← Embedded Finance Index 2026

Qnb

Can the Middle East's largest bank by assets become the embedded financial infrastructure layer for businesses across MENA and emerging markets by combining BaaS, open banking APIs, and multi-country subsidiary reach?

Founded1964
HQDoha, Qatar
IndustryBank / National
The story

Qatar National Bank began as a state-backed commercial bank in 1964 and grew into one of the largest banks in the Middle East and Africa by assets. The group has expanded across 30+ countries through subsidiaries and affiliates. In recent years QNB has pursued an embedded finance strategy: launching Banking as a Service in Turkey so third-party apps can distribute QNB products, spinning out QNBpay as a standalone payment services company serving Turkish merchants, and unveiling Qatar's first open banking API for corporates in 2024. The group also operates distinct insurance (QNB Life), credit card (QNBcard Turkey), and SME lending subsidiaries, positioning itself as a financial OS across the MENA and emerging-market corridor.

Last 12 months
2024-05
2025-04
2025-04
2025-04
Product timeline
1964
Founded as Qatar National Bank, the first Qatari-owned bank, with majority ownership by the Qatari government.· banking
2024
QNB Group unveiled Qatar's first open banking API for corporate clients, marking entry into Open Finance.· banking
2024
QNBpay Ödeme Hizmetleri A.Ş. launched in Turkey as a regulated payment services entity offering virtual POS, physical POS, and link-based payment collection for merchants.· card
2025
QNB Turkey launched Banking as a Service (BaaS) offering, enabling non-bank companies to embed QNB banking products via open banking APIs.· banking
2025
QNB Life Insurance Egypt continued offering individual protection plans including Accidental Cash and Carry policies, deepening the group's embedded insurance footprint.· banking
Regulated entities
2
regulatory licences held by Qnb
Licence types, jurisdictions and registered entities are in the Embedded Finance Index report.
The stack
5 layers disclosed in Qnb’s embedded-finance stack
Payments / PSP
QNBpay (self-operated)
Banking / BaaS
in the full report
Card issuing
in the full report
Lending
in the full report
Insurance
in the full report
Accounting gap: significant
13 more providers across 4 layers, with confidence-scored evidence and source URLs, are in the Embedded Finance Index report.