Tabby Buy-Now-Pay-Later Platform

Tabby is a buy-now-pay-later platform founded in Dubai that has become the MENA region's most successful consumer fintech. The company raised $160 million in Series E funding in early 2025, achieving unicorn status. Tabby allows users across the Gulf to split purchases into interest-free installments, addressing a market where credit card penetration is lower than in Western countries and where Islamic finance principles discourage traditional interest-bearing credit.

Tabby's success demonstrates that Gulf fintech can compete globally by solving region-specific problems. The platform's Sharia-compliant structure, Arabic-first user experience, and integration with regional retail ecosystems gave it advantages that global BNPL players like Klarna and Afterpay could not easily replicate.

The broader implication is that the Gulf's fintech ecosystem is maturing beyond regulatory sandboxes into genuine scale-ups. Tabby, alongside other local champions, validates the DIFC model of creating regulatory environments that incubate globally competitive financial technology companies.