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Blogs Thawani & Fintech Regulations in Oman Technology and the 4th Industrial revolution technologies adapted today facilitate financial transactions such as online payments, bill payments, and daily money transactions. However, this revolution to digital requires establishing a legislative framework that regulates Fintech and supports companies in the sector, all while keeping users' info and data secure. The first instances of these regulations appeared in 2016, with the introduction of Thawani Technologies, a motivator for the development of regulatory updates in the current industry. Thawani is an Omani company that provides innovative fintech solutions and secure and smart payment methods. In 2016, the Central Bank of Oman launched the online payment getaway (OmanNet), which is the central payment gateway in Oman that provides safe and secure e-commerce transactions that are made through local debit cards and encourages merchants to opt for e- commerce services within a central framework applying the latest standards in the sector. In 2017, The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) launched the mobile payment clearing system MpClear to equip the market for the operation of fintech companies and provide convenient mobile money transfer mechanisms. Next off, in 2018, the Legal Framework of the National Payment Systems was issued to keep pace with the rapid development in the digital payment industry and ensure high-quality, safe, and secure payment services.   In 2020, The Central Bank of Oman (CBO) issued the first license to non-banking financial entities (FinTech companies) in favor of Thawani Technologies. This license enables FinTech companies to enter the market and expand their business in the industry. In the same year, CBO launched the Fintech Regulatory Sandbox, which allows Omani fintech companies to live test their products and services in a controlled regulatory environment and enables a dynamic evidence-based regulatory system that keeps abreast of the latest global trends in the banking and financial sector. These strategic initiatives and legislative updates promote innovation in the fintech industry, support its development, and maintain stability within the highest standards of security and quality.

News AL MOUJ MUSCAT ENTERS INTO SMART NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH OMAN’S LEADING FINTECH COMPANY THAWANI Today an agreement was signed between Al Mouj Muscat and Thawani Pay, Oman’s leading digital payment company, which makes it possible for residents to start paying for services by smartphone. This announcement is the latest strategic partnership where digital innovation is transforming life at the Sultanate’s leading lifestyle destination and is creating opportunities for enterprise. A local start-up success story, Thawani Pay  is the Sultanate’s first non-banking financial company (NFBC) to be granted a Payment Service Provider (PSP) license by the Central Bank of Oman (CBO). . The fintech’s payment app can now be used by Al Mouj Muscat residents to securely and easily pay for services such as service and cooling charges. Through the application, they will be able to navigate and find Al Mouj Muscat’s tab and be able to enter their residential details to settle their outstanding payments. As Al Mouj Muscat’s CEO Nasser bin Masoud Al Sheibani says, this new agreement with Al Mouj Muscat is set to elevate its customer service further: “We are delighted to have entered into a partnership with Thawani demonstrating how we continue to innovate at Al Mouj Muscat. Thawani’s impressive solutions will greatly enhance and add value to the customer experience of our 7,000 residents. “The agreement also demonstrates our commitment to SMEs. SMEs are the backbone of the Omani economy and are critical to the successful diversification of our economy and so it is extremely rewarding to be able to support Thawani Pay by providing them with a platform for increased visibility.” As CEO of Thawani Pay, Majid Al Amri said: “We are very proud to enter an agreement with Al Mouj Muscat. Oman’s premier lifestyle and leisure destination continues to innovate, ensuring that digital solutions play their part in creating great moments for residents every day. “We know that users value our app for its real time visibility and anytime, anyplace accessibility  and we are excited to work to provide a solution that delights customers with a business partner as significant as Al Mouj Muscat.” Award winning Al Mouj Muscat is the first oceanfront, integrated lifestyle and leisure development in the Sultanate attracting 3.9 million visitors annually. It boasts high quality luxury amenities including a 400-berth marina, a world-renowned golf course, international hotels, and a vibrant retail and leisure district for both residents and visitors to enjoy.

