Financial
Emirates Islamic revamps Visa Signature credit card for UAE Nationals
Renowned multifaceted artist Mattar bin Lahej lends creative touch to redesign the Emarati Visa Signature Credit Card as a work of art
Emirates Islamic, one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE, has revamped its Emarati Visa Signature Credit Card which is tailored to meet the preferences and lifestyle needs of UAE National customers via exclusive privileges and offers, with a new artistic design.
The Emarati Visa Signature Credit Card has been designed in collaboration with Emarati painter, photographer, sculptor and designer of the Museum of the Future Mattar bin Lahej and caters to providing Emarati customers with a card that not only meets their needs and lifestyle but also fosters a sense of pride and acts as a symbol of their national identity.
The card has been designed utilising Mattar’s self-created ‘Mattar Font’, featuring the iconic phrase ‘Aishi Biladi’ the opening words of the UAE National anthem. As the bank of choice for UAE Nationals, Emirates Islamic has enriched the card’s value proposition by introducing relevant benefits and features, enhancing both the acquisition and utilisation of the card.
Commenting on the redesign, Mohamed Al Hadi, Acting Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, Emirates Islamic,said: “We are delighted to collaborate with artist Mattar bin Lahej to lend his creative vision in crafting an iconic design to instil a sense of pride among our Emarati customers. The distinct design of the card reflects our commitment to embodying the UAE’s values and providing our Emarati customers a unique experience that strengthens their national identity and pride, while also delivering exceptional benefits tailored to their preferences, interests and lifestyle. As the preferred bank for UAE Nationals, we are dedicated to delivering innovative, value-driven propositions for our customers that provide a superior experience to customers.”
Emarati artist Mattar bin Lahej, said, “I’m proud and honoured to collaborate with Emirates Islamic to produce this design that embodies love for our country and a deep sense of belonging to the UAE, which is also my homeland. My goal was to portray the rich heritage of the UAE and the legacy of the Arab world through this design. I sincerely hope it serves as an inspiration to my fellow Emarati brothers and sisters.”
Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Visa’s SVP and Group Country Manager for GCC,said:”The new design by Mattar Bin Lahej of the Emarati Visa Signature Credit Card beautifully encapsulates the essence of Emarati culture, values, and history. This card is not just about aesthetics – it also offers our cardholders an array of exclusive benefits and experiences, designed to enhance their lifestyle and provide exceptional value. Visa is incredibly proud to have this Emarati artwork featured on Visa cards and to join Emirates Islamic in enriching our cardholders’ payment experience.”
A unique solution in the UAE’s payments landscape, Emirates Islamic’s Emarati Visa Signature Credit Card is an innovative product offering cardholders the extensive range of rewards from Visa’s signature platform along with flexibility to spend their reward points anywhere around the world. Some of the many benefits attached to the card include unlimited lounge access at more than 1000 airports, complementary valet parking at key locations including Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, and 50% discount on purchases through Talabat app and Padel court.
In addition, the credit card offers instant and flexible rewards redemption options on Emirates Islamic’s loyalty rewards programme, EI SmartMiles. Through an online redemption portal and a customised mobile site, cardholders will have a wide choice of instant redemption options with EI SmartMiles, including booking tickets with more than 300 airlines of their choice, booking stays at more than 180,000 hotels worldwide, miles exchange with leading frequent flyer programs or shopping at any outlet or website across the globe with the unique ‘Instant Purchase’ feature.
Financial
MultiBank Group and Khabib Nurmagomedov Launch an Exclusive Worldwide Multi-Billion-Dollar Joint Venture to Build the World’s First Regulated Tokenized Sports Ecosystem
Multibank Group, the financial derivatives institution, has entered into an exclusive worldwide multi-billion-dollar joint venture with global sports icon and undefeated UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) to create a first-of-its-kind regulated ecosystem connecting global finance, sports and technology.
The partnership will culminate in the creation of a multi-billion-dollar joint venture, MultiBank Khabib LLC, uniting two global powerhouses: MultiBank Group, a leader in regulated financial excellence, and Khabib Nurmagomedov, undefeated in the octagon and whose influence extends far beyond sport. The company will operate from MultiBank Group’s headquarters in Dubai, building a worldwide network of high-end sports ventures and real-world digital assets. This structure fulfills the vision of MultiBank Group Founder and Chairman, Naser Taher, for an exclusive global joint venture, granting MultiBank exclusive rights to develop and promote projects under the Khabib Nurmagomedov brand name, including the development of 30 state of the art Khabib gyms, Gameplan and Eagle FC brands.
The entire venture is backed by MultiBank Group’s regulated digital ecosystem and powered by its cornerstone $MBG Token being the driving force behind its expanding portfolio of real-world-asset (RWA) technologies and initiatives.
Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group, stated: “From the UAE, we are shaping a new blueprint for the business of sport through the regulated tokenization of real-world sports assets (RWSA). Together with Khabib Nurmagomedov, and powered by our ecosystem token, $MBG, we are uniting finance and athletics into a single transparent, technology-driven ecosystem — one built on trust, innovation, and the strength of the MultiBank framework. This initiative proudly aligns with the UAE’s vision of becoming a global hub for digital asset innovation and world-class sports.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov added: “This partnership with MultiBank Group is built on shared values of strength, respect, and discipline. Together with Multibank, we are building real global opportunities that go beyond sport, empowering athletes, and fans through a regulated and innovative digital ecosystem. This is only the beginning.”
