e& UAE Partners with Al Maryah Bank to Roll Out AE Coin Payments

Editorial Team

Last updated 10-12-2025

2 min

e& UAE partnered with Al Maryah Community Bank to enable payments using stablecoin AE Coin.

The stablecoin is fully backed by the dirham and aims to facilitate secure telecom payments.

e& UAE and AE Coin integration signals the UAE's push toward a cashless digital economy.

The partnership could transform the UAE's payments landscape and accelerate digital-economy goals.

Adoption by major telecoms marks a significant milestone for blockchain's everyday use.

e& UAE has taken another step into the digital-finance fast lane, signing a new agreement with Al Maryah Community Bank to potentially enable payments using AE Coin, the UAE’s first Central Bank‑licensed stablecoin. I remember chatting with a fintech founder at an Arageek event who joked that stablecoins would only go mainstream “when you can use them to pay your phone bill.” Well… I mean, we might actually be there now.

The deal means e& UAE could soon accept AE Coin across selected digital channels, letting customers settle telecom bills or recharge accounts with a token fully backed by the dirham. It’s a bit of a faff for most telecoms to transition to blockchain-powered payments, but this move hints at how seriously the UAE is pushing toward a cashless, digitally confident economy. I reckon it’s spot on with where regional fintech trends are heading.

Hatem Dowidar, Group CEO of e&, highlighted that using a Central Bank‑licensed stablecoin sets “a new standard for regulated digital finance,” noting the promise of instant settlements and more transparency. He said integrating AE Coin would give customers a simple and secure payment alternative embedded directly into services millions use daily.

From the banking side, Mohammed Wassim Khayata, CEO of Al Maryah Community Bank, described the partnership as a transformative moment for the UAE’s digital‑payments landscape. According to him, offering virtual‑asset payments at this scale should accelerate the country’s broader digital‑economy ambitions. And believe it or not, he might be right — these are the kinds of real-world use cases startups always ask for.

Ramez Rafeek, General Manager of AED Stablecoin LLC, added that seeing a major telecom adopt AE Coin marks “a major milestone,” pushing blockchain adoption from concept to everyday consumer behaviour. On the flip side, some people still get jittery about digital assets, but a fully regulated setup like this will probably leave them chuffed to bits.

All in all, the partnership nudges the UAE further into its digital‑transformation journey, reinforcing its position as a global player in fintech and virtual‑asset regulation. And as someone who’s watched countless MENA startups fight for practical blockchain adoption, this shift feels, well, definately overdue.

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