News THAWANI TECHNOLOGIES LAUNCHES ‘THAWANI CHECKOUT’ ENABLING RETAILERS TO CONVENIENTLY SELL ONLINE Continuing to provide innovative payment solutions for all sectors, while meeting the growing local demand on e-commerce, Thawani Technologies launched its latest electronic payment gateway, ‘Thawani Checkout’. Enjoying competitive prices, online retailers can connect their systems to the new service, which is compatible with any coding language within hours, in order to swiftly process their customers’ payments.   Ensuring a fast and convent registration process, the new service offers users a host of other features including recurring billing, saving customers’ billing information on some platforms, as well as data encryption. It also provides tailored software adjustments for popular platforms like WooCommerce, OpenCart, and others in the near future. For more information about the new service, contact  [email protected].   Hamed Al-Kalbani, Products Manager at Thawani Technologies said, “Launching ‘Thawani Checkout’ will disrupt the e-commerce sector in the Sultanate as it offers unique service propositions including safety, efficiency, and convenience. Above all, it meets the evolving requirements of both online retailers and end-users providing an all-encompassing exceptional customer experience.”   Founded in 2016, Thawani Technologies is an Omani company that specializes in providing smart payment solutions, while holding a global certificate in card security. Licensed by the Central Bank of Oman in 2020, the company has been providing innovative payment solutions in financial technology, in order to expediate payments’ processes, improve user experiences, and make payments safer, faster, and easier.   In addition to the basic payments’ system, Thawani Technologies provides smart payment solutions through payment solutions that are built to meet the needs and challenges faced by institutions. The company also provides services through its platform to pay bills, top up credit, pay tuition fees, and social insurance. The company recently launched the updated version of its App, offering new products and significant improvements to its portfolio of services. Learn more about Thawani at www.Thawani.om.

News A MARKET FIRST THAWANI LAUNCHES CUSTOMISED CORPORATE E-WALLET FOR ROYAL OMAN POLICE Moving full-force ahead towards achieving its strategy in meeting the needs of Oman’s rapidly evolving payments sector, Thawani Technologies has signed a cooperation agreement with the Royal Oman Police (ROP) for a customised internal e-wallet. A market-first, the new e-wallet called ‘Reayya’ will enable ROP to remotely track payments made by its personnel on benefits provided to them by ROP including groceries, laundry, restaurants and cafes. The unique facility, which is built on Thawani’s ‘Mojab Pro’ platform, will enable ROP personnel to pay for services digitally using the Thawani App, making the entire process faster, more efficient and traceable. The agreement was signed by Thawani CEO Eng. Majid Al Amri and [insert name and designation] from ROP Commenting on this latest partnership, Eng. Al Amri said, “We are excited to see and be part on Thawani’s growth trajectory in the market. Aiming to continue offering innovative and flexible payment solutions, we recently developed a new product called ‘‘Mojab Pro’ which allows companies to establish their own tailored e-wallets to monitor and track corporate and employee expenditures.” He went on to add, “Our collaboration with ROP was founded on their need to have an integrated internal e-payment system which we were able to serve by creating their ‘Reayya’ e-wallet. We are confident that this is the first of many corporate collaborations. I would like to take this opportunity to also thank ROP for their trust in Thawani and for their forward-thinking approach, realizing the importance and power of digital payments.  [spokesperson] of ROP, added, “ROP prides itself in always being amongst the first to adapt to and adopt digital solutions that better serve the citizens and residents of Oman. In line with the Sultanate’s e-government strategy, our collaboration with Thawani will enable us to better monitor and track our expenditures which will ultimately benefit our personnel.” The first digital payments service provider in Oman, Thawani has allowed for safer and quicker cashless mobile payment solutions to merchants, individual shoppers and buyers alike. Established in 2016, its system has been fully built in-country and developed in accordance with the highest international standards of online security. A local start-up with over 88% Omani employees today, in just a few short years, it has become the leading platform for e-transactions and payments set-up. Thawani is currently accepted at more than 1000 touch points around Oman. Following the recent achievements on its journey, Thawani is calling its stakeholders to stay tuned for new innovative products and features that will be released soon.  For more information on Thawani’s products and services, visit www.thawani.om

News Thawani launches innovative bill payment services through its platform Pursuing its strategy to further popularise the use of smart e-payment platform, Thawani Technologies Company has launched the bill payment services through its platform. The new service launched by Thawani offers one of the simplest and most innovative e-payment solutions to pay bills. Users will be able to pay electricity and water bills, mobile bills and recharge, pay schools and private higher education institutions fees and pay social insurance fees to Public Authority for Social Insurance. Small and medium enterprises can also benefit from the services. Majid bin Fayil Al Amri, Founder and CEO of Thawani said, “We have expanded and included a number of service providers to our platform so that as many users of the Thawani application can benefit as much as possible. The new update provides the feature of storing the account number and ensures automatic payment of bills on the day and time that the user pre-sets.” Users can download the Thawani app from the Apple Store or Google Play to manage their finances. All ‘Thawani’ app users are assured of keeping their banking data completely private. Users will not have to share any card, bank, or account information at any point to complete transactions. The application is in line with the Central Bank of Oman’s regulations and maintains the international PCI DSS standards for data integrity and secure encryption. Everything from its set-up and creating an account to using the app on a day-to-day basis has been designed around simplicity. The aim of Thawani app is to introduce a new alternative payment method that would not only be really simple to use but one that would always work, help people budget better, while adhering to the highest standards of security, both for customers and merchants alike. The Thawani platform was founded on March 2016, marking the beginning of a new era of easy and secure e-payment solutions in the Sultanate of Oman. The pioneer e-payment platform has seen steady growth during the last few months and gained the trust of both users and merchants in Oman. For more information about the app, please visit the website at Thawani.om

News Thawani Officially Obtains PCI-DSS Certification Thawani Technologies has recently been awarded with the Payments Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) Certification, in the month of June. Thawani, which is a free downloadable app that lets users pay with their smartphone, is the first Omani Fin-tech company in the Sultanate to obtain this Certification PCI DSS Commenting on the importance of this accomplishment, Majid Al Amri, Founder and CEO of Thawani Technologies said, “At Thawani, security has always been one of the most important aspects during the development of the app. We are extremely proud to have this notable certification bestowed upon us and through it, we can reinforce our principles of constantly protecting our customers’ information by providing them with only the highest international standards for data integrity and secure encryption. The PCI-DSS certification will assist us in implementing top-class information and cybersecurity methods, to reassure our customers that all their data is safe with us.” PCI-DSS compliance and certification ensures the security of card data through a set of requirements and is considered to be the best method to safeguard sensitive data and information, helping organisations build long-lasting relationships with their customers. “The Thawani platform is completely PCI-DSS compliant. Moreover, Thawani adopts very serious controls for fraud management, risk management, and anti-money laundering activities. As a result of each of these security features, Thawani is easily one of the safest and most secure payment system available on the market locally. Furthermore, should a user lose his phone, there is no reason to worry. Without the unique PIN, and with no personal data revealed during any transaction, no fraudulent transactions can be made. All the user then has to then do is report the loss of the device to Thawani and re-link a new device,” Majid Al Amri added. