Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, announced a major expansion of its Direct Global Network across the Middle East. The expansion introduces new payout services into six key markets: the Kingdom of Bahrain, Lebanon, the Sultanate of Oman, South Yemen, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This move significantly enhances Thunes' cross-border infrastructure in the region, delivering faster, highly transparent payment solutions for Members of Thunes' Direct Global Network. Members can now process payouts to millions of bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pickup locations in local currencies throughout the region, either through direct API integration with Thunes or by leveraging existing Swift connectivity.

The regional rollout builds on Thunes' expansion of real-time payments across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in September 2025 and targets diverse economic needs across the Middle East:

• Powering Digital Economies: In Bahrain, where the non-oil sector contributed 85% of real GDP in 2025, Thunes supports direct bank payouts aligned with the nation's National Digital Economy Strategy. In Oman, bank account payouts support the digital transformation goals of Oman Vision 2040 alongside projected GDP growth of 4% in 2026.
• Fueling Enterprise and Consumer Growth: In the UAE, a primary regional payments hub driven by the National Payment Systems Strategy (NPSS), Thunes now supports bank account payouts for both consumers and enterprises.
• Delivering Vital Remittance Lifelines: In markets relying on remittance flows for economic resilience and recovery, Thunes provides critical access points:
• - Lebanon: Supporting mobile wallet payouts in a market receiving roughly $7 billion per year in remittances.
  - South Yemen: Enabling bank and cash pickup payouts where remittances represent over 38% of its total GDP, ranking among the top three most remittance-dependent nations globally.
  - Syria: Introducing payouts to cash pickup locations, providing reliable financial access amid broader efforts to rebuild the local banking system.

Chloé Mayenobe, Deputy CEO at Thunes, said: "Launching new payout capabilities across the Middle East unlocks significant value for our Members and their end-users. These markets are deeply committed to digital innovation and financial inclusion. Thunes is proud to provide the infrastructure that empowers businesses and individuals to participate seamlessly in international commerce and the broader global economy."

With this expansion, Thunes reinforces its position as a leading provider of global money movement. The solutions leverage Thunes' in-house SmartX Treasury System for AI-driven forecasting and real-time liquidity management, and its Fortress Compliance Platform, which benefits from over 50 licences worldwide, ensuring that every payment is executed with the highest levels of security, compliance and operational efficiency.