RIYADH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 30, 2026--
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.
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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.”
About barq
barq is a leading financial app redefining the payment experience in the Kingdom by delivering fast, secure, and seamless financial solutions. barq serves over 12 million users and stands as one of the fastest-growing fintech platforms in the region, driven by a vision to empower individuals and businesses with simple yet advanced digital financial services.
About Alipay+
Ant International's Alipay+ is a unified wallet gateway with cross-border payment and digitisation services that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payments a broad choice of deals and the convenience of digital services using their preferred payment app/e-wallet while travelling abroad. Many small and medium-sized businesses already use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.
(L-R) Leiming Chen, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant International, and Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, join Ahmed Alenazi, Founder and CEO of barq, and Faisal AlRumayyan, Co-founder and Board Member of barq.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A Cambodian court on Thursday upheld the treason conviction and 27-year prison sentence for opposition leader Kem Sokha, whose 2017 arrest opened a broad government crackdown on political opponents in the country.
The Phnom Penh Appeals Court also barred Kem Sokha from leaving the country for five years after he finishes his sentence, which he is serving under house arrest.
Cambodia has long been accused of using the judicial system to persecute critics and political opponents. The government insists it promotes the rule of law under an electoral democracy, but political parties seen as potential rivals have been dissolved by the courts or had their leaders jailed or harassed.
Kem Sokha, 72, was convicted in 2023 following a long pretrial detention. He was accused of conspiring with the United States to topple the Cambodian government. The primary evidence against him was a video of him discussing political advice from U.S.-based pro-democracy groups.
His Cambodia National Rescue Party had been the only credible opponent of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, but it was dissolved by the Supreme Court after his arrest and was unable to contest the 2018 election.
The party of long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen subsequently swept all the seats in the National Assembly. His son, Hun Manet, succeeded him in the position in 2023 but has not liberalized the system.
Speaking before the appeals court earlier this month, Kem Sokha declared he had never conspired with any foreign country at the cost of the lives of Cambodian citizens or the loss of national territory and that he had acted in a spirit of nonviolence and national unity.
His lawyer, Pheng Heng, told reporters he regretted the court’s decision and that he and his client would have to decide whether to appeal further to the Supreme Court. He urged the government to promote national reconciliation.
Western embassies in Cambodia expressed concern over the ruling.
“We would like to see Kem Sokha released and his political freedoms restored,” the British Embassy said in a statement. “ We believe this would help strengthen democracy in Cambodia.”
In a separate political case, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Wednesday convicted 33 people involved in opposition to a controversial border development agreement. Those convicted included social media users, opposition politicians and political activists.
The Cambodia human rights organization Licadho reported they were convicted of incitement to commit a felony -- a broad-brush charge often used in political cases -- and received punishment ranging from 18-month suspended sentences to two-years imprisonment as well as fines of $1,000.
Son Chumchuon, a lawyer for six of the defendants, said Thursday that those who received the longest sentences were likely to be released soon because of time already served in pretrial detention.
The 33 had been linked to protests against the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, a framework established in 2004 to coordinate trade and migration among the three Southeast Asian neighbors.
Critics of the pact claimed it favored foreign interests and granted valuable land concessions to Vietnam, a sensitive issue because of historical antagonism toward Cambodia’s bigger eastern neighbor.
Cambodia withdrew from the agreement in 2024 but continued its clampdown on critics, making more than 100 arrests.
Peck reported from Bangkok.
Am Sam Ath, center, monitoring manager of LICADHO, a human rights organization, speaks to journalists after a court session of former Cambodia National Rescue Party's President Kem Sokha outside an appeals court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Journalists photograph after a court session of former Cambodia National Rescue Party's President Kem Sokha outside an appeals court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
Journalists try to photograph as a vehicle which is believed to carry former Cambodia National Rescue Party's President Kem Sokha heads out from an appeals court after the court session in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
A Cambodian police vehicle which is believed to carry former Cambodia National Rescue Party's President Kem Sokha heads out from an appeals court after a court session in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
