In Conversation with Armin Moradi, CEO and Co-Founder of Qashio about the Future of Digital Spend Management in the UAE

Gulf Network

1.      With the UAE pushing towards a 90% cashless economy by 2026, what role do digital spend management solutions play in accelerating this transition?

Digital spend management solutions enable businesses to digitise and control their spending. Many companies still rely on a single corporate card or petty cash, leading to inefficiencies, security risks, and a lack of transparency.

Solutions like Qashio provide unlimited corporate cards, allowing businesses to allocate budgets efficiently while maintaining real-time visibility and control over expenses. Automation replaces manual processes, reducing the need for paper-based reporting and cash handling. Additionally, instant transaction tracking, pre-set spending limits, and approval workflows eliminate the risks associated with unmanaged corporate spending.

By streamlining expense management, enhancing compliance, and integrating with accounting platforms, digital spend management solutions empower businesses to operate more efficiently in a cashless environment—bringing the UAE closer to its 90% cashless goal by 2026.

2.      How do spend management platforms like Qashio help businesses automate reconciliations, reduce fraud, and enhance operational efficiency?

Spend management solutions like Qashio eliminate manual data entry and inefficiencies by integrating directly with company accounting software, streamlining month-end reconciliation. They also digitise receipt collection via WhatsApp and email, ensuring users don’t lose receipts and businesses remain VAT-compliant. All transactions are automatically synced, reducing the administrative burden on finance teams.

Fraud prevention is another key advantage. With predefined spending limits, category restrictions, and real-time transaction monitoring, businesses can prevent unauthorised spending and reduce the risks with shared corporate cards or reimbursements. Every transaction is linked to a specific employee, creating full accountability and transparency over who spent what.

Operational efficiency is significantly improved through automated workflows, enforced expense policies, and real-time analytics that provide deep financial insights. Employees no longer need to submit paper receipts, while finance teams gain full visibility and control over company-wide spending. By automating manual processes, businesses save time, improve accuracy, and manage spending better.

3.      How are reward-driven spending and corporate loyalty programmes reshaping expense management strategies for businesses in the Middle East?

The next evolution of financial management goes beyond just tracking expenses—it’s about maximising every dirham spent through rewards. Solutions like Qashio enable businesses to earn points on every dirham spent, which can then be converted to points with the leading loyalty programmes across travel, hospitality, and lifestyle, allowing businesses to earn valuable rewards and get the most out of their spending.

Traditionally, expense management focused solely on cost control, but modern strategies leverage rewards to turn corporate spending into a strategic advantage. Travel expenses, software subscriptions, and supplier payments can now generate cashback, discounts, or loyalty points, reducing overall costs and improving financial efficiency.

Additionally, corporate loyalty programmes drive greater adoption of digital spending solutions, reducing reliance on cash and outdated reimbursement models. Businesses can issue smart corporate cards with pre-set budgets, ensuring compliance while employees benefit from rewards.

By integrating rewards into expense management, companies in the Middle East can enhance financial performance, improve cash flow, and extract maximum value from every dirham spent.

4.      What challenges do businesses face when shifting from traditional financial management methods to digital-first solutions, and how can they navigate this transition effectively?

Businesses mainly face integration complexities and onboarding challenges when adopting digital-first spend management solutions.

Integrating new financial tools with existing accounting systems and ERPs often requires technical expertise to ensure a seamless transition. Without proper support, businesses may encounter data mismatches, workflow disruptions, and security concerns. Additionally, employee adoption can be a hurdle, as finance teams and staff need hands-on training to effectively use new digital tools.

To navigate this transition smoothly, businesses should prioritise solutions that have a strong track record of integration capabilities with an experienced support team—ideally with a local presence. Vendors with local expertise and in-person training can significantly reduce friction, ensuring that teams adapt quickly and processes remain efficient. Choosing a provider with a deep understanding of regional compliance and operational needs can also help businesses unlock the full potential of digital spend management with minimal disruption.

5.      Looking ahead to 2025, what game-changing innovations do you predict in spend management, and how will they redefine the way businesses handle financial operations?

By 2025, spend management will be increasingly automated, eliminating manual finance tasks and improving efficiency across businesses. One of the key innovations will be the deeper integration of virtual IBANs, enabling companies to streamline payments, manage multiple accounts seamlessly, and improve cash flow control without relying on traditional banking structures.

Multi-currency corporate cards will also play a major role, allowing businesses to transact in various currencies without excessive conversion fees, making international payments and global operations more cost-effective. Additionally, corporate loyalty programmes will become more prevalent, enabling businesses to earn rewards on their operational spending, turning expenses into strategic advantages.

These advancements will redefine financial operations by improving transparency, control, and efficiency, allowing businesses to make smarter, data-driven financial decisions while reducing reliance on outdated manual processes. Companies that embrace these innovations will gain a competitive edge in managing their expenses and optimising financial performance.