ADGM has announced that Man Group, a London-listed alternative investment firm with about US$228.7 billion in assets under management, is progressing with plans to establish a presence in Abu Dhabi and has submitted an application for a Category 3A license. The move forms part of Man Group’s broader expansion in the Middle East and supports its plan to establish a regional hub in Abu Dhabi, subject to regulatory approval. The firm expects to set up its presence in due course and aims to strengthen engagement with regional investors and its global operations. The announcement comes as ADGM continues to attract…

Temenos has announced that First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) is expanding its existing collaboration with the banking technology provider through a new initiative in Saudi Arabia. The project focuses on modernising FAB’s core banking and payments platform for its Islamic banking operations. The initiative supports FAB’s alignment with local regulatory requirements in Saudi Arabia and strengthens governance across its operations in the country. As part of the deployment, FAB will implement Temenos Core Banking, Payments Hub and Data Hub on cloud infrastructure within Saudi Arabia. The new setup is expected to support FAB in delivering Shari’ah-compliant banking services across retail,…

Thunes has partnered with Vodacom Tanzania to enable cross-border payments through Vodacom’s M-Pesa Global Payment solution. The service allows customers in Tanzania to pay merchants in Uganda and China directly from their mobile phones. The initiative targets challenges faced by Tanzanian traders, who often rely on costly, slow and less secure payment methods when conducting cross-border transactions. Using Thunes’ Direct Global Network, the service enables real-time payments and improves cross-border transaction efficiency. The solution covers two of Tanzania’s key trading partners. China has been Tanzania’s largest trading partner for eight consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching US$8.8 billion in 2024.…

Geidea, a fintech and payments technology provider, has introduced a dual-card routing capability in partnership with UnionPay International. The feature improves payment flexibility, acceptance rates, and the transaction experience for UnionPay cardholders across the Middle East and Africa. The capability intelligently routes eligible transactions across dual-network cards and processes payments through the most suitable network based on routing rules and, where applicable, cardholder preference. Geidea said it intends to improve transaction reliability and consistency across its merchant network, particularly at the point of sale. The launch comes amid continued growth in outbound travel from China, which has contributed to increased…

US-based Capital Group, one of the world’s largest active investment managers, has announced plans to open its first office in the Middle East in ADGM. The firm expects the office to open later this year, subject to regulatory approval. The move is part of Capital Group’s broader global expansion strategy and reflects its view of the Middle East, and the UAE in particular, as an established and growing financial centre. The office will be supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). Once established, the Abu Dhabi office will be the firm’s 35th globally. Capital Group said it intends to…

Sarwa, one of the GCC’s investment and personal finance platforms, has surpassed US$1 billion in client assets under management (AUM), becoming the first UAE homegrown fintech to reach the milestone. The achievement comes amid ongoing global and regional uncertainty and reflects growing participation from retail investors in the UAE and wider region. It also highlights Abu Dhabi’s position as a financial centre, supported by the ADGM, which has provided a regulated environment for fintech development. “When we started, many said retail investing would not work in MENA,” said Mark Chahwan, Group CEO and Co-founder of Sarwa. “They thought investors here…

botim money has expanded its collaboration with Mastercard to support the next phase of its card issuance programme, with a focus on digital-first payment services and continued platform development. The partnership builds on more than two years of Mastercard card issuance and sets out a longer-term roadmap aimed at improving payment experiences and broadening use cases across spending and financial services. botim money cards are issued without a minimum salary requirement, extending eligibility across a wider base of UAE residents while operating within standard service frameworks. The companies said the arrangement reflects the scale achieved to date and provides a…

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), together with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), has launched a digital bank account opening service under the Tourist Identity initiative. The service allows non-resident visitors to open digital bank accounts using the Tourist Identity upon arrival in the UAE. ICP issues the identity and uses biometric and facial recognition technologies to verify users. The authorities design it to enable secure digital onboarding without physical documentation. Through integration between ICP’s platform and ADCB’s mobile banking application, visitors can open accounts within minutes…

barq has launched global cross-border QR payments through a partnership with Alipay+, the unified wallet gateway operated by Ant International. The service allows more than 12 million barq users to make payments abroad by scanning QR codes at merchants that accept Alipay+. It will be available across more than 220 markets, including destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the UK, covering sectors such as retail, dining, transport and healthcare. barq said it is the first Alipay+ partner in the Middle East to enable outbound cross-border QR payments. The rollout will begin progressively from May 2026. The initiative supports…

Telr has introduced Google Pay across its regional operations, allowing merchants to offer an additional digital payment option. Google Pay enables customers to complete transactions using cards stored in Google Wallet, removing the need to re-enter payment details. The service incorporates authentication, encryption and tokenisation to protect transaction data. The addition aims to streamline the checkout process and reduce friction for merchants, which may support improved conversion rates. Khalil Alami, Founder and CEO of Telr, said, “As digital payments evolve, simplicity and trust are key.” He added, “Google Pay enables our merchants to offer a faster, more secure way to…

