Stake, the MENA region’s leading digital real estate investment platform, and ACE & Company, a Swiss-headquartered global investment group focused on private markets, with more than $2.0 billion in assets under management, today announced a strategic partnership to support the development of liquidity solutions for investors in Stake products. The agreement will focus initially on the platform’s real estate portfolio in the UAE, held through Prescribed Companies, the equivalent of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) in DIFC.

The initiative is intended to create a more liquid, transparent, and efficient marketplace for investors seeking exposure to fractional real estate opportunities through Stake’s platform. By combining Stake’s innovative access model with ACE & Company’s longstanding experience in private market investing and secondary transactions, the partnership aims to strengthen the investment ecosystem around fractional ownership structures in the UAE.

The joint venture reflects both firms’ confidence in the long-term fundamentals of the UAE. At a time of heightened regional uncertainty, the UAE continues to distinguish itself through economic resilience, political stability, high-quality infrastructure, and sustained global investor interest. These attributes have helped position the country as one of the region’s most compelling destinations for long-term real estate capital.

Through the planned secondary infrastructure framework, investors in Stake products are expected to benefit from greater flexibility in managing their holdings, improved visibility around market pricing, and clearer pathways to liquidity. In turn, the broader market stands to benefit from enhanced stability, stronger price discovery, and increased participation and confidence in fractional real estate as an investable asset class. The framework operates within Stake’s existing DFSA-approved regulatory permissions, providing investors with established oversight and regulatory clarity. Stake is regulated by the DFSA, the independent regulator for business conducted from or within DIFC.

For Stake, the partnership marks an important step in the continued evolution of its platform, extending beyond access to ownership and toward the development of more mature market infrastructure. For ACE & Company, the collaboration draws on its extensive experience in private equity and secondaries to help unlock liquidity solutions in a fast-growing segment of the alternative investment landscape. The DIFC’s established private markets framework, and its Prescribed Company regulations in particular, have been central to enabling this model, providing the institutional and legal infrastructure on which this secondary transfer facility innovation is built.

Manar Mahmassani, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Stake said:

“The UAE has always rewarded those who invest in it with conviction, and that’s exactly what this partnership represents. Stake was born in crisis. We launched during COVID, when global real estate markets were struggling and Dubai’s property industry was at its low point. What we saw was a market that is far from broken, but fundamentally sound, going through a temporary challenge. That conviction has never left us. Today, the world is watching the region, and we want to be unambiguous about where we stand: we are long Dubai, and we are long the UAE. This is not the moment to retreat: it’s the moment to build the institutional infrastructure this market deserves. That’s exactly what this partnership is all about – a mature, resilient market attracting institutional confidence and capital committed for the long run.”

Sherif El Halwagy, Partner and Co-Founder at ACE & Company said:

“Drawing on almost two decades of experience in offering liquidity to investors across private markets ecosystems via secondaries, we see a tremendous opportunity in real estate secondaries in the UAE. This partnership reflects our conviction in the country’s long-term fundamentals and our disciplined approach to capital deployment in high-quality assets. We look forward to further strengthening our relationships with investors and partners across the region.”

The partnership is designed to benefit all stakeholders across the ecosystem. Existing investors gain added optionality and transparency, prospective investors gain greater confidence in the structure, and the market benefits from stronger liquidity mechanisms, a scalable source of permanent/long-term capital and a more institutionalized framework for participation.

As fractional ownership continues to gain traction globally, Stake and ACE & Company believe that robust secondary infrastructure will play a critical role in supporting the sector’s long-term growth. The joint venture represents a shared commitment not only to product innovation, but also to building the underlying market architecture needed to support sustainable expansion in the UAE and beyond.

The post STAKE PARTNERS WITH ACE & COMPANY TO DEVELOP SECONDARY TRANSFER FACILITY FOR FRACTIONAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS IN THE UAE appeared first on The Integrator.

Attributed to: Fernando Fanton, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Property Finder

In the global race for digital supremacy, the conversation often centers on legacy hubs. However, for those of us operating at the intersection of high-growth technology and urban evolution, the focus has shifted. Today, Dubai is no longer just a destination to “set up” a business; it has become the definitive place to build the future of your industry.

As a company that has achieved significant scale within this ecosystem, Property Finder has had a front-row seat to a remarkable transformation. We have seen Dubai evolve from a regional leader into a resilient, future-focused global hub that offers a unique combination of speed as a strategy and resilience by design. For the international tech community, the message is clear: the structures, momentum, and insights required to turn global ambition into tangible growth are being perfected right here.

Resilience by Design

What sets Dubai apart today is its ability to turn complexity into clarity. In a world defined by market volatility, Dubai has doubled down on stability through the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). This isn’t just a policy document; it is a roadmap that provides the international tech community with a predictable, pro-innovation regulatory framework.

At Property Finder, this environment has been a true enabler of scale. Our ability to innovate is tied directly to the sophistication of Dubai’s digital infrastructure. Whether it is the Dubai Land Department’s (DLD) open approach to rental market data or the visionary Real Estate Evolution Space (REES) initiatives for property tokenization, the government provides a transparent framework that allows us to test, iterate, and scale digital solutions with absolute confidence.

