Apple Pay Launches in Qatar

[MacRumors]

Apple Pay has launched for iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac users in Qatar, expanding Apple's regional reach for its mobile payment solution, according to a post by the QNB Group (via AppleInsider).

Apple Pay in Qatar will first be available with the Dukhan Bank and QNB Group, which calls itself the "largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa." Other banks in the country can be expected to add Apple Pay support in the coming weeks and months. With Apple Pay, customers of QNB bank cards can now easily use their iPhone and Apple Watch to complete purchases at contactless payment terminals and on their Macs for online purchases.

Heba Al-Tamimi, QNB's Group general manager, lauded the launch of Apple Pay in Qatar as a step towards offering customers ease of use and "state-of-the-art technologies."

Commenting on this, Heba Al-Tamimi, General Manager, QNB Group's Retail Banking, said: "We are proud for taking the initiative of bringing Apple Pay to the Qatari market. QNB has a reputation of providing its customers with state-of-the-art technologies. With Apple Pay payment services enabled to our customers, we commit to address their changing needs with the highest and most advanced levels of service."

Before Qatar, Apple Pay launched in Saudi Arabia in 2019 and other countries, such as Israel, South Africa, and Mexico earlier this year.

Article Link: Apple Pay Launches in Qatar

 

[DarknessUK]

Pretty sure Apple Pay in Japan was in 2016.......with the intro of the iPhone 7 there.

 

[lartola]

Pretty sure Apple Pay in Japan was in 2016.......with the intro of the iPhone 7 there.

Correct, but back then it launched without support for Visa cards, which was just introduced last May. Maybe that’s why the author got confused and thought it was earlier this year. He also didn’t mention South Africa, where Apple Pay did launch earlier this year.