IHC, Sirius International Holding, and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) have announced that the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has approved the UAE dirham-backed stablecoin DDSC for launch. The stablecoin will operate on ADI Chain, an institutional Layer-2 blockchain developed by the Abu Dhabi-based ADI Foundation. DDSC builds on a stablecoin initiative first announced in April 2025 by IHC and FAB. Sirius International Holding, IHC’s technology-focused subsidiary, will support deployment, integration, and adoption. Designed for institutional and government-led use cases, DDSC is intended for payments and collections, high-value settlement and treasury operations, trade and supply-chain flows, and programmable financial…

Juspay, an India-based provider of payment infrastructure for enterprises and banks, has opened its regional headquarters at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The office marks the company’s expansion into the Middle East. It will support engagement with regional partners as demand for enterprise payment solutions grows. Digital commerce in the GCC is expanding quickly. Enterprises in airlines, hospitality, e-commerce, and financial services face challenges from multiple currencies, evolving regulations, and diverse local payment methods. Juspay’s payments orchestration platform provides a unified system. It helps organisations improve authorisation rates, manage costs, ensure compliance, and scale across regional and global markets. Commenting…

Open Stable Network (OSN), a global on-chain foreign exchange (FX) settlement infrastructure provider, has activated a new payment corridor between the Philippines and the UAE. This infrastructure provides businesses with enterprise-grade access to fiat-to-stablecoin FX settlements across emerging and major financial markets. OSN claims that this new corridor offers transaction fees up to 50% lower than those found on leading payment platforms. The framework eliminates the high costs and delays typical of legacy correspondent banking. It facilitates bi-directional fund flows between stablecoins and fiat currencies like the USD, AED, EUR, and PHP. Businesses can bypass the latency and expenses associated…

Smart Bricks, an AI company focused on real-estate investing, has raised a US$5 million pre-seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z Speedrun, with participation from funds and angel investors across the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Founded in 2024, the company builds agentic AI systems that automate how investors identify, analyse, and transact real estate. Its platform applies autonomous reasoning to sourcing, valuation, underwriting, due diligence, and execution, reducing processes that typically take months to a matter of minutes. Smart Bricks aggregates more than one million public and proprietary data feeds to assess factors such as pricing, liquidity, regulation,…

Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) has introduced a digital platform for regulatory reporting. This marks the first phase ahead of a full e-reporting requirement for all non-banking financial institutions. The initiative is part of FRA’s efforts to modernise oversight and improve regulatory processes. The platform allows institutions to submit reports and documents with integrated electronic signatures. These signatures are automatically verified through a partnership with Delta Electronic Systems. Delta is a certified service provider authorised by the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA). In addition to streamlining reporting, the platform centralises communication between the Authority and regulated entities. The rollout…

Fintech in North Africa is rapidly evolving, driven by a combination of youthful, digitally savvy demographics, growing mobile phone penetration but uneven banking access, and governments that are looking to modernize the financial services industry. The region, encompassing nations such as Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, boasts approximately 270 million inhabitants, with around 55% of the population under the age of 30. However, financial service access remains limited for the majority. According to World Bank data, in 2024, 45% of Morocco’s population held a bank or similar account, a figure that declines to approximately 42% in Egypt, 39% in Tunisia,…

Baidu and Uber, in partnership with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), have announced the next phase of their global collaboration, bringing the Apollo Go autonomous ride-hailing service to the Uber platform in Dubai. The service will launch next month, offering fully autonomous vehicles through the Uber app in select areas of Jumeirah. Deployment will expand based on operational results and regulatory approvals across the city. This supports Dubai’s goal of having 25% of all trips autonomous by 2030. Passengers in the service area can book an Uber Comfort or UberX ride and be matched with an Apollo Go vehicle,…

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has announced the launch of Phase II of the Real Estate Tokenisation Project, allowing resale activity in the secondary market from 20 February. The phase marks the project’s move from a pilot stage to a more advanced operational stage within a regulated framework. The pilot phase was launched in March under the “REES Real Estate Innovation Initiative,” in collaboration with the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and strategic partners. It tested the regulatory, legislative, and technical frameworks for tokenising real estate on title deeds. This made Dubai the first real estate registration authority in the…

Jordan Kuwait Bank has signed a long-term strategic agreement with BPC, a global provider of payments and digital banking solutions, as part of its digital transformation efforts. The agreement aims to unify the bank’s digital channels on a next-generation platform, strengthen innovation, and improve customer experience. The platform will support the bank’s digital transformation by providing an integrated, flexible, and scalable system that allows for faster development and deployment of digital services. It includes the migration of the bank’s digital wallet, enabling customers to conduct daily financial transactions securely within a unified digital environment. The platform also offers solutions for…

Temenos said Bank ABC, a Bahrain-based international bank, has migrated its mobile-only digital bank, ila Bank, onto Temenos’ core banking platform hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), completing the first phase of the group’s wider core banking transformation programme. The migration covers ila Bank’s retail account and lending operations and includes Temenos Payments and Data Hub. Systems Limited, a Temenos Delivery Partner, delivered the implementation and will also provide end-to-end managed services for the platform. Launched in 2019, ila Bank operates as a mobile-only bank in Bahrain. Following the go-live, ila Bank’s core retail and lending systems now run on…

