Cardholders can link their Ahli Bank cards to the Google Wallet app by either photographing the card or entering details manually, followed by one-time password verification. Once completed, payments can be made simply by holding the Android device near an NFC-enabled terminal, in-app, or online. The bank asserts that customers will receive the same rewards and protections as their physical cards while benefiting from Google Pay’s tokenisation and layered security architecture.
Deputy CEO Mohamed Al Namla said Ahli Bank is ‘‘delighted to introduce Google Pay … a secure and reliable payment option for our valued customers’’ as part of its ongoing efforts to make daily transactions ‘‘easier, smarter and more convenient’’. This initiative aligns with regional trends toward digital wallets and contactless payments.
As of this week, Google Pay is officially registered for use in Qatar, Oman and many other countries, meaning the technical infrastructure for mobile wallet transactions is in place across the region. In Oman, for instance, bank customers of Sohar International and its Islamic banking arm already have access to Google Pay, enabling Android users to make contactless payments through verified debit, credit or prepaid cards.
Nevertheless, adoption remains uneven. One user on the Oman subreddit commented that although Google Pay had launched, ‘‘only Sohar Int and Sohar Islamic’’ were supported banks at present, leaving other institutions and card schemes still pending inclusion. Another noted that the service is ‘‘basically contactless payment via NFC… not the UPI part’’.
From a strategic perspective, the deployment by Ahli Bank strengthens its competitive standing in the fintech ecosystem amid a rising number of mobile wallet entrants and digital-first banks. Analysts note that contactless payments are expected to account for a growing proportion of in-store transactions, particularly in urban areas where NFC-enabled terminals are increasingly widespread. The tokenisation model used by Google Pay ensures card data is not transmitted during transactions, replacing actual card numbers with virtual equivalents and dynamic security codes—a measure the bank emphasises to reinforce trust.
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Oman