Emaar Properties founder and former chairman Mohamed Alabbar will lead Zand, the UAE’s first digital bank that will cater to retail and corporate clients.
“The UAE combines progressive regulations with commercial, financial and technology hubs. This provides the perfect environment for a world-leading digital bank that can launch in the UAE and scale beyond,” said Mr Alabbar on Monday.
“As the first fully independent digital bank in the country, with a full UAE banking licence, Zand will provide innovative, effective financial solutions that help simplify businesses and lives, addressing the needs of both retail and corporate customers.”
Zand will be a “digital economic accelerator” and serve as a platform for wider digital services that focus on businesses and people.
The new entity is awaiting final regulatory approval and will be launched imminently. Its chief executive will be Olivier Crespin, a veteran banker who recently led Eradah Capital in Dubai and previously worked for BNP Paribas, Citi and DBS Bank.
Last year, ADQ, one of the region's largest holding companies, said it plans to set up a digital bank in the UAE using a legacy banking licence held by First Abu Dhabi Bank.
ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies, revealed plans last year to set up a digital bank in the UAE using a legacy banking licence held by First Abu Dhabi Bank.
The rise of FinTech companies, an increasingly smartphone-savvy consumer base and a sharp increase in digital services have forced banks worldwide to increasingly invest in digitisation and reduce the number of branches.
The Covid-19 pandemic, which led to lockdowns and social distancing around the world, further hastened the pivot to digital services across industries.
The digitisation of services for banks, which would usually take two years, is being completed within two weeks as a result of the pandemic, JP Morgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon said last year at Sibos, an annual conference for the global financial services industry.
Globally, lenders need to speed up the shift to digital operations and reconfigure their branch networks, where demand has softened, according to McKinsey.
The use of cash and cheques eased last year in most markets, with about 20 per cent to 40 per cent of consumers surveyed saying they used significantly less cash, according to the consultancy.
Many UAE lenders are unveiling digital services to appeal to millennials – a growing consumer segment.
The mobile wallet market in the UAE is projected to hit $2.3 billion by 2022, according to US consultancy TechSci Research.
A Boston Consulting Group survey that polled more than 2,000 respondents in the UAE last year found that 87 per cent of respondents were willing to open an account with a digital-only bank.
About 53 per cent of UAE consumers increased their use of banking mobile apps amid the pandemic while more than half tried digital banking for the first time as a result of movement restrictions.
Mashreq Bank, the Dubai lender controlled by the Al Ghurair family and the UAE’s oldest bank, is spending Dh500 million ($136m) on digital transformation over five years.
The bank has invested in several digitisation initiatives that helped it to improve productivity, achieve cost efficiencies and enhance customer experience.
Mashreq’s digital plans included shutting half of its branches in the UAE last year as increased use of technology reduced the need for a physical presence.
About 97 per cent of Mashreq’s transactions take place through a digital platform.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
'Nightmare Alley'
Director:Guillermo del Toro
Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Rating: 3/5
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The years Ramadan fell in May
THURSDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 10am:
Lucrezia Stefanini v Elena Rybakina (6)
Aryna Sabalenka (4) v Polona Hercog
Sofia Kenin (1) v Zhaoxuan Yan
Kristina Mladenovic v Garbine Muguruza (5)
Sorana Cirstea v Karolina Pliskova (3)
Jessica Pegula v Elina Svitolina (2)
Court 1
Starting at 10am:
Sara Sorribes Tormo v Nadia Podoroska
Marketa Vondrousova v Su-Wei Hsieh
Elise Mertens (7) v Alize Cornet
Tamara Zidansek v Jennifer Brady (11)
Heather Watson v Jodie Burrage
Vera Zvonareva v Amandine Hesse
Court 2
Starting at 10am:
Arantxa Rus v Xiyu Wang
Maria Kostyuk v Lucie Hradecka
Karolina Muchova v Danka Kovinic
Cori Gauff v Ulrikke Eikeri
Mona Barthel v Anastasia Gasanova
Court 3
Starting at 10am:
Kateryna Bondarenko v Yafan Wang
Aliaksandra Sasnovich v Anna Bondar
Bianca Turati v Yaroslava Shvedova
