The UAE Ministry of Finance has integrated the Aani instant payment platform and the Jaywan domestic card scheme into its collection channels for federal service fees and fines. The ministry is the first federal entity to implement the systems, paving the way for other government entities and collection banks to roll out the platforms in line with their approved procedures. Cabinet Resolution No. 176M/4M of 2026 supports the rollout. It establishes the adoption of the two national platforms and their applicable usage fees. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to modernise government revenue collection. It also deepens integration with…

Digital payments company Pyypl has appointed Mustafa Amralla to strengthen its compliance and financial crime function as the company expands its regulatory capabilities across regional markets. Pyypl operates across regulatory frameworks overseen by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in Abu Dhabi, the Central Bank of Bahrain, and the Astana Financial Services Authority within the Astana International Financial Centre. These jurisdictions require consistent internal standards for anti-money laundering, KYC, sanctions, and governance frameworks. Amralla joins Pyypl from Bahrain’s national anti-financial crime platform AMAN, where he served as Compliance Manager and Money Laundering Reporting Officer. He previously held compliance roles at…

Saudi Arabian insurtech DESAISIV has launched an AI platform to automate corporate insurance management and opened an US$8 million growth funding round. The company plans to use the capital to expand its product portfolio beyond corporate health insurance. It will enter areas such as motor insurance, leasing, general insurance, and other AI-powered enterprise risk solutions. Corporate insurance remains a major operational expense for businesses. Many organisations still rely on manual workflows, fragmented systems, and spreadsheets to manage their insurance needs. DESAISIV’s AI Insurance Agent uses advanced analytics to benchmark market pricing and evaluate policy performance. It also identifies cost-saving opportunities…

Emirates NBD Egypt is set to acquire HSBC Egypt’s retail banking business, transferring the bank’s retail loans, deposits, accounts, and supporting employees to the UAE banking group. The transaction forms part of HSBC’s broader effort to simplify its operations and focus on its corporate and institutional banking businesses. The parties expect to complete the deal in the second half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals. HSBC expects the sale to generate an estimated pre-tax gain of around US$300 million. It will recognise the gain mainly upon completion and classify it as a material notable item. The transaction will have an…

MultiBank Group’s digital asset platform mb.io has integrated Botim to allow users in the UAE to fund their accounts directly within its trading app. The integration leverages Botim’s payment flow to reduce reliance on external payment steps. Account funding remains a fragmented process for many digital asset platforms. Users are frequently required to leave their trading application to complete payment steps elsewhere before returning to execute a trade. By adding Botim as a payment method, mb.io allows users to complete the funding process through a familiar interface. The partnership aims to reduce friction in the transition from fiat to digital…

du Pay has launched Flexi Cash Loan, a digital lending product that offers eligible customers up to AED 5,000 in short-term credit. The service targets customers with limited access to traditional banking products, including blue-collar workers, expatriates, and young professionals in the UAE. The company is introducing Flexi Cash Loan in phases, initially making it available to a portion of registered users. Customers can check their eligibility through the du Pay application, while du Pay disburses approved loans in less than 30 seconds without requiring physical paperwork. du Pay assesses eligibility based on customers’ usage of its digital wallet for…

Mawarid Finance and KamelPay have launched AbsoluteCard, a new corporate payment solution for businesses in the UAE. Powered by Mastercard and issued by Mawarid Finance, the product marks KamelPay’s expansion from workforce payments and salary processing into broader corporate expense management. The solution gives organisations real-time visibility and control over business spending, allowing companies to manage expenses digitally and streamline corporate payment processes. KamelPay previously focused on workforce payments through its PayD ecosystem, which the company said currently serves more than 1,600 corporate clients across the UAE. “Our collaboration with KamelPay reflects a shared vision of simplifying corporate financial management…

KamelPay has received Stored Value Facilities (SVF) and Retail Payment Services (RPS) licenses from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), allowing the UAE-born fintech to operate regulated payment services under the country’s payment framework. The approvals place KamelPay among a select group of fintech companies authorised to operate regulated payment services under the CBUAE framework. Founded in 2021, KamelPay provides payroll and business payment solutions for organisations across sectors including construction, retail, real estate, logistics, hospitality and financial services. The company currently serves more than 2,000 corporate clients and supports payments for over 400,000 employees across the UAE. The…

Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has launched CBD Invest, a digital wealth management platform integrated directly into its existing mobile banking application. The product targets affluent, Elite and Private Banking customers. It offers direct trading of US-listed equities and ETFs alongside consolidated financial tracking. At the core of the offering is a feature called wealth 360, which the bank describes as a first in the market. The tool provides a unified view of a customer’s financial position. It aggregates CBD accounts with selected external assets and liabilities. CBD Invest also includes advanced portfolio analytics designed to support goal-based investing. Users…

Spend management platform Pemo has received in-principle approval for a Stored Value Facility (SVF) license from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). The approval will allow the company to hold and manage business funds digitally once the full licensing process is completed. Pemo expects to secure the final license in the coming months. The license, once granted, will allow the company to introduce a broader suite of financial products, including digital wallets and dedicated fund-holding capabilities tailored for SMEs. Enabling digital fund management An SVF license enables regulated entities to hold customer funds in digital accounts. This framework allows…

