Network International Launches UAE’s First Stablecoin Payment Platform with AE Coin

Editorial Team

Last updated 6-01-2026

3 min

Network International partners with Al Maryah Community Bank to launch stablecoin payments in UAE.

AE Coin, linked to the dirham, integrates into Network's payment terminals and e-commerce systems.

This allows merchants nationwide to accept AE Coin seamlessly, enhancing digital transaction options.

The UAE's regulatory advancements facilitate stablecoin adoption, solidifying its digital finance ambitions.

This collaboration may redefine digital currency transactions, boosting Network's role in modern payments.

Network International has nudged the UAE’s payments scene into fresh territory, becoming the first platform in the country to power regulated stablecoin payments after signing an MoU with Al Maryah Community Bank. I remember chatting with a few founders at an Arageek event last year who were grumbling about how tricky it still was to use digital assets in day‑to‑day transactions. Well… I mean, this move feels like it’s aiming straight at that pain point.

Through the deal, AE Coin — the UAE’s first fully reserved, Central Bank‑licensed stablecoin pegged to the dirham — will be plugged directly into Network’s POS terminals and online payment rails. So merchants across the country will be able to accept AE Coin in-store or through their e‑commerce checkouts without any faff. I reckon that kind of seamlessness is what usually separates a novelty tech from something that actually sticks.

Network’s CEO, Murat Cagri Suzer, called the partnership a milestone for bringing stablecoin payments into everyday commerce, saying the company’s infrastructure will support secure and compliant acceptance across both physical and digital touchpoints. On the flip side, MBank’s chief executive, Mohammed Wassim Khayata, highlighted how the step expands regulated digital payment options for merchants and consumers. And believe it or not, AE Coin’s leadership described the integration as a real demonstration of how a Central Bank‑licensed digital currency can fit neatly into existing payment systems — not always the easiest thing in crypto-land.

The UAE has been ramping up its regulatory frameworks around digital assets over the past two years, which has made it something of a magnet for stablecoin experimentation. Some entrepreneurs I’ve met in Abu Dhabi were chuffed to bits about how fast the ecosystem was maturing, although one did joke that the learning curve was “steep enough to be annoying.” Still, the country’s ambition to become a regional leader in digital finance seems spot on.

For Network International, this partnership strengthens its position as one of the main drivers of next‑gen payments in the region. Enabling AE Coin as an additional checkout option adds convenience, improves customer choice, and pushes merchants a little further into the future — even if some of them are still catching their breath. And if the uptake grows, it could quietly reshape how digital money moves around the UAE, which is no small feat, or “fead,” as I accidentally wrote in my notes earlier.

Whether AE Coin becomes a mainstream payment method remains to be seen, but this collaboration feels like a meaningful step rather than a headline‑grab. In a market where innovation often moves faster than comfort levels, having regulated, dirham‑denominated stablecoins enter the real world of shops, apps, and services might just be the bridge users have been waiting for.

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