First Abu Dhabi Bank and Mastercard Unveil Virtual Corporate Card in UAE Revolution

Editorial Team

Last updated 22-12-2025

3 min

First Abu Dhabi Bank and Mastercard introduce a mobile-first virtual corporate card in the UAE.

The solution allows virtual cards to be issued directly into digital wallets for easier management.

This aims to improve payment tracking and tighten accounts payable processes for businesses.

FAB's launch aligns with the UAE's drive toward secure and sustainable financial systems.

Mastercard emphasizes global efforts to enhance accessible and secure financial ecosystems.

First Abu Dhabi Bank has teamed up with Mastercard to roll out a mobile‑first virtual corporate card solution in the UAE, marking what the two describe as a first for the wider EEMEA region. Instead of relying on plastic cards and old-school approvals, companies and government entities can now issue virtual cards that slot straight into digital wallets for contactless payments. I reckon this shift has been a long time coming, especially with corporate finance teams always telling me—usually over rushed coffee at events—that tracking payments across departments can be a bit of a faff.

The idea behind Mastercard’s virtual card number system is fairly simple: businesses generate cards in real time and use them online or in-store through mobile wallets. Everything stays within a controlled environment, giving finance teams a clearer view of spending and helping them tighten up accounts payable processes. From what many startups tell us at Arageek, that kind of visibility often feels like gold dust when you’re scaling and suddenly realise half your budget is vanishing into subscription renewals you forgot existed.

FAB is positioning this launch as part of its wider digital transformation drive, and it sits neatly within the UAE’s push toward more secure and sustainable financial systems. The bank says the tool should help organisations boost transparency, cut friction and modernise how they manage cash flow. And believe it or not, this comes at a time when around 45% of UAE companies are already investing in mobile tech for B2B payments—a figure that doesn’t surprise me much, given how quickly contactless habits spread here.

On the flip side, it’ll be interesting to see how smaller firms respond. Virtual corporate cards sound spot on for larger entities, but some younger teams I meet still prefer more straightforward tools, even if they’re not perfect. Still, with FAB and Mastercard pushing this forward, it feels like digital corporate payments in the UAE just stepped into a new chapter… well, I mean, assuming everyone adopts it smoothly and doesn’t get lost in setup steps, which can be definately frustrating.

Mastercard, for its part, continues to highlight its global work in digital payments across more than 200 countries, stressing that tools like this are part of building more accessible and secure financial ecosystems. Whether you’re a government department or a startup trying to keep expenses under control, this kind of solution could be one more piece in the region’s fast-evolving financial puzzle—one I’m sure many founders reading Arageek will be watching closely.

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