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Ant International-Strategic Partnership Manager - Financial Institutions-UAE
Ant Group
Source: Headcount Labs · original listing ↗
Job data: Headcount Labs, ODbL 1.0. Job descriptions belong to their employers.
Source date: 10/30/2026
About this role
Job description About the Role Ant International is looking for a FIBD and BD expert based in UAE — a payments professional with established relationships with local banks, first-hand knowledge of the Saudi payments market, and deep understanding of the consumption habits and payment pain points of international tourists and the millions of Hajj & Umrah pilgrims who visit the Kingdom every year. What You'll Do 1. Partner & Institution Relationship Management Build and deepen long-term, trust-based relationships with senior stakeholders at leading Saudi banks, acquirers, PSPs and payment gateways, as well as national payment ecosystem players (mada / Saudi Payments). Lead solution discussions with partners; negotiate commercial terms and drive contract closure. 2. End-to-End Project Execution Act as the business owner of launch and expansion projects; ensure on-time, high-quality delivery. Orchestrate cross-functional teams (Product, Tech, Legal, Compliance, Risk, Ops) to resolve blockers and ensure launch readiness — including SAMA-aligned regulatory coordination. 3. Local Market Insight & Strategy Input Serve as the team's on-the-ground market intelligence source: map the Saudi payments and consumption landscape, with deep focus on the Hajj & Umrah corridors — pilgrim spending behaviour, seasonal flows (Ramadan / Hajj / off-season), hotel-hospitality-retail payment lifecycles, and the cash-vs-mada acceptance gap. Translate insights into concrete GTM priorities, partner selection and pricing recommendations. 4. Merchant Engagement & Activation Drive merchant adoption of Alipay+ directly and through acquirer/PSP partners — prioritizing pilgrim-journey touchpoints (hotels, retail, F&B, transport, bazaar/souq clusters). Conduct merchant training and enablement to ensure genuine acceptance at the point of sale, especially among small merchants and cash-heavy segments. Job Requirement What You'll Need (Required Qualifications) ● Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics or a related field. ● 3–6 years of business development, partnerships or commercial experience in payments/fintech within Saudi Arabia; acquirer, PSP or bank-side experience strongly preferred. ● Close, established relationships with major Saudi banks — able to open doors and build long-term partnerships from day one. ● Deep, first-hand understanding of the Saudi payment landscape: mada dominance, the SAMA licensing framework, and the seasonal payment behaviour of Hajj & Umrah pilgrims and international tourists. ● Native Arabic speaker with fluent English (mandatory). ● Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills; proven ability to drive complex projects end-to-end. ● High ownership and self-motivation; resilient under pressure in a seasonal-peak environment (Ramadan / Hajj surge travel expected).