Mastercard, Tamatem team up on gaming payments in MENA

Mastercard and Tamatem are expanding in-app gaming payments across more than 13 markets in the Middle East and Africa, starting with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The deal centers on Tamatem Plus, which will use Mastercard Gateway to offer localized checkout, more payment options and stronger fraud protection for gaming publishers and players.

Why it matters: - The partnership targets a gaming market in MENA that reached about $7.1 billion in 2025, according to a recent report, with the region growing 7.5% year on year. - The collaboration aims to make digital payments easier for gamers and give publishers a more direct way to sell to players across fragmented regional markets. - Tamatem Plus will help gaming companies scale across MENA with localized commerce tools instead of building separate payment setups market by market.

What happened: - Mastercard and Tamatem announced a collaboration on Oct. 8, 2026, in Abu Dhabi. - Mastercard Gateway, available through Mastercard Merchant Cloud, will power Tamatem Plus, Tamatem’s white-label digital commerce platform and marketplace. - The rollout covers more than 13 markets across the Middle East and Africa. - The launch starts in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The details: - Tamatem Plus lets gamers check out through localized web stores and in-game checkout experiences. - The platform supports cards, local alternative payment methods and telco wallet balances. - Authentication and fraud protection are built into the checkout flow. - Tamatem Plus already powers more than 30 localized storefronts. - The platform gives access to more than 50 local payment methods through a single integration. - As a direct Mastercard Gateway partner, Tamatem Plus will get 24/7 technical support. - The partnership also includes multiple local and international acquirer connections. - Mastercard Merchant Cloud provides a modular payment framework with services such as agentic commerce, advanced fraud protection, authentication, tokenization, data and partner services. - Mastercard says the setup is designed to help merchants and businesses across MEA and beyond scale faster, more securely and with less friction.

Between the lines: - The deal reflects how payment infrastructure is becoming a competitive advantage in gaming, especially in markets with different consumer preferences and local payment habits. - Tamatem is positioning itself not just as a publisher, but as a commerce layer for other gaming and digital-content companies. - The partnership also strengthens Mastercard’s role in digital commerce in a region where in-app purchases and mobile payments are growing. - Mete Güney, executive vice president of market development for EEMEA at Mastercard, said gaming is one of the fastest-growing passions in the region and called Tamatem a local success story. - Hussam Hammo, founder and CEO of Tamatem, said the partnership is a step toward making it simpler and more secure for gamers to play, pay and belong. - Faisal Al Bitar, managing director of Tamatem Plus, said the platform was built to remove the complexity of a fragmented regional payments landscape.

What's next: - Tamatem Plus and Mastercard will expand the payment setup across the more than 13 targeted markets. - The companies will focus first on Saudi Arabia and the UAE before broader regional scaling. - Tamatem Plus is expected to use Mastercard’s network, support services and training to deepen local capabilities and grow its commerce platform across MENA.

The bottom line: - Mastercard is embedding its payment rails deeper into regional gaming, while Tamatem is turning localized payments into a growth product for publishers across MENA.