Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
MBME Pay, a wholly owned subsidiary of MBME Group, has received a Payment Service Provider (Category 3) licence from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) to conduct merchant acquiring and payment aggregation activities.
According to a statement by the company, the licence places MBME Pay among a select group of fully regulated payment service providers in the UAE and strengthens its role in the country’s digital payments ecosystem.
“This is more than a regulatory milestone – it is a strong vote of confidence in our vision and capabilities,” said Abdelhadi Mohamed, Managing Director and Group CEO at MBME Group. “With the Central Bank’s licence, MBME Pay is uniquely positioned to accelerate the shift to a cashless economy in the UAE and across the MENA region, while setting new benchmarks for reliability, security, and customer experience in digital payments.”
According to the statement, the licence enables MBME Pay to offer end-to-end merchant acquiring services, operate as a licensed payment aggregator and provide secure, scalable transaction processing for businesses. The company said it will support enterprises, SMEs, and government entities in transitioning towards a cashless and digitally enabled economy.
MBME Pay said it offers a unified platform that covers onboarding, integration, risk management, transaction processing, and ongoing support within a regulated framework, positioning itself as a single partner for merchants’ payment needs.
The company added that, as part of MBME Group, it is integrated into a broader technology ecosystem connecting consumers, merchants and institutions. This enables it to deliver payment solutions across e-commerce, retail, services and government channels while supporting evolving customer expectations in the UAE and the wider MENA region.
The statement said the licence will also support MBME Pay in expanding partnerships with financial institutions and technology providers, while enhancing its range of services. It added that the approval aligns with the UAE’s broader vision of building a resilient and inclusive digital economy by promoting financial inclusion, supporting government digitalisation, and driving innovation in the payments sector.
