Redpin, a global property payments platform backed by Blackstone in a US$170 million investment round, has secured in-principle approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). The regulatory milestone enables the company to progress toward offering property payment services to the real estate developer ecosystem in the UAE. This expansion directly aligns with the Dubai Land Department target of increasing real estate transaction volumes by 70% by 2033. Launching the Redpin Platform The clearance supports the rollout of the Redpin Platform, a new payment infrastructure built specifically for property developers. The system digitises traditionally manual property payment processes to deliver…

Huawei Cloud is strengthening its presence in Egypt’s financial technology sector through locally hosted infrastructure designed to support digital transformation The company outlined its growth strategy at a recent summit focused on secure digital infrastructure and data intelligence. Following the launch of its Egypt public cloud region in 2024, the company is responding to growing demand for scalable, secure, and locally hosted cloud infrastructure. This approach keeps sensitive financial data within national borders to satisfy long-term data sovereignty requirements. Jo Xu, CEO of Huawei Cloud Egypt, stated that the company aims to be a trusted technology partner for local financial…

MTN Group Fintech has partnered with Ant International to digitalise and expand its mobile money ecosystem, starting with a product rollout in Nigeria next quarter. The collaboration will introduce a super-app platform designed to integrate commerce, lifestyle, and financial services around the MTN MoMo wallet interface. By adopting technology from Ant International, MTN Group Fintech aims to enhance its ecosystem integration through a mini-app framework, improve fraud prevention, and introduce new engagement features for both consumers and merchants. “This partnership aligns with MTN Group’s ambition of leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress by leveraging scale, technology and strong global partnerships,”…

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has signed an agreement with the World Bank Group to collaborate on financial inclusion, financial literacy, and consumer protection initiatives across the country. The partnership will focus on digital fraud prevention principles and enhancing dispute resolution mechanisms for the banking and insurance sectors. The two organisations are also preparing to host the second edition of the Regional Summit on Financial Health and Inclusion, scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi in September 2026. “This agreement reflects the CBUAE’s commitment to advancing financial inclusion and financial literacy, and enhancing consumer protection as key pillars…

Habib Metropolitan Bank (HABIBMETRO) has selected BPC’s SmartVista platform to enhance its card issuing capabilities and improve transaction processing. This technology migration supports the bank’s digital transformation strategy to build a scalable foundation for digital services growth. The transition aligns with the State Bank of Pakistan Vision 2028 initiative, which aims to modernise the national financial system and promote digital inclusion. Expanding card products and scheme compliance Through this deployment, HABIBMETRO will offer a broader suite of financial products, including physical debit cards and virtual cards. The bank will also update its automated teller machine (ATM) and branch point of…

Bank of Singapore is appointing Lim Leong Guan to lead its private banking business in the Middle East and South Asia. The move is part of the bank’s strategy to increase its global ultra-high-net-worth assets under management by 30% by 2028. Lim will take on the role of Head of Private Banking for the Middle East, South Asia and International on 1 July 2026. He will be based in Dubai and will also serve as Chief Executive of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) branch, subject to regulatory approval. The appointment follows a Capgemini Research Institute report indicating that the…

Yuno has partnered with Onafriq to grant international merchants access to payment networks across Africa. The integration connects Yuno clients to 43 African markets through a single API. The partnership enables merchants to access nearly 1 billion mobile wallets, 500 million bank accounts, and 2,000 cross-border payment corridors. For businesses looking to scale into Africa, the collaboration addresses the difficulties of connecting to fragmented local payment rails. Expanding the Yuno payment network The infrastructure supports the entire payment lifecycle, offering capabilities such as real-time disbursements, omnichannel collections, card issuance, treasury management, and stablecoin settlement. Transactions are backed by local regulatory…

Blue Owl Capital has opened a new office in the ADGM, establishing its regional headquarters in the UAE. The alternative asset manager is expanding its physical footprint to deepen ties with Middle Eastern institutional investors. The new base will house members of the firm’s institutional capital and general partner stakes teams. “Over the last decade, the Middle East has emerged as both a strategic global market and a sophisticated investor across asset classes, particularly alternatives,” said Haitham Abdulkarim, Managing Director and Senior Executive Officer of the Abu Dhabi office at Blue Owl Capital. The move marks the seventh office for…

Global Islamic finance assets crossed US$5.98 trillion in 2024, growing 21% year-on-year, according to the ICD-LSEG Islamic Finance Development Report 2025. But the digital infrastructure underpinning the world’s fastest-expanding faith-based financial system is straining to keep up, and nowhere is that gap more visible than in the GCC. The region holds roughly half of all global Islamic finance assets, and the UAE alone is targeting AED 2.56 trillion in Islamic banking assets by 2031. Customers here rank among the world’s most digitally sophisticated: only one in six purchases in the UAE is now made in cash, and Dubai’s cashless strategy…

Saudi Venture Capital (SVC) has appointed Nora Alsarhan as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective from 1 July 2026. The transition is part of a structured leadership succession plan overseen by the board to ensure continuity and support the ongoing growth of the private capital ecosystem. Alsarhan succeeds Dr Nabeel Koshak, who has led the institutional investment firm since 2019. Alsarhan brings tracking records in private capital investment management and financial advisory services to the CEO role. Since joining the firm in June 2019, she has held several leadership positions, serving most recently as Deputy CEO and Chief Investment Officer.…

