Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) is open to acquisition opportunities in its home base and the markets it operates beyond the Arab world’s second-largest economy as it looks to increase its market share, its group chief executive has said. The Dubai-headquartered lender is interested in acquiring a variety of assets that are complementary to the business…
Middle East’s financial landscape is poised for both continuity and transformation in 2025. While traditional banking metrics signal stability, FinTech is reshaping how financial services are delivered, reflecting a sector where innovation and resilience coexist. Fitch Ratings’ latest Middle East Banks Outlook 2025 paints a ‘neutral’ picture for the region’s banking sector. Credit growth is…
PaySky and Yalla Super App have been nominated for multiple prestigious awards at the MENA Fintech Association 2024 Awards, with winners to be announced during the Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2024 (ADFW). PaySky has been shortlisted in four categories: Fintech of the Year, Best Payments Solution, Best Innovative Payment Technology, and Best Merchant Solution, while…
Kenja Consulting, a boutique investment consultancy, has revealed plans for a new event series designed to enhance fintech collaboration between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK). This initiative aims to build bridges between these two prominent financial centres, fostering investment opportunities and strategic partnerships. Named Fintech Futures: UAE-UK Connection, the series…
The Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2024 featured a panel discussion titled ‘Fintech for All: Harnessing Innovation to Benefit Women and Beyond’, which focused on how financial technology is reshaping opportunities for women and communities worldwide. The panellists in the session included Hela Cheikhrouhou, Regional Vice President at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for the Middle…
UAE-based Reem Finance has selected Swiss banking tech vendor Temenos to power its upcoming digital community bank. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Reem Finance provides corporate and retail financing solutions to help “facilitate business growth and advance trade capacity for private entities within various sectors”. Through its partnership with Temenos, Reem Finance…
Emirates NBD and Mashreq Bank have made a strategic investment in NewBridge Fintech Solutions, the owner of UAE-based fintech platform LoanBook. LoanBook offers a centralised marketplace digitising the syndicated loan and private credit markets. The investment will be used to scale up the platform and make it easier for market participants to access global loan…
Commercial Bank International (CBI), leading UAE bank, has announced a strategic partnership with areeba, a global payment infrastructure provider, to become the first UAE bank to offer areeba’s comprehensive card and payment solutions to fintechs across the country. The partnership aims to empower UAE fintechs with scalable, secure card management capabilities and accelerate the growth…
Pemo, a fintech company based in Dubai, has raised US$7 million in its pre-series A funding round led by Shorooq and Augmentum Fintech. The funds are expected to enhance Pemo’s operations and support expansion into new GCC markets, including Saudi Arabia. The company plans to use the investment to improve its spend management platform, which…
Paymentology has signed a referral partnership with Zand Bank, the UAE’s first fully licenced, all-digital bank. This collaboration focuses on expanding financial services for fintechs and startups, aiming to accelerate innovation and growth in the UAE. Since 2022, Zand Bank has empowered UAE and global corporate, institutional and wealth clients to unlock new opportunities, foster…
