Qatar Central Bank has collaborated with Samsung Gulf Electronics to integrate the country’s Himyan payment cards into Samsung Wallet, expanding the ways eligible cardholders can make contactless payments.
The development allows supported debit and prepaid cards to be added to compatible Galaxy smartphones and smartwatches.
Cardholders can enroll an eligible Himyan card by opening Samsung Wallet, selecting the option to add a card and completing their issuing bank’s verification process. Once enrollment is complete, the device can be used at contactless point-of-sale terminals instead of presenting the physical card. Availability therefore depends on the card issuer as well as the customer’s Samsung device.
The launch connects a locally operated payment scheme with a wallet already used by customers in Qatar. Samsung announced the expansion of Samsung Wallet into Qatar in 2022, alongside 12 other markets.
The latest integration is specifically significant to Himyan users because it brings Qatar’s national card brand into that existing mobile-payment environment.
A National Card Scheme Expands
Himyan is owned by Qatar Central Bank and was introduced as the country’s first nationally branded electronic payment card. QCB officially launched the Himyan debit card in March 2024, following an earlier rollout of its prepaid version. The scheme was developed to process domestic transactions through Qatar’s National ATM and Point of Sale network, commonly known as NAPS.
Unlike an international card network, Himyan keeps the processing of covered domestic transactions within Qatar’s national payment infrastructure. The card supports contactless payments and can be linked to a customer’s account at a participating local bank. QCB has also said Himyan may be used at domestic ATMs, physical points of sale and local e-commerce sites connected to the QPAY payment gateway.
QCB’s description of its retail payment systems confirms that Qatar’s infrastructure supports tokenized card transactions through digital wallets, including Samsung Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay. It also identifies tokenized Himyan payments through global digital wallets as one of the services enabled through the country’s payment gateway. Tokenization replaces the card number used in a transaction with a device-linked digital credential, limiting the exposure of the underlying account information during payment processing.
Security Built Around Device Verification
The Himyan integration uses Samsung Knox and requires customers to authenticate payments on their devices. QNA said supported verification methods include a fingerprint or PIN, while QNB’s Himyan enrollment page also lists facial recognition where available. The precise authentication method can vary according to the device, its settings and the issuing bank’s requirements.
Samsung describes Knox as the security platform underpinning its wallet service. When it announced Samsung Wallet’s expansion to Qatar, the company said sensitive information was stored in an isolated environment and protected through measures including encryption and biometric recognition. Such controls are designed to reduce the usefulness of payment credentials if information transmitted during a transaction is intercepted.
QNB is among the banks that has published customer instructions confirming Himyan support in Samsung Wallet. Its website tells users to add the card through the wallet application and verify their details before making payments.
Qatar Advances Its Digital-Payments Agenda
QCB linked the integration to Qatar’s Third Financial Sector Strategy and the country’s Third National Development Strategy for 2024–2030. Those policy programs include the development of financial infrastructure, digital services and broader access to electronic payments. Bringing Himyan into another major mobile wallet extends the card scheme without requiring QCB to build a separate consumer device ecosystem.
HE Deputy Governor of the Qatar Central Bank, Sheikh Ahmed bin Khalid bin Ahmed Al Thani, said: “The integration of Himyan into Samsung Wallet marks a pivotal milestone in establishing Himyan as the leading digital payment option in the State of Qatar. It also represents a tangible demonstration of the Qatar Central Bank's commitment to delivering secure, locally managed payment solutions, in line with our vision of building an advanced and inclusive digital financial ecosystem.
He added, "At the Qatar Central Bank, we prioritize investment in technologies that create tangible value and strengthen the efficiency of the national financial infrastructure, recognizing this as a strategic pillar for advancing digital transformation across the financial sector.”
Fadi Abu Shamat, vice president and head of the Mobile Experience division at Samsung Gulf Electronics, stated: “At Samsung, we place a major focus on delivering innovations that make everyday life simpler and more secure. Customers in Qatar expect the same seamless experience from their digital wallet that they get everywhere else in their Galaxy ecosystem, and Himyan's integration into Samsung Wallet delivers that. By combining Himyan's trusted local infrastructure with the security of Samsung Knox, we're giving local cardholders a faster and safer way to pay without ever reaching for a physical card.”
The absence of adoption forecasts leaves the immediate commercial effect uncertain. Adding Samsung Wallet support reduces one practical difference between Himyan and cards already compatible with international mobile wallets.
