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UAE 🇦🇪

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Ruya launches a Shariah-compliant cashback card with a flat 2% reward. 
No minimum spend, no tiers, “no hoops to jump through”. 
Users track and redeem cashback instantly via the mobile app. 
The digital Islamic bank targets customers wanting clarity over clever marketing. 
In a crowded UAE market, it bets on simple, predictable savings.

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Mashreq and Toothpick launch the UAE’s first fully digital clinic-based loan solution. 
Patients can secure up to AED 150,000, with funds paid directly. 
Financing is embedded in the care journey, cutting the usual bank “back-and-forth”. 
The move supports Mashreq’s Banking-as-a-Service push and wider embedded finance strategy. 
Expansion beyond dental and aesthetic clinics is planned, pending a careful rollout.

GCC Exchange and Abhi launch instant wage access with remittance services in the UAE. 
Workers can withdraw earned pay early and send it home immediately. 
The move targets expatriates juggling “school fees, medical expenses, rent” abroad. 
ABHI brings its Earned Wage Access technology and 1 million users. 
Supporters praise “financial flexibility”, while critics warn about fees and overreliance.

The UAE ranks second globally for AI optimism in wealth management. 
It leads on “momentum”, ready to replace traditional research tools. 
Saudi Arabia tops the index, with the Middle East leading overall. 
Many “Untapped Believers” trust AI but lack access to tools. 
A “great research migration” could quietly reshape investing within a year.

Dubai has launched an AI+ programme to train 50,000 government employees. 
The aim is to embed AI into everyday work, not a “shiny add-on”. 
Tailored tracks span leaders, Chief AI Officers, managers and general staff. 
Officials say staff will become partners designing smart, proactive public services. 
The move supports Dubai’s D33 agenda to cement its status as a leading digital city.

Adyen deepens its eight-year partnership with Careem Pay to scale UAE remittances. 
The focus is shifting from exchange houses to “mobile screens” nationwide. 
Adyen’s single platform offers unified settlement and smoother, more reliable transactions. 
Careem Pay sends money to 35+ countries, licensed by the UAE Central Bank. 
Rising competition means winners must pair sharp tech with transparent pricing.

eToro launches an in-app marketplace, pushing a “builders economy” for investing. 
Developers can create, share and monetise trading tools for 40 million users. 
The App Store offers automation, social analytics and low-latency algorithmic trading. 
A no-code AI route lets non-coders build and publish their own apps. 
Quality control and trust will test this shift from platform to ecosystem.

Talabat mart and Elite Agro signed a deal for direct farm-to-door sourcing. 
The move cuts “middle steps” in the supply chain, boosting freshness. 
Both firms aim to “redefine the link” between production and consumption. 
Plans include demand planning and expanding local produce across dark stores. 
The partnership supports UAE food security and a resilient, tech-enabled ecosystem.

Creative Zone has launched WeThrive, a single hub for residency and business setup. 
It offers subsidised startup routes, CV referral support, and partner services. 
The aim is a “clearer, more connected starting point” for professionals and SMEs. 
Backers say it responds to demand for practical next steps. 
Its success hinges on cutting friction, not just “reshuffling existing services”.

ClearTax secures UAE accreditation as July 2026 e-invoicing deadline approaches. 
E-invoicing is shifting from a “tick-box” exercise to AI-driven tax oversight. 
Gupta urges “continuous compliance” over spreadsheets and patched integrations. 
A $50m UAE investment backs local teams and data-resident infrastructure. 
With 5,000 clients globally, structured AI-enabled reporting is becoming the norm.

Aramco Digital partners Cumulocity to expand industrial AIoT across the GCC. 
Cumulocity supplies the “technology stack”; Aramco handles local deployment and support. 
The platform already powers an advanced fleet management programme in Saudi Arabia. 
Leaders say it will connect critical assets and deliver measurable business outcomes. 
The deal signals heavy industry shifting from digital talk to digital action.

