{
  "id": 7603660,
  "title": "SAMA, Qatar Central Bank enable Mada–Himyan national card payments",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/sama-qatar-central-bank-enable-mada-himyan-national-card-payments",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-15T17:10:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Saudi Gazette",
    "slug": "saudi-gazette",
    "url": "https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/664602/saudi-arabia/sama-qatar-central-bank-enable-madahimyan-national-card-payments"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and Qatar Central Bank have partnered to enable national payment cards \"mada\" in Qatar and \"HIMYAN\" in Saudi Arabia to be accepted across borders. This move signifies the two nations' ongoing collaboration and integration in the payments sector. The expansion of national card acceptance aligns with the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) broader goal of developing shared payment infrastructure and enhancing economic and financial integration among GCC countries. The Gulf Payment Network (GCC-NET) provides Gulf nationals and expatriates with the ability to withdraw cash from ATMs and make payments at Point of Sale (POS) terminals using GCC network debit cards. This initiative aims to simplify, expedite, and reduce the cost of payments for customers while enhancing overall service quality across the GCC region.",
  "summary": "RIYADH — The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), in cooperation with Qatar Central Bank, announced that the acceptance of national payment cards “mada” in Qatar and “HIMYAN” in Saudi Arabia will be rolled out gradually. The acceptance of the two countries’ national payment cards reflects their continued cooperation and integration in payments. It also supports joint Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) efforts…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CoinDesk",
        "title": "European Central Bank calls for merchants to participate in digital euro pilot",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/european-central-bank-calls-for-merchants-to-participate-in-digital",
        "published": "2026-09-15T14:15:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}