A commission-free digital wallet for travelers in Saudi Arabia
Juan Llerena
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Posted Jan 2, 2026
A concept digital wallet designed to help short-term visitors in Saudi Arabia pay locally without foreign card fees, exchange costs, or complex banking setups.
Overview
Sarex was a concept project created to rethink how travelers manage money during short stays in Saudi Arabia.
Instead of relying on international cards with high fees, Sarex proposed a simple, local-first digital wallet experience.
The problem
Visitors coming to Saudi Arabia for a few days often face:
High foreign transaction and exchange fees
Limited acceptance of international cards
Friction when setting up local payment solutions
Existing options were either expensive, complex, or not built for short-term use.
The idea
Sarex was designed as a temporary digital wallet that works instantly for travelers.
The concept focused on:
Zero commission payments
Simple onboarding for short stays
Local currency usage without hidden costs
A clear, friendly experience for non-residents
The goal was to remove financial friction and make spending feel natural from day one.
My role
I worked closely with a Saudi collaborator to shape the concept end to end.
My contribution included:
Defining the product vision and user journeys
Mapping pain points for short-term visitors
Designing the wallet experience and core flows
Translating a local market insight into a scalable product idea
Outcome
Sarex explored a gap in the Saudi payments ecosystem by proposing a traveler-first wallet experience.
The project demonstrates early-stage product thinking, local market understanding, and the ability to turn a simple idea into a clear digital concept.