Business & Money | Sunday 21 May, 2017 6:50 am |

In another move aimed at further strengthening its local presence across key markets in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, Mastercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, recently inaugurated its first office in Amman, which will also serve as its Levant headquarters dedicated to the company’s operations in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine.

Located in the King Hussein Business Park in Amman, the new office signals Mastercard’s continued geographical expansion, commitment to the region and its plans to further strengthen relationships with local partners and industry stakeholders including banks, telcos and governments.

In addition to Basel Eltell, General Manager, Saudi Arabia and Levant Cluster, who heads Mastercard’s Levant operations, the inauguration ceremony was attended by high-level government officials and other senior executives from Mastercard including Timothy Murphy, General Counsel and Chief Franchise Officer and Khalid Elgibali, Division President – MENA.

“We congratulate Mastercard on the opening of their Levant headquarters in Jordan. Mastercard’s formal presence in the market will enable the company to build closer and deeper associations with local industry players across all markets in Levant. Backed by Mastercard’s firm resolve to transform the regional payments landscape through innovation and the Levant countries’ drive for digitization and advancements in technology, we see the opening of this office as a significant positive step that is set to contribute to the long-term growth of the financial and payments sector in the region,” said Dr. Ziad Fariz, Governor of the Central Bank of Jordan.

“Jordan and the wider Levant region have evolved to become a key market for Mastercard, where demand for and usage of electronic payment solutions is growing exponentially. Opening an office in Amman, which is one of the main commercial and financial centers in the region, will allow Mastercard to more efficiently serve our partners in this region and capitalize on the accelerating market opportunity,” said Khalid Elgibali, Division President – MENA, Mastercard. “The new office further expands our footprint in the region, and will serve as a strategic nerve center from which to launch and coordinate our efforts aimed at enhancing the payments ecosystem in Jordan and Levant and promoting digital transformation and financial inclusion in the region.”

Commenting on the event, Basel Eltell, General Manager, Saudi Arabia and Levant Cluster, Mastercard, said, “The new office will bring Mastercard closer to its banking partners, merchants and consumers in Jordan and consolidate our reputation as a customer-centric company that is always looking for ways to engage with its target audiences more meaningfully. Mastercard’s success in Jordan has been built on the back of its industry-leading technology and its extensive network of strategic alliances with influential ecosystem stakeholders, and establishing a physical presence in the capital city will enable us to strengthen existing partnerships and build new ones to create value for consumers across the country.”

Mastercard has been serving customers in Jordan for the last 24 years, having begun its operations there in 1993 with the launch of the Mastercard Gold credit card in partnership with Jordan Ahli Bank, one of the largest banks in the Kingdom.