Arabian Exchange Company

What Arabian Exchange Company does

Arabian Exchange Company WLL is a privately held, Qatar-domiciled limited liability company headquartered in Doha at the Mushireb Mercure Hotel complex. Founded in 1979, it operates as one of the pioneer and leading money exchange and remittance providers in Qatar, with a stated mission aligned to Qatar's National Vision 2030 of positioning the country as a regional financial hub. The company delivers two core services: international money remittance (cash pickup and bank transfer to beneficiaries globally) and foreign currency exchange across all major currencies. It monetizes through transaction fees and FX spreads, with pricing disclosed at point of service rather than publicly posted.

Distribution is multi-channel: fourteen physical branches across Qatar (covering Mushireb, Industrial Area, Al Khor, Shahaniya, Al Mashaf, Tawar Mall, Barwa Labour Camp, Abu Sidra Mall, Umm Qarn, Al Hilal, Janoub, Ain Khaled-Al Meera, Pioneer, and JMall), a web application, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and an Ooredoo telecom-integrated application. The platform supports sixteen languages reflecting the linguistic composition of Qatar's expatriate workforce. Underlying technology is a web-based remittance and FX platform — no public API, SDK, or documented developer integration is referenced.

Global payout is enabled by an extensive correspondent network anchored by Western Union, Dahabshiil, and IME Group/Ria, plus country-specific correspondent banks across Bangladesh (eight banks), Sri Lanka (three banks), the Philippines (two banks), India, Nepal, and Egypt, with Sharia-compliant options via Al-Baraka Islamic Bank. The company is family-owned with the Al Emadi family maintaining board representation alongside Chairman Maqbool Habeeb Khalfan; no external institutional investors, private equity involvement, or public shareholders are identified. Arabian Exchange serves a B2C customer segment of individual expatriate workers with no disclosed enterprise or institutional clients.

Name

Arabian Exchange Company

Legal name

Arabian Exchange Company

Website

https://arabianex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Money Remittance Services

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

International Wire Transfer Processing (SWIFT/Correspondent Banking) (FSAMAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Domestic Wire Transfer Processing (FSAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Money remittance services
• Foreign currency exchange
• International money transfers
• Currency exchange services
• Cross-border remittance

Headquarters

HQ city

Doha

HQ country

Qatar

HQ region

Middle East

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Remittance Services: International money transfers through global correspondent banking network. Offers telex transfers, instant cash transfers delivered to bank accounts or cash pickup at beneficiary locations.
2. Foreign Currency Exchange: Exchange of all major foreign currencies for customers, generating revenue through exchange rate margins/spreads.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Arabian Exchange Company is a Doha, Qatar-based money services business that provides international money remittance and foreign currency exchange services. The company operates 14 branches across Qatar and offers digital channels including iOS, Android, and web applications to facilitate cross-border money transfers, primarily serving the expatriate population in Qatar.

Product overview

Arabian Exchange Company operates as a financial services company offering two core services: international money remittance (cash pickup and bank transfer) and foreign currency exchange. These services are delivered through a multi-channel platform consisting of 14 physical branches in Qatar, a web application (Webapp), native iOS and Android mobile applications, and an Ooredoo-integrated application. The digital channels allow customers to transfer money online, view transaction history, and manage their accounts, while the branch network provides in-person currency exchange and remittance services across Qatar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Remittance Service International money remittance service allowing customers to send money abroad to recipients in multiple countries, available through branch network and digital platforms.
• Foreign Currency Exchange Buy and sell foreign currency at competitive exchange rates, available at branch locations across Qatar.
• Web Application Browser-based online platform for initiating remittance transactions and accessing currency exchange services from desktop or laptop computers.
• iOS Mobile Application
• Android Mobile Application

