Pakistani fintech company ABHI 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.
“Our collaboration with KABi reflects ABHI’s ongoing commitment to advancing financial well-being and supporting digitally empowered workplaces in Saudi Arabia,” ABHI Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Omair Ansari said in a statement.
“By integrating Earned Wage Access into KABi’s ecosystem, we are enabling thousands of employees to experience financial freedom, flexibility and stability.”
Khalid A. AlOraij, Board Member and CEO of KABi, said the initiative aligned with the company’s mission to deploy technology that improves employee experience and productivity.
“Providing instant access to earned wages in collaboration with ABHI strengthens employee stability and supports a more productive and well-being-focused workplace,” ABHI quoted him as saying.
Founded in 2018, KABi describes itself as a global HR technology company providing AI-driven talent and workforce management solutions. Through the partnership, ABHI will integrate its EWA product directly into KABi’s employee ecosystem, enabling staff to access part of their earned income on demand rather than waiting for the end-of-month pay cycle.
ABHI launched in 2021 and has rapidly expanded across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman, offering what it describes as credit-bridging tools for both workers and businesses.
In addition to EWA, ABHI provides invoice factoring, SME working capital solutions, revenue-based financing, and payroll processing services. It became one of Pakistan’s most prominent fintechs after securing regional regulatory approvals to operate EWA services in the Gulf.
Partnerships like ABHI–KABi reflect deepening fintech links between Pakistan and Middle Eastern economies, where labor mobility, remittances and financial inclusion are major policy priorities. The trend also underscores how Gulf corporates are integrating financial wellness tools as part of broader digital transformation strategies.
