Hans Van Buylaere: building trust and driving innovation in the Middle East

Can you tell us a little about your career journey and how you ended up leading OpenWay Middle East?

I began my career nearly 30 years ago in Belgium as a financial advisor at one of the leading financial institutions in Europe. Over time, I transitioned into the world of IT solutions, gaining extensive experience in core banking, anti-money laundering, and payment solutions. Before joining OpenWay, I relocated to Dubai and worked with SunGard Financial Services (now FIS), focusing on core banking solutions across the wider Middle East region.

In 2009, I joined OpenWay to lead our Middle East operations from its base in Dubai. In the early days, I wore multiple hats—establishing the business in the region, driving new opportunities, and managing existing client relationships. As the company grew, my focus shifted primarily to business development. Over the years, I’ve built a strong local team and worked closely with our clients to help them expand their businesses using the Way4 platform.

What are your primary responsibilities as the Head of OpenWay Middle East?

My main focus is detecting new opportunities across the region’s diverse markets, identifying new potential clients, building strong relationships and converting opportunities into long-term partnerships. In the Middle East, building trust and relationships are everything—you can’t just walk into a meeting and expect to close a deal. You need to invest time in getting to know your clients, understanding their needs and priorities before you start talking business.

Part of my job is also making sure our clients feel heard and supported. We have a relatively flat management structure at OpenWay, which means our clients can easily reach out to top management without going through layers of bureaucracy. That personal approach, our accessibility, has always been highly appreciated by our customers.

Can you share a few milestones for OpenWay in the Middle East?

One of our most significant milestones was partnering with Network International (NI), the largest payments processor in the MENA region. What started as a single Way4 installation in Dubai has now expanded across multiple markets—NI now operates on the Way4 platform in Dubai, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, with discussions underway for further expansion. In 2023 alone, NI processed over $59 billion in payment volumes for more than 130,000 merchants and 1,6 billion transactions for more than 250 financial institutions.

This growth has strengthened our presence in the region and solidified Way4 as one of the preferred payment solutions. It has also opened doors for us in new territories. Following our success with NI, we onboarded other key clients, including Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ), Al-Qaseh in Iraq, UCFS/Tasheel Finance in Saudi Arabia, and the National Commercial Bank of Libya.

Another great example is the National Bank of Oman. They have been using our Way4 platform for many years, starting with debit and credit card issuance and ATM management. Over time, they expanded into POS acquiring, and today, they are one of the leading acquirers in Oman. They even manage the acquiring business at Muscat International Airport—all powered by Way4. Their strategic roadmap has been ambitious, and Way4 has played a crucial role in helping them achieve their goals. Seeing our clients grow and succeed like this is incredibly rewarding.

What makes OpenWay different from its competitors in the region?

One of our biggest strengths is that we offer an all-in-one, modular solution—encompassing issuing, acquiring, and wallets—all on the same platform. Many of our competitors offer separate solutions that require complex integrations, which increases costs and complicates operations. Our clients appreciate that Way4 simplifies everything, reduces the total cost of ownership, and offers a unified, yet flexible and scalable platform. With over a dozen customers in 10+ countries in the Middle East, Way4 has proven to be a flexible solution supporting client vision, global best practices, and all region-specific requirements, making OpenWay a crucial partner for advancing in the payment landscape in the Middle East.

Another important differentiator is our flexibility in terms of the implementation options available to clients. We offer both on-premise and cloud-based solutions, depending on the client’s needs or strategies. This is crucial in the Middle East, where local regulations often require data to stay within the country—a trend that seems to be picking up in many regions around the world.

How would you describe the payments landscape in the Middle East?

It’s incredibly diverse. On one hand, you have highly advanced markets like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, where digital payments and wallets are well-established. On the other hand, you have rapidly growing economies like Iraq and Libya, where cash is still the dominant form of payment but transformation into a digital economy is on a fast track.

For example, in Iraq, you’ll see transactions conducted with piles of cash because people have little trust in the banking system and prefer to keep cash at hand. Local financial institutions understand the value of digital payments and wallets, but the challenge is helping people move away from a cash-based economy. Technology is sometimes the easy part. The bigger challenge is the change in behaviour, helping people understand that their money is safe and accessible when they use digital payment services.

The focus on financial inclusion is creating exciting opportunities. Governments are working to reduce their reliance on cash and promote electronic payments, which are critical for economic growth. One of our recent customers in Iraq, NassPay, is aiming to drive that change and NassPay selected Way4 to support the acquiring business. It’s a big challenge, but also a great opportunity.

What is the key to building successful relationships in the Middle East?

Understanding your customers’ needs, building trust, and having patience. You need to spend time building relationships before you start discussing business. That’s not just a cliché—it’s the reality here. Business interactions in Europe can be more structured and formal. But in the Middle East, personal relationships, friendliness and trust have to be established before business discussions take place.

There are many highly educated entrepreneurs in the region who have studied abroad and bring innovative ideas back with them. They’ve seen successful payment solutions in Asia or elsewhere and want to replicate them in the Middle East, Dubai is a great playground for many fintechs, we have a lot of highly skilled resources and access to innovations. There are many types of partnerships that are driving growth in the region.

What I truly appreciate about the Middle East is its relentless drive for change and innovation. The pace of decision-making is remarkably fast compared to many Western markets, implementation happens even faster. New buildings and roads seem to appear overnight, making you feel like you're part of an ongoing evolution.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest opportunities in the region?

I think the focus on financial inclusion and the transition to digital payments will continue to be a major growth area. There’s still a lot of work to be done in educating customers and building the necessary infrastructure, especially in emerging markets.

At OpenWay, we’re committed to supporting that transformation with our technology and expertise. We’re not just selling a product—we’re building partnerships and helping our clients achieve their goals. That’s what makes this work so rewarding.

How do you balance work and personal life?

One of the biggest challenges in maintaining a work-life balance has been adapting to the change in the work week structure. In 2021, the UAE shifted its weekend from Friday-Saturday to Saturday-Sunday, while other countries in the region maintained the traditional Friday-Saturday schedule. I try to make the most of my weekends, but I always keep my phone close—new opportunities can arise at any moment.

On weekends, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my daughter, exploring the natural beauty of the UAE. I’m particularly drawn to the Ras Al Khaimah region for its striking terrain. The sand dunes in the UAE are fascinating because they never look the same twice. Their appearance shifts with the time of day, the lighting, and the weather—so even if you return to the same dune, it can feel like an entirely new landscape. I’m an off-roading enthusiast and enjoy taking my Jeep into the desert, where I eagerly participate in local off-roading events. I love the challenge of navigating the ever-changing sand—perhaps that is an apt metaphor for how to thrive in a dynamic business environment!