Wio Bank and Kibsons Cash in on UAE Grocery Supply Chain with 10% Cashback Offer

If you live in the UAE, you probably know Kibsons. For many families, it’s the go-to for fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and those last-minute pantry bits that save dinner. Now the homegrown grocery retailer is teaming up with Wio Bank PJSC in a move that touches both sides of the checkout: the complex supply chain behind the scenes and the everyday spending in front of it.

The partnership, announced in Abu Dhabi this February, brings together Wio’s business and personal banking tools with Kibsons’ fast-moving food operation. On the business side, Wio is rolling out supply chain finance solutions to support Kibsons’ wide vendor ecosystem, covering everything from import and distribution to retail and e-commerce.

It might sound technical, but the idea is quite straightforward. By improving liquidity and cash-flow visibility across Kibsons’ supplier network, Wio’s financing is designed to ensure smoother payments and fewer bottlenecks. And believe it or not, in food retail timing is everything. A delay of even a day can be a bit of a faff when you are dealing with fresh produce moving across borders.

Kibsons, founded back in 1982, manages its own importing, warehousing, distribution, technology and customer service operations. It also runs a HACCP-approved facility for imported and processed meat and poultry, offering organic, hormone-free and premium ranges. That level of control is not small detail; it’s often what keeps quality consistent in a highly competitive market. Strengthening the financial plumbing behind such an operation could make scaling smoother without disrupting existing workflows.

Prateek Vahie, Chief Commercial Officer at Wio Bank PJSC, said the partnership reflects a belief that strong collaborations can unlock progress for businesses and communities alike. He pointed to Kibsons’ central role in how households access fresh food, adding that supporting its supply chain helps reinforce a real-economy network relied upon by millions. At the same time, he noted that the arrangement also aims to embed tangible financial value into customers’ daily lives.

That value comes in the form of cashback. Until 30 April 2026, Wio Personal account holders can receive 10% cashback on purchases made at Kibsons using their Wio card, capped at AED 2,500 per customer. In a region where weekly groceries can quietly take a sizable chunk of household budgets, that perk could feel spot on for many shoppers.

Halima Jumani, CEO of Kibsons, said the company sees fresh food as part of everyday life and is focused on embedding innovation into that routine. She explained that Wio’s supply chain finance strengthens Kibsons’ vendor ecosystem and operational efficiency, while the cashback offer provides a practical benefit on weekly grocery spend.

Alongside the financing arrangement, Kibsons has opened broader group accounts with Wio Business, signalling a deeper banking relationship beyond a single product. The two sides also hinted at longer-term collaboration, exploring ways to weave smarter financial experiences into the grocery journey so customers can plan, save and spend more easily over time.

On the flip side, partnerships between fintechs and retailers are becoming more common across the UAE. Wio, backed by ADQ, Alpha Dhabi, e&, and First Abu Dhabi Bank, has positioned itself as a digital-first platform offering personal banking tools, business services and embedded finance solutions. For readers who follow Arageek, this is part of a wider trend where financial services quietly slip into ecosystems people already use, rather than asking them to change habits.

I’ve seen many startups struggle with cash-flow gaps, especially when suppliers must be paid long before revenue is fully realised. Fixing that pain point can be a game-changer, well… I mean, it can mean the difference between steady growth and sleepless nights. In that sense, initiatives like this definately signal how digital banks are trying to anchor themselves in the real economy, not just the app store.

Whether shoppers will rush to switch banks for 10% cashback remains to be seen. But tying financial services directly to essential spending like food is a clever move. And as UAE retailers continue to scale, having more resilient supply chains in place is, frankly, something the market can only welcome.

🚀 Got exciting news to share?

If you're a startup founder, VC, or PR agency with big updates—funding rounds, product launches 📢, or company milestones 🎉 — AraGeek English wants to hear from you!

✉️ Send Us Your Story 👇

https://en.arageek.com/send-us-your-story-or-a-news-tip