Financial
Edenred UAE strengthens market leadership with financially inclusive payroll solutions, C3Pay serving 2.5 million users
Edenred, a leading digital platform for services and specific purpose payments and the undisputed market leader in salary processing and financial inclusion for the underbanked in the UAE, continues to reinforce its leading position in payroll card solutions, value-added financial services, and compliance-first innovation under the leadership of newly appointed Managing Director Claudio Di Zanni.
As the first company authorised by the Central Bank of the UAE to process WPS salaries, Edenred UAE has long positioned financial inclusion as the foundation of its offer in UAE — ensuring that access to financial services isn’t an added benefit, but a guaranteed outcome of getting paid.
Trusted by both large enterprises and a growing base of SMEs, the backbone of the UAE economy, Edenred UAE now serves more than 15,000 corporate clients, 2.5 million cardholders, and partners with over 10 banks and 20 financial institutions. Demand has been strong in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, and facility management—where reliability and seamless execution are critical.
Edenred UAE salary cards, C3Pay, powered by RAKBANK and part of the Mastercard network, can be used globally. A key driver of Edenred’s adoption success is its unmatched expertise in on-site training at worker accommodations, which helps large enterprises efficiently onboard thousands of employees. This ensures that workers understand how to activate their cards, utilise app features, and engage with key financial tools.

Claudio Di Zanni, Managing Director, Edenred Middle East, said: “Edenred UAE has set the benchmark for payroll and financial access in the region with digital innovative solutions, great ambitions and internationally committed teams. Our ambition now is to extend that lead by deepening trust with our clients, scaling services that matter to end users, and ensuring full compliance in a fast-evolving regulatory landscape. With unmatched reach, an expanding client base, and a proven model for financial inclusion, we are ready to shape the next phase of the region’s salary card ecosystem — developing its full potential and contributing to giving workers who were previously excluded from the financial system a secure, transparent, and dignified way to manage their money.”
Edenred UAE remains the reference in payroll solutions, as it continues to scale high-impact services, deepen banking partnerships, and reinforce its role as the benchmark for secure, compliant, and ethical financial access in the UAE and beyond. With a sharpened focus on innovation and strengthened leadership, it is entering a new chapter of platform excellence as the backbone of financial access for the UAE’s workforce.
Financial
Dhruva urges UAE firms to focus on data sovereignty in e-Invoicing transition
The 2026 mandate is an opportunity for businesses to align compliance with stronger data governance standards
With the UAE’s mandatory eInvoicing framework set to launch in 2026, Dhruva urges taxpayers to move beyond data residency considerations and focus on the critical issue of data sovereignty when selecting accredited service providers (ASPs). When adopting any cloud solution, it’s crucial to take the UAE National Cloud Security Policy into consideration, which provides a comprehensive checklist for cloud customers. This policy details necessary arrangements with cloud service providers, outlines contract requirements and sets cloud security requirements and enforcement measures.Dhruva is a leading tax advisory firm specializing in VAT, corporate tax, transfer pricing, and international taxation in the Middle East.
The eInvoicing rollout, based on the OpenPeppol five-corner model, will route all business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) invoices through ASPs that validate, exchange, and report tax-relevant data directly to the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). This shift makes the question of where data lives and who ultimately controls it – a matter of legal, operational, and financial consequence.

Commenting on the development, Nimish Goel, Partner and Head of GCC, Dhruva Consultants, said: “Businesses cannot afford to mix data residency with sovereignty. Hosting tax data within UAE data centres is necessary, but it does not, by itself, guarantee compliance or protection. True sovereignty means that encryption keys, administrative controls, and audit logs remain fully under UAE jurisdiction and cannot be accessed by foreign authorities. For taxpayers, this distinction is not technical—it is a fundamental risk-management decision.”
Dhruva highlights that this distinction is becoming urgent for three reasons. First, the UAE has enacted a robust Federal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and sector-specific rules that demand explicit safeguards on cross-border data flows. Second, with eInvoicing deadlines approaching, taxpayers must evaluate how each provider’s hosting model aligns with UAE data hosting requirements, sovereignty and National Cloud Security Policy laws. Finally, the operational reality is that migrating data and applications between clouds is not seamless. Factors such as data gravity, proprietary platforms, and audit trail integrity make switching providers slow, risky, and expensive.
“E-invoicing will not only redefine how businesses transact with government authorities, but also how they safeguard their most sensitive tax and financial records,” Goel added. “Companies need to recognise that the choice of ASP is a long-term strategic decision. The location of the cloud operator, the jurisdiction under which they fall, and the location of their control plane and encryption keys all impact compliance and data security far more than the physical location of the server rack.”
Dhruva advises taxpayers to approach ASP selection with a structured due-diligence process aligned with the policy for cloud customers in the UAE. This policy covers key domains such as governance, data location and sovereignty, interoperability, security incident and access management, data confidentiality, architecture and infrastructure companies should ensure that all storage, backups, and logs are held within UAE borders, that operational control and key management remain in UAE jurisdiction, and that providers comply with the UAE’s Peppol interoperability standard. Audit logs should be immutable, recovery sites must be located in the country, and exit strategies need to be documented and tested, with transparency on egress costs.
“Taxpayers cannot treat this as a simple IT procurement,” Goel emphasized. “It is a compliance and sovereignty choice that will determine their risk exposure for years to come. The time to ask these questions is now—before companies find themselves locked into providers that may not meet their future regulatory and operational needs.”
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