Deem and Yusr Join Forces to Elevate BNPL in UAE Auto Sector

Deem Finance has signed a strategic partnership with Yusr, a regulated fintech that has already built a track record in Kazakhstan, as the latter expands into the UAE. The move is designed to push forward embedded finance and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services in the country, starting with the automotive sector.

For anyone building a startup in the region, embedded finance is no longer just a buzzword. It’s the idea that financial services should appear exactly where customers need them, inside apps, platforms, even at car dealerships, rather than forcing people to go through what can be, frankly, a bit of a faff with traditional banks. I’ve seen founders across MENA struggle with this gap for years, so when partnerships like this happen, they feel… well, spot on.

Under the agreement, Deem will provide the regulated financial infrastructure and governance framework, while Yusr brings its technology-driven platform and customer-facing products. In simple terms: Yusr handles the tech layer and user experience; Deem ensures everything runs within the UAE’s regulatory boundaries and compliance standards.

Chris Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Deem, said the partnership shows how innovation and regulation can work hand in hand. He noted that fintech companies tend to move quickly and create new customer experiences, while regulated institutions such as Deem provide the discipline, governance and infrastructure required to scale responsibly in the market. He added that the company is pleased to support Yusr’s expansion into the UAE.

Yusr’s Founder and CEO, Azamat Seitbekov, said the company was built on the belief that financing should integrate naturally into daily life. He described the UAE as a logical next step, a market that encourages innovation and values accessible, embedded financial solutions. Partnering with Deem, he explained, gives Yusr the regulatory base and market credibility to expand in a sustainable way.

Yusr is backed by Jet Finance, a Kazakhstan Stock Exchange-listed financial institution with a Fitch-assigned credit rating. That backing matters. It signals that this is not a quick, opportunistic move into the Emirates, but a calculated regional expansion supported by institutional weight.

Initially, Yusr will focus on automotive services, offering financing options such as BNPL directly within that ecosystem. Over time, it plans to expand into other sectors of the UAE economy. Given how fast car sales and aftersales services are digitising here, this is not a random choice. It’s a sector where flexible payments can make immediate commercial sense.

Deem, which is regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE and part of the Gargash Group, has been positioning itself as a partnership-oriented institution. The company has made it clear that it wants to work with fintechs across models, lending, card programmes, embedded finance, while remaining firmly inside regulatory guardrails.

That said, partnerships between licensed finance companies and nimble fintechs are becoming almost the default model in the UAE. I reckon this hybrid approach, speed from startups, stability from regulated players, is the only way to scale without cutting corners. Full disruption without oversight? I’m not a fan.

As the UAE pushes to strengthen its reputation as a regional hub for financial innovation, moves like this underline a broader trend: collaboration over competition. And for startups across MENA reading us at Arageek, it’s another reminder that access to capital and compliance don’t have to be opposing forces. When they align properly, they can actually unlock something far more inclusive, and, dare I say, sustainable in the long run.

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