Pepper Communications Group has launched Tharaa Labs in Dubai, entering the MENA market.
The venture is an “AI content studio and digital agency” for fast-moving brands.
It combines India–UAE expertise, blending shared intelligence with regional leadership and talent.
Expansion into Saudi Arabia and Qatar is planned by 2027.
Success depends on pairing AI-led efficiency with genuine cultural nuance.

e&amp; money now lets UAE users buy 24‑karat gold from AED 10. 
The fully digital service offers instant trading and secure vaulted storage. 
Customers can redeem holdings for physical gold, delivered to their doorstep. 
Leaders cite a “fundamental shift” towards accessible, app-based wealth products. 
In a strong gold market, digital investing could soon go mainstream.

ADX has listed AGIX and KWIN, expanding its growing ETF line-up. 
AGIX offers a “unique public-private structure” with exposure to AI leaders. 
KWIN provides Shari’ah-compliant, option-based income beyond traditional sukuk. 
ETF trading on ADX is surging, reflecting strong investor appetite. 
The move supports Abu Dhabi’s plan to become a global investment hub.

UAE households increasingly run an EV for commuting and petrol for road trips. 
Service My Car partners PlusX Electric for the “ICV-EV combo” phase. 
They aim to unite servicing and charging in one connected ecosystem. 
The move supports hybrids in behaviour, as EV confidence grows. 
Innovation here means “connecting the dots”, not reinventing the wheel.

Dubai SME launches Majlis Al Mustaqbal to back youth with investor-ready ventures. 
The three-day programme runs 28–30 April 2026 at Dubai Founders HQ. 
Participants refine ideas, build models and practise pitches with experts. 
A high-profile jury awards top teams recognition and valuable visibility. 
The initiative supports D33, building a steady pipeline of future founders.

The UAE’s Aani platform has surpassed 12,5 million users nationwide. 
Transfers soared sixfold year-on-year, with 25,000 daily payments via mobile numbers. 
Around 774,000 businesses now use instant account-to-account payments settled in seconds. 
Aani links 74 institutions, covering 85 per cent of banks. 
Officials say uptake reflects growing trust in a “seamless and instant” payment ecosystem.

MBME Pay secured a Category 3 licence from the UAE Central Bank. 
The approval, “no small feat”, enables merchant acquiring and payment aggregation nationwide. 
It provides end-to-end services, from onboarding to settlement and fraud controls. 
Serving 3,2 million customers, it powers payments via 4,000 smart touchpoints. 
The licence strengthens trust and supports the UAE’s push towards cashless growth.

Innovaccer and Infinia form alliance to speed UAE healthcare digital transformation. 
They aim to unify fragmented systems and make data “less of a mess”. 
The partnership blends AI healthcare platforms with secure, sovereign digital infrastructure. 
It supports the UAE’s shift to value-based, outcome-driven care models. 
Integration will be complex, but groundwork for large-scale innovation is emerging.

Parkin launches “Spots for Shops” to offset parking fees with shop purchases. 
Drivers receive cashback in the Parkin wallet via participating neighbourhood businesses. 
The pilot starts with 15 outlets, going live in May 2026. 
The scheme aims to boost footfall for small shops in Dubai. 
Customised parking spaces and app integration support visibility and convenience.

Sharjah signs Dell deal to embed AI across government operations. 
The programme goes beyond digitising, aiming to “redesign how government works”. 
Extensive training will target executives, developers and sectors from culture to agriculture. 
The move supports the Digital Transformation Strategy 2026–2028 and integrated data systems. 
Leaders say lasting change depends on knowledge transfer and proper capability-building.

ENOC and 7X signed an MoU linking logistics, retail and mobility services. 
Plans include dark stores, PUDO lockers, and joint convenience ventures. 
ENOC’s retail network will merge with 7X’s logistics and digital infrastructure. 
Loyalty integration and automated fleet refuelling aim to boost efficiency. 
Execution will be key, as “signing is the easy part” in scaling.