DP World, PayPal team up for instant cross-border payments

Dubai: DP World has entered into a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with PayPal to roll out a digital payments initiative aimed at simplifying cross-border trade, potentially reducing settlement times from days to minutes. The move signals a deeper integration of logistics and fintech.

Under the agreement, international merchants, exporters, importers and marketplaces will gain access to a cross-border payments solution built for transparency, lower costs and faster settlement.The initiative is aligned with DP World’s ambition to build a secure, scalable payments marketplace tied closely to global trade.

This collaboration aligns with PayPal’s broader ambitions. Earlier in 2025, the company introduced PayPal World, a platform designed to interlink global payment systems and digital wallets to remove cross-border friction. Through PayPal World, local systems such as India’s UPI and China’s Weixin Pay are being brought into a more interconnected payments environment.

PayPal has been steadily increasing its Middle East presence through strategic investments. The company’s venture arm previously backed Dubai-based Tabby, a buy-now-pay-later platform that allows customers to split purchases into interest-free installments across major retailers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Other regional investments include Egyptian payment processor Paymob, which serves merchants across Egypt and the broader Middle East, and South African fintech Stitch, which provides payment infrastructure for businesses across Africa.