Despite significant conflict and instability in the Middle East, fintech investment stayed resilient in Q1 2026, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerging as one of the strongest fintech funding markets globally, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The UAE attracted US$486 million in fintech funding in Q1 2026, securing its position as the third-largest recipient globally for the quarter. This places the country behind only the US with US$5.46 billion, and the UK with US$1.09 billion.

The UAE fintech funding landscape was dominated by large-scale rounds directed toward established ventures expanding across borders, infrastructure platform providers, and high-growth verticals such as digital banking. Several deals defined the period’s activity in the UAE.

Digital banking company Mal raises US$230 million in seed funding

Mal, an Abu Dhabi-based Islamic digital bank, raised US$230 million in January, marking one of the Gulf’s largest seed rounds to date. The company plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to build mobile-first products and make banking more cost-efficient, Abdallah Abu-Sheikh, founder and CEO of Mal, told CNBC in January.

Mal is targeting a launch date of 2026 as it works towards expanding in other regions, trying to get a foothold in a market of 20 billion people. The company doesn’t have any banking licenses, but Abu-Sheikh said he is in talks with regulators in the UAE, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan. Abu-Sheikh is a serial entrepreneur who previously founded the internet calling app Botim.

SME payment specialist Omnispay raises US$2 million in a pre-Series A

Omnispay, a Dubai-based fintech startup specializing in Shariah-compliant payment services for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), closed a US$2 million pre-Series A in February to support its transition from a rapid-settlement payments provider into a broader SME finance platform. Plans include expanding its offering to include cashflow management and embedded credit through “integrated collect, pay, and borrow workflows”.

Founded in 2022, Omnispay has reported significant growth over the past 12 months, with its customer base doubling, its transaction volumes quadrupling, and revenues surging 5.5x.

Real estate investment platform Stake raises US$31 million in a Series B

Stake, a digital real estate investment company based in Dubai, closed in February an oversubscribed US$31 million Series B. The company intends to use the proceeds to deepen its roots in Saudi Arabia where it has already successfully closed 2 real estate funds, channeled SAR 416 million (US$111 million) into the local sector, and onboarded over 6,930 international investors since its entry in the country in late-2024.

The funding will also accelerate Stake’s cross-border expansion into the US, where it entered the industrial real estate market in October 2025. Stake will also invest in innovating and digitizing its operational lifecycle. Key initiatives include further developing StakeOne, its digital property ownership and after-sales management platform, and advancing regulated tokenization efforts in partnership with Property Finder, a leading real estate platform in the UAE.

Founded in 2020, Stake allows investors to purchase fractional shares in income-generating properties, giving retail investors access to institutional-grade assets. Over the last three years, the company has reported a 130% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in gross merchandise volume (GMV) and a 100% CAGR in revenue, while growing its user base to over 2 million.

Embedded finance platform Comfi raises US$65 million in a pre-Series A

Comfi, a business-to-business (B2B) embedded finance platform, raised in April a US$65 million pre-Series A funding round consisting of both equity and debt. The company said the capital will be used to support its next stage of growth, including scaling its underwriting and risk capabilities, expanding its product offering, and accelerating growth across key regional markets.

Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Dubai, Comfi is a B2B solution that helps businesses offer flexible payment terms while ensuring suppliers get paid upfront. It currently offers buy now, pay later (BNPL) arrangements, invoice discounting, and car dealer finance.

Comfi claims it works with more than 4,000 finance leaders, has served over 1,000 SMEs, and financed more than 15,000 deals across industries, including food and beverage (F&B), healthcare, and automotive.

Advanced Digital Gaming Technology raises US$250 million

Advanced Digital Gaming Technology (ADGT), a newly established payments and data intelligence technology platform launched from the UAE, raised US$250 million in March. The company plans to initially focus on deployments across the UAE, the Middle East, Africa, and select international corridors.

ADGT was established through a strategic partnership between Blackstone, Raya Holding, the Abu Dhabi-based investment company and leading technology partners NRT Technology and Sightline Payments. It aims to become a premier payments and compliance platform provider to the commercial gaming market.

ADGT’s platform is designed to support national-scale deployments, cross-border interoperability and evolving regulatory frameworks. It integrates digital wallets, real-time funding, and payout rails, identity and access management, compliance monitoring, and both closed-loop and open-look ecosystem controls within a single interoperable infrastructure supporting both on-property transactions and digital engagement.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News UAE, based on image by geetaroy via Magnific