By : Nedal Zubeidi
Jordan Daily – In the bustling heart of Jordan , Amman, a revolution is quietly unfolding. It’s not political or social, but technological. The man at the helm of this revolution is Engineer Nasser Saleh, the Founder & Executive Chairman of MadfoatCom, a company that’s changing the way people pay their bills and transforming the financial landscape Jordan.
Back to 2008. Saleh, having spent several years working in various Gulf countries, returns home to Jordan. He’s taken aback to find that water and electricity bills are still being paid in cash. The sight of long queues and the inconvenience of waiting in line to pay bills sparks an idea in his mind – an idea that would eventually transform into MadfoatCom.
Fast forward to 2010. Saleh receives a grant of 10,000 dinars from Oasis500, a leading pre-seed and seed investment manager and startup accelerator .This grant, coupled with intensive training, equips him with the skills needed to turn his idea into reality. He learns about the intricacies of opening a company, the art of marketing, the legal matters associated with running a business, and other essential aspects related to running a company.
The journey, however, is not without its challenges. Convincing banks and other entities of the feasibility of an electronic payment service proves to be a daunting task. But Saleh is not one to back down. He approaches the Central Bank of Jordan, and after two years of research and studies, the bank issues an open tender for companies interested in providing electronic payment services.
Saleh forms an alliance with Network International (NI) , called then EMP Group, Visa – Jordan and wins the tender. The hard work begins. Building the platform, finding servers, handling technical and logistical matters – all while convincing investors of the viability of his idea. It’s a tough road, but Saleh is determined. He knows that his idea has the potential to revolutionize the way people pay their bills.
Similarly, due to the large amount of financial requirements that his start-up company had to provide, Saleh had to bring in a number of local and Saudi investors, as well as several banks. They paid no less than JD10 million, over periods of time in order to provide the system and bring the platform into operation.
Saleh notes that the game-changers in the company’s journey to its current achievements were the Central Bank and the Jordan Customs. Particularly, the Customs was the first government biller to communicate with MadfoatCom and adopt the electronic payment service. After their experience confirmed the reliability, safety, and feasibility of providing such a service at the border crossings, it saved them a lot of effort, time, and various problems they were facing.
Saleh’s vision has not only revolutionized the way people pay their bills but also benefited the government by speeding up the collection of taxes and fees. More than 15 billion dinars were processed through e -FAWATEERCOM by the end of last year. This has significantly improved the efficiency of the government’s revenue collection process.
Today, MadfoatCom stands tall as one of the top 5 companies on Forbes Middle East’s esteemed FinTech Top 50 list for 2024. Its groundbreaking electronic platform , “eFAWATEERcom,” has played a pivotal role in its success. In 2023 alone, the platform handled over 52.6 million transactions totaling $16.3 billion.
From standing in long queues to pay bills to leading a FinTech revolution, Saleh’s journey is a testament to the power of innovation and determination. His story is a shining example of how one man’s vision can transform an entire industry.
But Saleh is not done yet. With plans to expand in other countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Palestine, the future looks bright for MadfoatCom.