Saleem Aims to Send Stablecoin Payments to Basic Mobile Phones Across the Middle East and South Asia
Ramy Soliman, former CEO of prime-of-prime broker Stater Global Markets, has co-founded Saleem, a startup aimed at sending stablecoin payments to basic mobile phones. The Abu Dhabi-based venture, registered as 5 Lanes Limited in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), targets aid agencies, ministries, employers, and banks that want to send money directly to recipients' phones without bank accounts.
Saleem's goal is to cut transfer costs for remittances by utilizing stablecoins. Pakistan, which lifted its seven-year crypto banking ban in April, receives around $40 billion in remittances annually. Soliman estimates that cutting transfer costs by one percentage point would save about $400 million annually.
Soliman has extensive experience in the financial industry, having worked at IG and Citi for five years each before leading Stater Global Markets. He later joined GMO-Z.com Trust Company as president and co-founded the Middle East Stablecoin Association in 2025. Saleem is currently part of the Stellar Development Foundation's accelerator cohort and will present at their Meridian conference in Lisbon this October.