UAE's Emirates NBD Expands Real-Time Cross-Border Payments
The UAE, a global remittance powerhouse with outbound flows exceeding $50 billion in 2023, has seen significant strides in international transfers. Emirates NBD, in partnership with Nium, has expanded its real-time cross-border payment services, benefiting customers and the broader Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) region.
The strategic partnership between Emirates NBD and Nium, announced in 2024, has made substantial progress. It enables Emirates NBD customers to make seamless, cost-effective, and reliable international transfers. The service has been extended across the entire Emirates NBD Group in the UAE, increasing access to real-time payouts.
The expansion embodies Nium's vision, as outlined in its white paper 'Payments in the Middle East: The Next Frontier'. The region is increasingly relying on collaborations between banks and Fintechs for efficiency, inclusion, and growth. The update is being live from Sibos 2025 in Frankfurt, where Nium is showcasing its global payment infrastructure developments.
By 2025, nearly the entire Emirates NBD business in the UAE uses Nium's solution for fast, cost-effective, and reliable international transfers. The partnership is exploring expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through Emirates NBD KSA. Anupam Pahuja, Chief Revenue Officer at Nium, and Yousuf Saeed Mohd, Group Head of Priority and Personal Banking and Retail Banking Sales at Emirates NBD, have both expressed commitment to leading the next chapter of cross-border payments in the region.