In 2025, Morocco accelerated its fintech agenda, introducing new incentives and support mechanisms designed to attract foreign talent, foster collaboration, and stimulate innovation. In January, the Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform launched the Morocco Fintech Center to strengthen the startup ecosystem and serve as a one-stop shop for fintech companies. The center provides mentoring, incubation, and skills development programs, while also helping startups navigate regulatory requirements and access funding. At launch, the initiative brought together around 15 banks and financial institutions. Later that year, in November, the agency partnered with the Mohammed VI Investment Fund, Caisse de Dépôt…

Riyadh Air and Mastercard have announced a strategic partnership aimed at integrating payments, travel, and technology to enhance both consumer and business travel experiences. As a new airline without legacy systems, Riyadh Air is able to develop a financial and payment ecosystem from the outset. The collaboration will introduce consumer payments, premium airport services, and B2B travel payment solutions. Riyadh Air-branded Mastercard credit and prepaid cards will launch for Saudi residents in late 2026. Fully integrated into the Riyadh Air app, the digital-first cards will allow users to earn flights, upgrades, lifestyle rewards, and access exclusive experiences, while managing all…

omnispay, a UAE-based fintech focused on SME payments, has closed a US$2 million Pre-Series A funding round led by Infinity Value Capital Group. The funding will support the company’s transition from providing rapid settlements to merchants to a broader SME finance platform, including cash flow management and embedded credit through integrated collect, pay, and borrow workflows. Over the past year, omnispay doubled its customer base and quadrupled its processing volume, achieving a 5.5x revenue increase while maintaining operational efficiency, with expenses rising 2.2x. The company’s proprietary AI risk engine, ARIES, monitors transactions in real time to manage risk. Omnispay also…

Swiss private bank Maerki Baumann & Co has received approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM to open a branch in Abu Dhabi. The move expands the bank’s presence beyond Europe and aims to support blockchain and crypto companies with access to banking infrastructure. The Abu Dhabi branch will operate under the “ARCHIP” brand, providing corporate accounts, liquidity management, and services in trading, custody, staking, and digital asset management for private, institutional, and corporate clients. Local relationship managers will provide clients with easier access to the bank’s services, while the Tech Banking team in Zurich, which has…

Equiti Group, a Dubai-based fintech firm, has partnered with Checkout.com to expand Equiti Pay’s payment capabilities and improve acceptance rates. The partnership enables card deposits, pay-to-card transfers, and support for digital wallets including Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as cross-border transactions. Clients can expect faster funding, smoother withdrawals, and a broader range of payment options, with improved speed and reliability for time-sensitive domestic and international transactions. The collaboration combines Checkout.com’s global acquiring network and fraud-prevention technology with Equiti’s data-driven approach. Checkout.com uses AI and recent innovations to deliver scalable payment solutions, while Equiti brings market knowledge and client…

South African digital lender TymeBank has officially rebranded as GoTyme Bank, aligning its local operations with the branding used across the wider Tyme Group. The transition includes the launch of a new GoTyme Bank mobile app, which went live on 22 January and is being rolled out in phases. The bank said the migration is designed to prioritise system stability, security and customer experience. Existing customers are not required to open new accounts. Account details, balances and transaction histories have already been migrated, and customers can access their accounts by downloading the new app and logging in with their current…

ADGM Academy (ADGMA), the knowledge arm of ADGM, and Mawaheb Talent Hub, supported by the Department of Government Enablement (DGE) – Abu Dhabi, have announced an expansion of their partnership to address evolving labour market needs in the UAE. The 2026 programme will introduce new industry-aligned courses in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, focusing on skills in high-demand sectors. New additions include the Software Development Accelerator Programme, Technology Infrastructure Programme, and Strategic Business Intelligence Programme, designed to equip Emiratis with future-ready skills. This year, ADGM Academy and Mawaheb will also strengthen efforts in government and semi-government employability. As part of…

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), digital banking has evolved from mere online portals to a highly integrated, AI-driven ecosystem that caters to an increasingly expanding segment of the population. According to a Capco survey, by 2024, nine in ten UAE residents (89%) had digital-first accounts. This figure represents a significant surge compared to the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region’s average digital banking usage of approximately 17% a few years ago, highlighting the rapid adoption of digital banking. Within this evolving landscape, traditional banks such as Emirates NBD and Mashreq are leading the charge by embracing the digital-only model, developing…

du Pay, the digital financial services arm of du, has partnered with Deem Finance, a regulated UAE financial institution, to introduce Flexi Cash Loan. The product offers fast access to short-term credit directly through the du Pay wallet. The service combines du Pay’s digital wallet ecosystem, Deem Finance’s regulated lending capabilities, and Airvantage’s credit decisioning technology. Together, they provide a fully digital lending experience. The aim is to simplify access to credit while maintaining transparency and customer protection. Fahad Al Hassawi, Chairman of du Pay, said: “We recognised a critical gap in the market where expat communities, who contribute significantly…

Etihad Airways is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With its main base being at Zayed International Airport, in Abu Dhabi, it’s the second-largest airline in the country after Emirates, operating more than 1,000 flights per week, to over 120 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. Etihad Airways’ frequent-flyer program, called Etihad Guest, lets members accumulate points called Guest Miles. These points can be redeemed for rewards, including free or discounted Etihad flights and seat upgrades, flights on Etihad Airways’ global airline partners, hotel stays,…