PLDT’s international arm, PLDT Global Corp., has expanded its partnership with Saudi Arabia’s stc Group to enhance e-wallet services for Filipinos living and working abroad.

The new collaboration is with stc Group’s financial technology subsidiary, stc Pay Bahrain.

Under the expanded partnership, users of the stc Pay app will be able to perform direct cash-ins to Philippine e-wallets. The platform will also allow them to buy and send e-gift vouchers.

“This partnership brings digital convenience to our fellow Filipinos abroad and positions PLDT Global as a trusted partner of fintech,” said PLDT Global President and Chief Executive Officer Albert V. Villa-Real.

PLDT Global plans to roll out additional services with stc Pay Bahrain in the coming months.

These planned features include mobile loan purchases, content subscriptions, and access to Smart Virtual Number, a SIM-less Philippine mobile number for use overseas.

This new agreement builds on an earlier partnership established this year between PLDT Global and stc Bank in Saudi Arabia.

That deal integrated stc Bank as a payment option into PLDT’s Tindahan ni Bossing (TinBo) platform and the PLDT Global mobile app.

According to PLDT, these expanding partnerships with the stc Group are part of a broader strategy to strengthen its fintech presence in the Middle East, a region that is one of the largest hubs for overseas Filipino workers.

Featured image by Sorapop via Freepik.