Shehan Mohamed

RAKBANK’s retail-crypto launch 🚀 is impressive and will shake 🫨 up things! RAKBANK rolled out an in-app “crypto brokerage” that lets everyday account-holders buy, sell and swap digital assets directly in UAE dirhams (AED). The rails are provided by Bitpanda, a Dubai-licensed arm of the Austrian exchange. Initial access is invitation-only and covers eight leading coins, with custody and trade execution handled by Bitpanda. ⸻——— Why it’s billed as “first-of-its-kind” ➖”Conventional” vs. digital-only: Digital banks such as Wio Invest or Zand have signalled interest in tokenised products, but none of the UAE’s legacy, full-service retail banks had embedded spot-crypto trading until now. Hence the “first” qualifier applies to a decades-old, branch-based institution ➖ Regulated stack: By piggy-backing on Bitpanda’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority [VARA] licence, RAKBANK avoids direct custodial risk while staying inside the UAE’s fast-evolving virtual-asset rulebook. That sets a compliance benchmark other banks can reference —————— Implications for the market ▶️ UAE banks: Pressure mounts on peers to plug similar “crypto tabs” into their super-apps or risk deposit flight to more innovative rivals ▶️ Retail investors: A trusted, AED-denominated on-ramp reduces FX slippage and the friction of wiring funds to offshore exchanges, broadening grassroots crypto adoption ▶️ Regulators: Successful rollout will test the Central Bank of The UAE / VARA supervisory hand-off model and could accelerate work on an official dirham-backed stablecoin ▶️ Bitpanda & global exchanges: Validates the “B2B2C” white-label model - expect more tie-ups with banks in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 and Qatar 🇶🇦 as appetite for regulated access grows ▶️ Payments & remittances: Direct crypto rails inside banking apps could eventually enable cheaper cross-border transfers, eating into traditional FX revenue lines —————— What to watch next ➖ Roll-out velocity: RAKBANK says a broader launch is “within months”; the activation curve will signal true retail demand ➖ Coin roster & staking services: Will the bank expand from the initial eight bluechip assets to include yield bearing products? ➖ Copy cat 🐈‍⬛ moves: Monitor Q3–Q4 product roadmaps from peers for similar Bitpanda-style embeds (no names 😆) ➖ Stablecoin corridors: With Circle and Zodia Markets active in Abu Dhabi, AED - USDC settlement pairs could emerge inside mainstream banking apps, slashing payment friction RAKBANK just poked a hole in the “wall” between conventional banking and retail crypto in the Gulf - expect the breach to widen quickly https://lnkd.in/dsDuySA9

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Lyvely, the UAE’s first social monetization platform, has partnered with RAK Digital Assets Oasis to launch the region’s first Digital Creator Trade License, a groundbreaking initiative in the Middle East. The license allows content creators, influencers, and digital entrepreneurs to formally register their businesses under UAE jurisdiction and gain access to residency visas, corporate banking, and regulatory clarity. This move marks a shift from platform-dependent content creation to legally recognized entrepreneurship with full ownership and scalability. Backed by Phoenix Group, Lyvely is building a creator-first ecosystem powered by Web3 infrastructure. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dyzaDW6V Source: Entrepreneur Media

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Dubai & India - Building the Next Wave of Global Tech Startups What a powerful and inspiring fireside chat with His Excellency Mohamed Sharaf, COO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation, and our Founder & Managing Partner, Vikram Gupta, at IvyCap Day 2025. The conversation highlighted how Dubai is not just a destination but a launchpad for Indian entrepreneurs and startups looking to scale globally. Key takeaways from the fireside chat on building the next wave of global tech startups: - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝟑𝟑 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚: Dubai's ambitious plan to double its GDP by 2033 is powered by a vision to cultivate 30 unicorns and 400 high-growth SMEs. - 𝐀 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦: Dubai is proactively creating a supportive environment with initiatives like Sandbox Dubai for real-time tech testing and Dubai Founders HQ, a one-stop-shop for all a founder's needs. - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐩𝐚𝐝: Dubai’s strategic location and connectivity make it the perfect springboard for companies seeking to expand across MENA, Africa, and Europe. - 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭: The UAE's progressive visa policies, including the Golden Visa, along with collaborations with leading Indian institutions like IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad, are creating a dynamic talent corridor. It was a privilege to hear about Dubai's vision and how it's building a future-forward ecosystem. We are excited about the strong partnership between India and Dubai and look forward to fostering this growth. A huge thank you to His Excellency Mohamed Sharaf for his invaluable insights. Watch the complete fireside chat here: https://lnkd.in/gSia4T2i Vikram Gupta | Ashish Wadhwani | Anju Gupta | Vishal Gauri | Sonia Sharma Gupta #IvyCapDay2025 #BeyondTheFuture #Dubai #India #Startups #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #D33Agenda #GlobalExpansion

