We Built The Payment Gateway Of The Middle East – Khalil Alami

In this episode, I sit down with Khalil Alami, CEO of Telr, one of the oldest and most innovative fintech companies in the UAE. We dive into the bold decisions that transformed Telr into a regional payments leader, why they shut down a successful product, and how they’re tackling the #1 problem killing startups in MENA—opening a bank account.From customer-centric product strategy to building a full-stack fintech ecosystem, Khalil shares lessons on scaling, innovation, and staying humble as a leader.Whether you're a founder, product manager, or fintech enthusiast, this episode is packed with real-world insights from the frontline of payments in the Middle East.📌 Topics Covered:- How Telr became the Middle East’s PayPal- The hidden startup killer: bank account setup- Shutting down a popular product (and why)- Building for Instagram sellers, freelancers, and corporates- Open finance vs BNPL: what's hype and what's here to stay- Localization, customer obsession, and innovation at scale- UAE vs Saudi fintech ecosystems🔗 Learn more about Telr: https://telr.com📲 Connect with Khalil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khalilalami/⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps:0:00 – Intro1:05 – Why starting a business in Dubai is harder than you think3:12 – How Telr became the Middle East’s PayPal5:44 – Serving everyone: from soap makers to unicorns8:55 – Shutting down a working product10:47 – The #1 problem killing startups in MENA13:20 – Building a fintech ecosystem, not just a payment gateway15:38 – Hyperlocal product strategy (120+ languages)18:11 – UAE vs Saudi: Surprising fintech differences20:42 – Open Finance vs BNPL: What’s the real bet?23:50 – Why Telr owns its entire tech stack26:14 – Building for flexibility and scale29:02 – Risky decisions that paid off31:19 – Embedding culture and values in a fintech startup33:01 – What the future of Telr looks like34:45 – Advice for startup founders and fintech builders

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