Zoom has launched a new data centre in Saudi Arabia to expand infrastructure capacity and support local data residency requirements for enterprises and government entities. The facility is located at centre3, a provider of carrier-neutral data centres and subsea cable systems. This deployment builds on Zoom’s broader investment plan for the region, which includes a US$75 million commitment focused on AI infrastructure. The infrastructure expansion aims to support organisations with strict data compliance needs, including critical national infrastructure bodies and large corporate enterprises. The facility builds on an existing regional data centre established in 2023. “The new data centre bolsters…

UAE-based SDB Wallet has launched its digital wallet services, consolidating multi-currency accounts, instant Mastercard cards, international money transfers, and digital-asset deposits into a single mobile application. The platform is built on European-grade technology and security standards. It allows users to hold and convert dozens of currencies, send money to more than 150 countries, and make payments online and in stores worldwide. The company stated that the service operates with transparent fees and no hidden charges. “Our mission is simple: give everyone control over their money, from anywhere,” said Mohammad Haj Ali, Founder of SDB Wallet. “We built a platform that…

The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has launched SME in a Box. The platform offers founders a single entry point for essential business services, including licensing, banking, and digital payments. By bringing together a network of trusted providers, the platform allows businesses to access a curated ecosystem of partners. Founders can bypass the process of sourcing, comparing, and onboarding multiple vendors independently. This consolidated approach helps eliminate friction from the setup phase, reducing administrative burdens and duplicated onboarding processes that often delay operations. The platform provides access to partner offers that could unlock over AED 80,000 in potential…

Vault22 is expanding its digital wealth management platform in the UAE to capture growing regional demand for automated investment tools and artificial intelligence in financial services. At the core of the platform is Tara, an AI-powered assistant. It assesses a user’s spending habits, current liabilities, and income cycles to deliver contextual financial guidance. Users can search transactions using natural language. They can monitor their investments, identify potential cash shortfalls, and receive notifications tailored to their financial behaviour. Consolidating personal finance The application brings together budgeting, portfolio management, and account aggregation (linking multiple bank accounts to view a total balance) into…

du has signed a MoU with Open Innovation AI to accelerate the adoption of an agentic AI workforce across government entities and enterprises. Supported by the UAE Cyber Security Council, du and Open Innovation AI launched the partnership to strengthen the country’s sovereign AI sector. The companies signed the agreement during the Digital Readiness Retreat 2026 in Dubai. The collaboration integrates the certified National Hypercloud platform of du Tech with the AI infrastructure workload orchestration fabric of Open Innovation AI. This enables public and private organisations to deploy and scale autonomous agentic AI workloads while maintaining regulatory compliance. Dr Mohamed…

Integra, a technology company building AI and blockchain infrastructure for real estate, has selected SettleMint as its digital asset lifecycle platform partner. The partnership supports the compliant, on-chain representation of real estate assets across the UAE and the US. Under the MoU, the companies will establish a structured framework to integrate the Integra real estate ecosystem platform with SettleMint’s digital asset lifecycle platform. The agreement creates a pathway for projects entering the ecosystem to access tokenisation services, fiat-based licences, and implementation services. These will be based on individual project models. Integra expands property ecosystem The joint solution combines the AI…

Flutterwave is partnering with blockchain network Tempo to launch stablecoin-powered payments and infrastructure for settlements across Africa. The collaboration will integrate Tempo as a blockchain settlement network within the Send App and Flutterwave for Business platforms. This infrastructure aims to enable faster global money movement for both individuals and enterprises once the system goes live. This initiative addresses the high costs and lengthy delays associated with traditional cross-border transactions in Africa. According to the World Bank, remittance fees to sub-Saharan Africa average approximately 7%. This figure exceeds the global average of 6% and sits well above the United Nations Sustainable…

Wio Bank PJSC, a digital banking platform in the Middle East, signed a partnership agreement with Geidea, one of the MENA region’s fintech and merchant payment providers. The Wio Bank Geidea partnership will bring Wio’s business banking and financing solutions directly to SMEs via Geidea’s merchant network. Prateek Vahie, Chief Commercial Officer at Wio Bank, and Pankaj Kundra, Chief Executive Officer at Geidea UAE, signed the agreement. Through the partnership, Wio’s business banking and lending products will be accessible to Geidea’s merchant network. Eligible merchants could benefit from a streamlined experience, which includes transparent financing terms. Geidea will act as…

du is launching a US$50 million corporate venture fund named du Ventures to invest in companies across the region, with a specific focus on fintech, AI, and cybersecurity. The fund is managed by multi-strategy investment firm Shorooq and targets startups developing market-ready solutions. A significant portion of the capital is allocated to UAE-based ventures. While the fund covers multiple technology sectors, its financial services focus includes fintech infrastructure, loyalty platforms, and enterprise solutions. The initiative marks the telecom operator’s expansion into the broader digital investment space. It provides founders with capital alongside access to the company’s enterprise reach and infrastructure.…

Binance Dubai has officially launched direct AED deposits and withdrawals for eligible users in the UAE. The integration allows users to move fiat funds directly between their UAE bank accounts and the cryptocurrency platform, providing a direct channel to access digital assets. Verified users can deposit AED from their domestic bank accounts without incurring transaction fees. For fiat withdrawals, the platform has instituted a flat fee of 10 AED. After depositing funds, users can convert AED into crypto and trade across available platform products, or withdraw AED back to their bank accounts. To mark the launch, an activity period is…