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For over 25 years, Shuraa Business Setup has been a trusted name in the UAE. They are a full-fledged corporate service provider that has helped over 100,000 businesses and entrepreneurs set up in mainland, free zones, or secure Golden Visas. Behind the scenes, managing shared cards from multiple banks was slowing them down. With multiple shared cards across PRO, admin, and marketing teams, it was all too easy for receipts to slip away, OTPs to get delayed, and reconciliation to feel like a full-time job. That changed when they switched to Alaan. Today, every team has its own Alaan card with category-based controls, real-time tracking, and 2% cashback on international spend. This is how Shuraa brought its internal ops up to the same gold standard it delivers to clients. Big thanks to Deep Sachdev for taking us behind the scenes at Shuraa. Full story 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/eMfieApc

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The Middle East is now the world’s 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁-𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁, with projected annual revenue growth of 35%, more than double the global average. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵. Scaling without the right tech payment infrastructure can turn growth into growing pains. 73% of venture-backed fintechs fail, often due to fragmented systems, regulatory complexity, and unsustainable costs. At the same time, fintech leaders across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq are proving that scaling—one of the sector’s top priorities—relies on having the right tech partner. At OpenWay, we’ve helped ambitious digital players grow from launch to leadership. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝟰 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀: ✅ Measurable ROI ✅ Rapid product rollouts ✅ Scalable, cloud-native architecture ✅ Wallet-to-ecosystem growth Want to know what Iraq’s top 3 fintechs, UAE super apps, and Saudi IPOs have in common? 📖 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eYAQtnKC #openwaygroup #openway #payments #fintech #digitalbanking #digitalpayments #digitalbankingplatform #fintech #roi #financialinclusion

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Dubai-based fintech startup qlub has secured $30 million in a funding round co-led by Mubadala, Shorooq Partners, and Berlin’s Cherry Ventures, with backing from UAE telecom giant e& and China’s Legend Capital. Founded in 2021 by Eyad Alkassar and Mahmoud Fouz, Qlub offers a seamless dining experience—allowing #customers to browse menus, order, and pay via their smartphones. The #platform is already active across the #UAE, #Saudi Arabia, #Qatar, #Kuwait, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Brazil, and processes billions in transactions annually for top-tier clients like Paul Café, Sushi Samba, Wagamama, and La Petite Maison. With this latest raise, Qlub aims to expand into new markets and enhance its data and analytics capabilities. The deal comes amid a strong half-year for #MENA #startups, which raised $1.35 billion from January to June 2025—driven largely by activity in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to Magnitt. Newsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModr WhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLU Instagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQ Tiktok: https://aug.us/4lnV0D8 Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): https://aug.us/3BTU2MY 

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From AI-driven customer service to digital lending and data-powered marketing, MENA’s startup ecosystem is scaling fast. In just six months, funding hit $2.1B across 334 deals, with Saudi Arabia leading the charge at $1.34B. Here are some of the top deals and trends to watch: 🔹 Sawt | صوت (Saudi) raised $1M pre-seed (led by STV & T2) to build Arabic-native voice AI and automate call centers across the GCC. 🔹 Flend (Egypt) secured $3M to expand embedded SME lending — helping B2B platforms close Egypt’s $50B financing gap. 🔹 qlub (UAE) raised $30M from Mubadala, Shorooq & others to grow its QR-based restaurant payment platform and enhance analytics tools. 🔹 Journify (UAE) doubled its valuation and 5x’ed revenue post-funding. The AI platform enables GCC brands to unlock first-party data for privacy-first marketing. 🔹 SafaQat (Oman) landed new funding from Oman Future Fund and Idrak Group to expand its AI-powered procurement tech and target government tenders. 📈 Regional Trends: – MENA startup investment grew 134% YoY in H1 2025 – Fintech and debt financing dominated deal volume – Egypt and UAE saw strong gains despite economic headwinds Don’t miss a deal, Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly insights, investor moves, and market trends across MENA. https://lnkd.in/dnsF2u-R #MENAStartups #VC #TechNews #GCCInnovation #SaudiTech #EgyptStartups #Fintech #AI #StartupFunding #VentureCapital #ExitsMENA

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