company is committed to ensuring a seamless, compliant, and efficient rollout that delivers tangible benefits to employees from the outset.
Dr. Allan Villegas Co-Founder & CEO – Liabify
“With this strategic investment and partnership, we expect to distribute over $10 million in Earned Wage Access within the first 18 months, serving over 4,000 Almana Group employees with this benefit, and subsequently expanding to the broader corporate ecosystem as we pursue a regulatory license with the Qatar Central Bank, while ensuring full compliance under the Central Bank of the UAE framework through our partnership with Mawarid Finance.”
Focus on regional financial wellbeing infrastructure
The collaboration also creates opportunities for future cooperation with Al Mana Exchange Company, a Qatar Central Bank-licensed financial institution, to support the integration of payroll-linked financial solutions and strengthen compliant financial infrastructure across the region.
The partnership combines Almana Group’s regional scale and operational expertise with Liabify’s financial technology capabilities, with both organizations aiming to expand earned wage access and employee financial wellbeing solutions across enterprise environments in the GCC.