Ripple has expanded its presence in the UAE with a new MEA regional headquarters at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The move is intended to support continued hiring and meet rising demand for regulated blockchain-based payments and custody services across the region. The company first set up its MEA regional headquarters in Dubai in 2020. It said its regional business has since grown, with the Middle East now accounting for a significant portion of its global customer base. The new DIFC office provides additional capacity for Ripple to expand its regional team and strengthen support for clients across the…

Rain has acquired Saudi media firm Digital Ma’arefa to support its goal of expanding cryptocurrency access across the MENA region. Digital Ma’arefa is the publisher behind The Finance Memo, Crypto Memo, and AI Memo, reaching over one million followers over the past five years. Digital Ma’arefa co-founders Abdullah Mashat, Wael AlMutlaq, and Abdullah Fageih will join Rain. The company appointed Mashat as Managing Director to lead its regional expansion efforts. The media team will integrate into Rain’s operations over the coming months. The company stated there will be no changes to the existing newsletters or news networks. “Mashat and the…

Visa has appointed Emirates NBD as its official National Net Settlement Service (NNSS) agent in the UAE. The move allows domestic card transactions to clear locally in dirhams rather than routing through international settlement networks. The arrangement aims to reduce processing times and lower costs for banks by keeping domestic payment flows within the UAE. As the designated NNSS agent, Emirates NBD will manage fund transfers for participating Visa clients in compliance with the payment network’s standards. Processing transactions locally minimises dependence on international networks, improving system reliability for domestic payments. Visa clients will also gain new options to automate…

Bitcoin has been quieter lately, at least on the surface. The sharp bursts of momentum seen in earlier cycles have eased, but activity has not disappeared. What has changed is the type of movement taking place. Price shifts are less reactive and more tied to how capital is being positioned. The btc price usd now tends to move alongside broader financial signals rather than breaking away from them. Some of that comes down to who is active in the market. Data referenced by crypto exchange Binance points to institutional participation returning in a more measured way. It is not arriving all at…

Mashreq and UAE-based fintech Cashew are strengthening their collaboration to develop an embedded lending framework combining banking capabilities with digital platform infrastructure. The framework integrates Cashew’s technology with Mashreq’s regulated lending, credit decisioning, and risk governance functions. It enables financing at the point of need, with customers able to access loans of up to AED 150,000 and repayment tenures of up to 48 months. Approvals are near-instant, with transparent terms. Merchants receive payments directly, with reduced friction in the process. As BNPL adoption grows in the region, the model extends pay-later financing to higher-value and essential spending categories, including automotive…

RAKBANK has outlined measures to support the UAE’s SME sector, focusing on maintaining credit flow, strengthening business resilience and supporting growth amid ongoing global uncertainty. The bank, which has supported SMEs for more than five decades and served over 250,000 businesses in the UAE, said SME banking remains central to its strategy. It added that it is taking proactive steps as businesses navigate shifting trade conditions and cash flow pressures. RAKBANK has allocated around AED 2 billion in additional credit limits for both existing and new customers. This covers secured lending, term loans, trade finance and working capital solutions. It…

Yuno has announced a partnership with Flutterwave to simplify payment access for businesses entering African markets. Through a single API integration, Yuno merchants can now enable Flutterwave’s local payment options, including cards, mobile money and bank transfers, across markets such as Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda and South Africa. The integration removes the need for multiple local integrations and contracts, allowing merchants to manage payments through a centralised Yuno dashboard for operations and reconciliation. The companies said the aim is to reduce the complexity businesses face when operating across Africa’s fragmented payments landscape, while improving access to local payment…

Tether has launched a gold-backed Visa neobanking card in collaboration with Fasset, a stablecoin neobanking and investment platform. The card enables users to spend USD at Visa-accepting merchants globally and earn up to 6% cashback in Tether Gold (XAU₮) on eligible transactions. It uses a tiered rewards structure linked to spending levels. The card includes an automatic round-up feature that rounds transactions to the nearest dollar and invests the difference into XAU₮, allowing users to accumulate tokenised gold through daily spending. It integrates directly with Fasset’s wallet infrastructure, and credits cashback in real time. Fasset provides multi-currency accounts, transfers, instant…

Creative Zone, in collaboration with RAKEZ and Mashreq NEO BIZ, has launched the Young Entrepreneurs’ Business Setup Program, a UAE-based initiative aimed at supporting aspiring entrepreneurs, early-stage founders and new business owners as they move from idea to company formation. The programme simplifies the early stages of business setup by combining incorporation support with access to a partner-backed ecosystem of services. It aims to provide a more structured entry point for individuals starting their first business. The launch comes as the UAE continues to strengthen its position as a global hub for entrepreneurship. The country has ranked first globally in…

Deloitte Middle East has launched the 5th edition of its Technology Fast 50 programme, recognising fast-growing technology companies across the Middle East and Cyprus. The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Programme is a ranking that identifies high-growth companies with technological advancements that were founded before January 1, 2021 and with annual revenue of at least US$50,000 in 2019 and US$250,000 in 2024. The programme ranks companies by four-year revenue growth. Here are the 11 fintechs that are the winners of this year’s FAST 50 Programme: FundedNext (UAE) FundedNext is a global proprietary trading firm dedicated to building a unified trading ecosystem…