Open Finance Goes Live in the UAE
When people in the UAE send money from their bank accounts, the process often involves switching apps, waiting for confirmations, or relying on manual transfers. That experience is now starting to change.
Lean Technologies and Ziina have introduced what they describe as the UAE’s first live, customer-initiated Open Finance payment experience under the Central Bank of the UAE’s Open Finance framework. In simple terms, it allows users to move money directly from their bank accounts inside the Ziina app using regulated APIs, instead of jumping between platforms.
For Ziina, a homegrown payments platform used by both consumers and SMEs, this launch means its users can now make instant, account-to-account payments by securely connecting their bank accounts through Open Finance. The process happens within the app and removes the need for manual transfers or separate banking channels.
Lean Technologies provides the infrastructure behind the scenes. As a financial infrastructure provider in the MENA region, Lean enables the secure connectivity, payment initiation and compliance layers required for Open Finance to work in real environments. Ziina focuses on the customer experience, designing the flow so payments feel straightforward and predictable for everyday users in the UAE.
The development is significant because Open Finance in the UAE has largely been in preparation mode until now. With this launch, regulated API connectivity is being used in live, real-world payment scenarios. The Central Bank’s Open Finance Regulation, along with platforms such as Nebras and the Al Tareq API framework, creates the technical and regulatory structure that allows licensed providers to offer consent-based services and direct bank connectivity.
Faisal Toukan, Co-founder and CEO of Ziina, said the move reflects how financial services are starting to change in the country. He noted that customers can now complete bank payments directly inside the Ziina app using Open Finance, showing how policy and infrastructure can influence daily financial behaviour in a practical way.
Hisham Al-Falih, CEO of Lean Technologies, added that seeing Open Finance payments live in the UAE shows what becomes possible when regulation, infrastructure and product design come together. He said the milestone aligns with the Central Bank’s broader vision for secure and modern financial systems.
Lean has been involved in building Open Finance infrastructure across the UAE by working with regulators, banks and fintechs. Its platform supports payment and data connectivity at a scale intended for national adoption, in line with the Central Bank’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation programme.
Ziina, meanwhile, has built a unified payments platform used by individuals and SMEs across the country. It combines account transfers, card acceptance, invoicing and everyday payment tools into one interface. By introducing customer-initiated Open Finance payments, the company is adding another layer to how businesses and consumers move money, focusing on simplicity and reliability rather than complex processes.
For SMEs, developments like this point to a future where payments can happen faster and with fewer steps. Instead of navigating multiple systems, businesses can connect directly to bank accounts within the tools they already use, helping everyday transactions become easier to manage as the UAE’s digital economy continues to grow.