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) is a set of security standards provided for entities that store, process or transmit cardholder data. Governed by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), the compliance certification aims to confirm its compliance with the requirements of the regulators in Oman and to combat attempts of financial fraud and money-laundering. The Omani e-payments platform ‘Thawani’, is an innovative project that relies on a smart phone to make and accept payments from customers. The revolutionary new e-payment solution offers a safe, simple, and highly secure payment method as an alternative to cash, credit, and debit cards. The Thawani platform and app was launched on May 2, 2017 under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Taimur bin As’ad bin Tariq Al Said, marking the beginning of a new era of easy and secure e-payment solutions in the Sultanate of Oman. For more information on Thawani, visit www.thawani.om or download the free App from your favourite app store. مسقط، 31 يوليو 2018: أعلنت شركة ثواني للتقنيات عن حصولها على شهادة الامتثال لمعيار أمن البطاقات العالمي (PCI-DSS) في شهر يونيو. حيث تعد ثواني أول شركة تقنية عمانية تحصل على هذه الشهادة الرفيعة فيما يتعلق بمعاير الأمن والسلامة لعملياتها المالية. وكانت الشركة قد دشنت مؤخرًا تطبيقها المجاني الذي يسمح للمستخدمين بإجراء عمليات الدفع باستخدام الهاتف النقال. وفي تعليقه حول أهمية هذا الإنجاز، تحدث ماجد بن فايل العامري، المؤسس والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة ثواني للتقنيات قائلاً: “في ثواني لطالما كان الأمن أحد أهم العناصر في عملية تطوير التطبيق. ونحن فخورون بمنحنا هذه الشهادة المرموقة ومن خلالها سنعزز مبادئنا لنحافظ دائمًا على بيانات عملائنا عن طريق توفير أعلى المعايير المختصة بسلامة البيانات والتشفير الآمن. كما ستساعدنا شهادة معيار أمن البطاقات العالمي (PCI-DSS) بتطبيق أعلى منهجيات الأمن السيبراني وحماية البيانات لنؤكد لعملائنا علىى سلامة بياناتهم وحمايتها باتباع أفضل المعايير في هذا الشأن.”ويضمن الامتثال لمعيار أمن البطاقات العالمي (PCI-DSS) حماية بيانات البطاقة من خلال مجموعة من المتطلبات، كما أنه يعد أفضل طريقة لحماية البيانات والمعلومات الحساسة ووسيلة لمساعدة المؤسسات في بناء علاقات طويلة الأمد مع عملائهم. وأضاف ماجد: “تمتثل منصة ثواني لمعيار أمن البطاقات العالمي (PCI-DSS). كما تتبنى ثواني سياسة جادة في مراقبة الأعمال الاحتيالية والغش وإدارة المخاطر واتخاذ التدابير المعنية بمكافحة غسل الأموال، مما يجعل من منصة ثواني أحد أكثر منصات الدفع الإلكتروني أمانًا في السوق المحلي. وفي حالة فقد المستخدم هاتفه، فإن بياناته الشخصية ستكون بأمان وذلك لأنه لا يتم مشاركة أي بيانات أثناء إجراء المعاملات ونتيجة لذلك لن يتم إجراء أية معاملات مزيفة. وكل ما على المستخدم فعله في هذه الحالة هو إبلاغ ثواني بفقدان الهاتف وإعادة ربط جهاز جديد.”معيار أمن البطاقات العالمي(PCI-DSS) هو عبارة عن مجموعة من معايير الأمان التي يتم توفيرها للمؤسسات التي تخزن وتعالج وتنقل بيانات حامل البطاقة. وتهدف شهادة الالتزام الخاضعة لمجلس معايير أمن البطاقات (PCI SSC) إلى تأكيد امتثالها لمتطلبات المنظمين في السلطنة وذلك لمكافحة محاولات الاحتيال المالي وغسل الأموال.هذا ويعد مشروع منصة الدفع العمانية الإلكترونية الجديدة “ثواني” أحد المشاريع الإبداعية المبتكرة والتي تعتمد على الهاتف النقال في إجراء عمليات الدفع وقبول الدفعات من الزبائن. وتعد التقنية الجديدة ثورة في عالم السداد الإلكتروني نظرًا لسهولتها ومستويات الأمان المرتفعة التي تعتمدها، بحيث تشكل البديل الأمثل للدفع النقدي والبطاقات الائتمانية وبطاقات الخصم المباشر. وكانت منصة ثواني الإلكترونية قد انطلقت في الثاني من مايو عام 2017 تحت رعاية صاحب السمو السيد تيمور بن أسعد بن طارق آل سعيد، مسجلة حقبة جديدة في عالم المدفوعات الإلكترونية الآمنة والميسرة في السلطنة، فيما بدأ تطبيقها الخاص بالعمل في شهر مارس من العام الجاري 2018 لينطلق بقوة فارضاً نفسه على سوق التعاملات المالية من خلال السهولة والبساطة والعملانية التي يتميز بها والتي تجعل استخدامه ممكناً لكافة الأعمار.للمزيد من المعلومات حول منصة ثواني، يمكنكم زيارة الموقع الإلكتروني www.thawani.omأو تنزيل التطبيق المجاني من متجرك المفضل.