KARACHI: Pakistani fintech company ABHI on Monday announced a partnership with Saudi Arabia–based HR technology firm KABi to provide employees in the Kingdom with Earned Wage Access (EWA), a service that allows workers to withdraw a portion of their accrued salary before payday.
The agreement marks the latest expansion by the Karachi-headquartered startup into the Gulf region as demand for digital payments, payroll solutions and worker-centric financial products grows under Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s long-term plan to diversify its economy and modernize labor markets. Saudi Arabia has one of the youngest workforces in the region and has seen rapid adoption of HR automation and fintech applications over the past five years.
EWA, sometimes called “on-demand pay,” has gained traction in the Middle East as employers seek to improve financial well-being and reduce workers’ reliance on expensive short-term borrowing such as informal credit, overdrafts or payday loans. Internationally, the model has grown in markets such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and is often framed as a tool to reduce financial stress and improve retention.
ABHI said the rollout would offer KABi employees greater liquidity for essential expenses while embedding financial wellness features into the firm’s digital HR environment.
