Western Union & Alfardan Exchange pioneer Self-Service Money Transfer Kiosks in Qatar

Western Union, a leader in global payments services and Alfardan Exchange, a leader in technology investment, today launched Qatar’s first fully automated, self-service kiosks enabling 24/7 international money transfer during a media event at Marsa Malaz Kempinski, The Pearl – Doha. Consumers can transfer money anytime to more than 200 countries and territories2 in the world at their convenience through 80 kiosks strategically planned to be located across the country.

“Western Union’s cross-border platform enables an industry-leading pay-in, pay-out capability and the launch of money transfer kiosks in Qatar is part of our continuous efforts to provide consumers with additional options to send money,” said Hatem Sleiman, Regional Vice President – Middle East and Philippines, Western Union. “We recognize that ease of use and accessibility are key drivers of money transfer decisions, and through our well-established network, coupled with our technology and innovation, we are providing consumers with superior levels of convenience and service. We are delighted to announce this strategic alliance with Alfardan Exchange to launch the service in Qatar,” he added.

“Alfardan Exchange has a series of industry firsts in Qatar and our relationship with Western Union over the past four years has helped solidify our market leadership in terms of brand positioning and product value proposition,” said Fahad Alfardan, President of Alfardan Exchange. “The launch of the new kiosks provides our customers, most of whom are expatriates who have the recurring need to send money back home, with a new avenue for money transfer that is extremely simple, easy to use, always accessible and at a convenient location close to their home or workplace,” he concluded.

Money transfers via Western Union® services can be made in seven simple steps by using the kiosk after a one-time registration at any of Alfardan Exchange locations. Ten kiosks currently provide Western Union services with an additional 70 going live in the next two weeks. These kiosks will be strategically placed in shopping malls, supermarkets, residential areas, banks, hospitals, government facilities, gas stations, staff accommodations and other locations across various areas of Qatar to provide optimal customer convenience and outreach.

Consumers can transfer money through the kiosk anytime to family and friends around the world by opting for any one of the different delivery services of cash-to-cash, direct to bank or send to mobile. These kiosks offer the same speed, reliability and ease-of-use as any other Western Union® payment channel with the added advantage of 24/7 accessibility.