Emirates has launched Crypto.com Pay as a payment option for eligible UAE residents booking flights through its website and mobile application. Customers with a Crypto.com account can now select Crypto.com Pay at checkout for eligible bookings priced and settled in AED. Desktop users scan a QR code on the booking page and approve transactions through the Crypto.com app. Mobile users open their Crypto.com wallet to complete payments before returning to Emirates’ platform to receive booking confirmation. The launch follows a MoU signed between Emirates and Crypto.com in July 2025. The agreement explored the integration of Crypto.com Pay into the airline’s…

UAE telecom provider du has launched a digital transformation playbook for SMEs in collaboration with Huawei UAE. This guide outlines ways SMEs can enhance cash flow, improve payment experiences, and strengthen operational resilience through digital tools. The playbook, titled From Set Up to Set for Growth, is based on a digital transformation study involving face-to-face interviews with 648 UAE SMEs. The study team conducted the research between January and March 2026 across all seven emirates and five major industry sectors. The study found that while basic technology adoption is high, only 8% of surveyed SMEs have reached advanced digital maturity.…

Tanzanian fintech Tembo has secured a Payment Service Provider license from the National Bank of Rwanda. The regulatory approval allows the company to expand its business-to-business payment infrastructure into the Rwandan market. The Rwanda license comes as demand continues to grow for modern financial infrastructure supporting international trade, digital commerce, and cross-border payments across the continent. Founded in Dar es Salaam in 2020, Tembo builds payment infrastructure for businesses rather than serving consumers directly. The company currently operates across seven African markets and has processed more than US$1 billion in transaction volume for more than 100 enterprise customers. The fintech…

Yalla Financial Solutions has received in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) for a Category II Retail Payment Services license. The approval marks a step toward expanding the fintech company’s payment infrastructure in the UAE, subject to final regulatory clearance. The license falls under the CBUAE’s Retail Payment Services and Card Schemes Regulation. Once the final license is granted, Yalla plans to enhance its payment capabilities for consumers, merchants, and enterprises in the UAE market. The company currently operates across Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. “Receiving the in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the…

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and Indonesia are exploring cooperation to interconnect their payment systems to enable faster and more efficient cross-border transactions. CBUAE Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama and Indonesian Ambassador Judha Nugraha discussed ways to strengthen financial and banking ties between the two countries during a meeting at the CBUAE headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The discussions focused on developing digital payment infrastructure, advancing financial innovation, and creating more transparent and cost-effective solutions to support trade and investment flows between the UAE and Indonesia. The two sides also explored the implementation of Local Currency Transactions (LCT), which could…

Checkout.com, a global digital payments company, announced that it has been granted in-principle approval for a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). The Checkout.com UAE licence approval will allow it to introduce issuing capabilities alongside its existing acquiring services in the UAE on a single platform. Checkout.com offers acquiring and issuing as modular solutions, so merchants can adopt either for one based on their needs. Through Checkout.com’s unified platform, businesses will be able to link acquiring, issuing and business account capabilities. Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA at Checkout.com, shared, “Once operational,…

Riyadh Air has launched RX Pay, a suite of Riyadh Air-branded Mastercard cards issued through leading Saudi banks. The cards allow users to earn Sfeer Points on everyday purchases and redeem them across Mastercard’s acceptance network, extending the airline’s loyalty programme beyond flights. RX Pay includes features such as multi-currency capabilities, split payments, and flexible instalment options provided by issuing banks. The cards will initially roll out in Saudi Arabia, where Riyadh Air has an exclusivity agreement with Mastercard, before expanding to other markets through local banking partnerships. “We didn’t want to put our name on someone else’s card, we…

FinTech (Financial Technology) has revolutionized the forex trading industry in the United Arab Emirates by significantly enhancing accessibility, speed of execution and regulatory oversight. Advanced mobile trading apps, AI and strong online systems have been credited with this rapid and widespread revolution. FinTech has completely transformed Forex trading in the United Arab Emirates from the siloed, high-barrier institutional monopoly it once was into a democratized, hyper-efficient and multi-billion dollar online industry. Well-established online sites like Tradeview Markets have found a foothold in this premier global financial center, offering forex trading and brokerage services to retail traders in this region. With the state’s…

Jubilee Health Insurance has partnered with global insurtech bolttech to distribute its health insurance products through third-party digital platforms across East Africa. The integration will allow consumers to access health coverage directly within financial, retail, and service apps they already use, expanding beyond traditional insurance distribution channels. Jubilee Health will use bolttech’s API platform to connect with distribution partners. The system will support product configuration, partner onboarding, policy purchases, administration, and claims management within a single customer journey. By embedding insurance offers at the point of need, the model aims to reduce friction and broaden access to health protection across…

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has deployed the Visa Threat Intelligence Platform (VTIP), becoming the first bank globally to deploy and co-design the platform’s initial use cases and operational framework with Visa. VTIP combines cybersecurity and payment intelligence. It helps financial institutions identify emerging risks earlier and prevent them from escalating into fraud. Its implementation integrates VTIP into ADIB’s fraud prevention framework. The platform provides cybersecurity, fraud and risk teams with real-time visibility into emerging threats tailored to the financial sector. The solution supports faster risk identification, investigation of suspicious activity and response to evolving cyber threats. Visa developed VTIP…