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Western UnionmajorTechnology or IntegrationGlobal money transfer operator providing international remittance services through correspondent network relationship
• DahabshiilmajorTechnology or IntegrationInternational money transfer and remittance services partner for cross-border transactions
• Alawneh Exchange LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationRegional exchange partner for cross-border remittance services
• Al-BarakacoreTechnology or IntegrationIslamic banking partner providing Sharia-compliant transfer options
• Bank of CeyloncoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Sri Lanka remittance services
• Commercial Bank of CeyloncoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Sri Lanka remittance services
• Banco de OrocoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Philippines remittance services
• Bank of the Philippine IslandscoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Philippines remittance services
• Islamic Bank Bangladesh LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Bangladesh remittance services
• Sonali BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Bangladesh remittance services
• Shahjalal Islami BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Bangladesh remittance services
• Pubali Bank LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Bangladesh remittance services
• Mercantile Bank LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Bangladesh remittance services
• National Bank LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Bangladesh remittance services
• Uttara Bank LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Bangladesh remittance services
• Premier Bank LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Bangladesh remittance services
• Peoples Bank (Sri Lanka)coreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Sri Lanka remittance services
• Himalayan Bank LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Nepal remittance services
• Banque MisrcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Egypt remittance services
• National Bank of Egypt (NBE)coreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Egypt remittance services
• United Bank (Egypt)coreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for Egypt remittance services
• The Federal BankcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrespondent bank for India remittance services
• IME Group (Ria)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternational money transfer operator providing remittance services through Ria network

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Wise (TransferWise): Digital-first cross-border payments company rapidly capturing banked-expatriate remittance flows with transparent FX and low fees. While currently weaker in cash-pickup and unbanked segments, it represents the dominant structural disruptor to Arabian Exchange's fee pool.
• Remitly: Mobile-first remittance company strong on Philippines, India, and Bangladesh corridors — exactly the corridors Arabian Exchange prioritises. Its app-led model is eroding traditional agent-based remittance economics in the Gulf.

Direct peers

• Dahabshiil: Africa-headquartered global remittance operator with strong Gulf presence serving African-diaspora corridors — a major direct counterparty and competitor on Africa-to-Gulf remittance flows that intersect Arabian Exchange's customer base.
• GCC Exchange: UAE-headquartered remittance and foreign exchange company with branch presence across the Gulf including Qatar. Competes head-to-head with Arabian Exchange on retail remittance corridors to South Asia and the Philippines using a similar correspondent-bank distribution model.
• Al Ansari Exchange: The largest money exchange and remittance company in the GCC, headquartered in the UAE with significant Qatar presence. Operates the same business model (branch-based remittance + FX + correspondent banking) and serves the same expatriate demographic, making it the closest direct competitor for Arabian Exchange in the Gulf corridor.
• Ria Financial Services (Euronet Worldwide): Global remittance network operating under Euronet, accessed in Qatar via Arabian Exchange's IME Group (Ria) partnership. Competes directly on send-to-Philippines, Bangladesh, and India corridors and is both a partner and a peer.

Broad incumbents

• Al Rajhi Bank: Saudi Arabia's largest bank with a substantial money exchange and remittance business across the GCC. While not single-market-focused like Arabian Exchange, it competes for the same expatriate remittance flows through its Sadad-aligned exchange services and would be a natural acquirer or competitor for GCC corridor share.
• Western Union: Global money transfer incumbent and a key correspondent partner of Arabian Exchange. Both a competitor (direct consumer remittance) and a partner (payout-network enabler), making Western Union the most economically intertwined peer for the firm.
• UAE Exchange (now Xpress Money/Finsbury): Historic GCC money exchange leader (rebranded and partially restructured post-Finance House acquisition). Operates a multi-country remittance and FX franchise overlapping Arabian Exchange's corridors and customer base.

Regional players

• Alawneh Exchange: Jordan and Levant-based regional money exchange and remittance firm partner of Arabian Exchange. Comparable scale and business model, though primarily serving the Levant corridor rather than Gulf labour-sending routes — making it a regional rather than direct Qatar-market peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arabianex
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arabian-exchange-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arabian Exchange Company