UAE Country Manager

Responsibilities

• Lead SME and Enterprise commercial teams towards KPI achievement across revenue, customer acquisition, and product adoption
• Own the end-to-end go-to-market strategy and customer experience for the Middle East
• Define and drive the long-term commercial vision for the region, identifying emerging segments and verticals
• Partner with Legal, Risk & Compliance teams to drive licensing and regulatory approvals
• Own full P&L responsibility for the Middle East, managing commercial contribution margin
• Manage and optimise the regional marketing budget
• Build Airwallex’s brand presence through targeted events, campaigns, and partnerships
• Act as a credible external voice with regulators, government bodies, and industry associations
• Build, attract, and retain a high-performing, diverse team across commercial and operational functions
• Own culture and staff engagement for the Middle East office

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in financial services, fintech, or technology
• Significant leadership experience in the Middle East market
• Proven track record of owning a P&L and delivering commercial growth
• Deep understanding of payments, banking, or cross-border financial services in the UAE and/or Saudi Arabia
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams
• Experience navigating regulatory and licensing environments in the region

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience scaling a fintech or payments business in the Middle East from early or greenfield stage
• Track record of personally driving licensing or regulatory approval with local regulators
• Prior Country Manager or GM role with genuine P&L ownership
• Existing relationships within the UAE and KSA fintech and banking ecosystem
• Experience closing significant enterprise commercial deals in the region
• Arabic language proficiency
• Deep cultural fluency in GCC business norms