UAE fintech and payments in 2026: licences, players and opportunities
The Central Bank's payment licences, open finance and the Jaywan card scheme are reshaping how UAE businesses get paid. What founders should know.
Payments in the UAE are changing fast. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) regulates who can move and hold money, and a wave of fintechs has received licences in the past two years.
The main licences
- Retail Payment Services (RPS): for companies that process payments, such as payment gateways and acquirers
- Stored Value Facilities (SVF): for wallets and prepaid balances
- Financial free zones such as DIFC and ADGM run their own fintech licences and sandboxes
Recent signals
International and local fintechs, including Revolut and Checkout.com, have announced CBUAE approvals, and UAE banks have started issuing cards on Jaywan, the UAE's domestic card scheme. Open finance under the AlTareq scheme is opening bank data and payment initiation to licensed providers.
What it means for businesses
- More ways to get paid: cards, wallets, payment links and pay-by-bank
- Lower costs as competition grows
- Faster settlement and better reporting
What it means for founders
You rarely need your own licence to build a payments-powered product. Most startups integrate a licensed provider first, then decide later whether a licence makes sense.
This is general information. Regulated activities need advice from a licensed adviser and the right regulator.
