Barq, the fastest-growing financial app in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and beyond, has launched global cross-border QR payments in partnership with Alipay+, Ant International’s unified wallet gateway.

The partnership enables over 12 million barq users to scan-and-pay with their mobile device at Alipay+ enabled merchants outside of KSA, in more than 220 markets globally, connecting barq’s users to a global ecosystem of dining, retail, transportation, healthcare and more when they travel abroad to popular destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

barq is the first Alipay+ payment partner in the Middle East to enable outbound cross-border QR payments, as it expands beyond local transactions to enable global payment experiences. The service is set to launch progressively for barq users starting May 2026.

The cooperation aims to support the development of digital payments in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030 initiative, supporting its goals for a cashless society, as well as implementing a digital and modern payment infrastructure in KSA.

Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider, offering a unified techfin platform supporting financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth. Its unified wallet gateway, Alipay+, provides cross-border payment and digital services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Alipay+ connects more than 2 billion user accounts of 50 international payment partners, including digital wallets and banking apps, to over 150 million merchants across more than 220 markets globally.

Ahmed Alenazi, CEO and Founder of barq, said:

“Being the first in the Middle East to partner with Alipay+ for payments reflects our ambition to lead from the front. This collaboration enables our customers to pay globally with the same simplicity they experience locally, setting a new benchmark for Saudi fintech and accelerating our vision of connecting users to the global economy.”

Pietro Candela, General Manager of EMEA for Alipay+, commented:

“Alipay+ is delighted to partner with barq to promote QR payments from the Kingdom, directly supporting its Vision 2030 goals for innovation. At Ant International, we remain committed to driving cross-border flows, SME digital inclusion, and co-innovation with local partners to accelerate the Kingdom’s digital transformation.”