The Shift from Intuition to Intelligence

The UAE real estate market has grown significantly more complex. Our data shows that between 2022 and 2025, the number of active agents rose by 30% annually, while listings increased by 34%. Yet, simultaneously, buyer behavior became more surgical; engagement per listing dropped by 36% as users began spending less than 40 seconds per listing.

In such a fast-paced environment, “intuition” is no longer enough. This is where Dubai’s digital ecosystem shines. It empowers companies to move toward intelligence-led execution.

By leveraging millions of data points, we launched SuperAgent, MENA’s first AI-driven agent ranking platform. This tool assesses responsiveness and listing quality to highlight top performers, rewarding professionalism and guiding brokers on how to prioritize leads effectively. This level of transparency replaces guesswork with measurable insights, allowing us to stay ahead of the market rather than merely reacting to it.

Practical AI: Engineering Trust

The international tech community is currently grappling with how to move AI beyond the hype into functional utility. In Dubai, the Smart City 2030 vision provides the perfect backdrop for this. This initiative isn’t just about gadgets; it is a city-wide integration of AI into the very fabric of our buildings: driving energy efficiency, enhancing safety via smart sensors, and increasing property values through technology-driven living.

We believe that for AI to be effective, it must be grounded in real-world expertise. Our AI-driven Home Valuation feature is a prime example. While our algorithms process decades of proprietary data and live market signals in seconds, we combine that “machine intelligence” with human context to ensure the results are accurate and reliable. This is critical in a dynamic market where historical data alone can be misleading. Today, a user in Dubai can monitor a portfolio with clarity on potential returns and near-term value trends, making the real estate experience more predictive and transparent.

A Coordinated Ecosystem for Global Ambition

Scaling a high-growth tech business requires more than just good code; it requires a trusted network of stakeholders. Dubai offers an unparalleled concentration of capital and expertise, with strong relationships between tech leaders and global investors such as Mubadala, Blackstone, and Permira.

When you combine this capital with milestones like a 100% paperless government and the rapid adoption of Web3, you get an ecosystem that simplifies the administrative weight of business to empower the core mission: innovation and global expansion.

My Message to Tech Leaders

To the founders, CTOs, and innovators looking at the global map: look closely at the momentum in the Middle East. Dubai’s Digital Strategy 2030 is not about digitizing existing services; it is about reimagining what a city can be when it is built on a digital-first foundation.

The city offers the structure to protect your business and the speed to accelerate it. We have moved from a market of “potential” to a market of “proven impact.”

In a world where uncertainty is the norm, Dubai provides clarity. It brings together the key ingredients required to turn ambition into tangible outcomes: data, infrastructure, capital, and collaboration. More importantly, it aligns these elements within a cohesive strategy that prioritises innovation and resilience in equal measure.

For those seeking to lead the next wave of digital transformation, Dubai provides the most fertile ground to turn bold ambitions into a global reality.

The post TO THE GLOBAL TECH COMMUNITY: WHY DUBAI IS THE ULTIMATE SANDBOX FOR THE FUTURE appeared first on The Integrator.

Construction companies across the UAE may be overlooking one of the most valuable outcomes of the country’s new R&D Tax Credit regime. Introduced under Ministerial Decision No. 24 of 2026 and effective from 1 January 2026, the framework offers credits of 15% to 50% on qualifying R&D expenditure. Yet, according to Dhruva, a Ryan Affiliate, many construction businesses have yet to identify the full extent of qualifying activity or put in place the processes required to claim these benefits.

As one of the UAE’s most economically significant sectors, construction is uniquely positioned to benefit from the regime. Innovation in this sector is continuous, spanning materials, construction methods, digital tools and safety systems but much of it has historically not been classified or documented as R&D.

“The construction sector innovates constantly, in materials, in methods, in software, in safety. The challenge is that much of this activity has never been labelled R&D, and therefore never documented as such. That is precisely where value is being left on the table. Companies that begin mapping their qualifying activities now, and build the evidence trail the regime demands, will be the ones positioned to capture this benefit when it matters most,” said Nimish Goel, Leader Middle East, Dhruva, Ryan LLC Affiliate.

To qualify under the regime, R&D activities must meet five criteria aligned with the OECD Frascati Manual: they must be novel, creative, uncertain in outcome, systematic, and transferable or reproducible. For construction businesses that approach innovation with defined objectives, structured experimentation and documented results, a wide range of activity meets this threshold.

In practice, qualifying activity in the construction sector can include the development of advanced materials such as low-carbon concrete and smart composites, experimentation with modular construction techniques and prefabrication systems, and proprietary software development for Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital twins and AI-driven project management. Sustainability innovation also qualifies, including net-zero building systems and passive cooling technologies suited to UAE conditions, as does the adoption of robotics and drone-based construction and inspection methods.

The critical distinction lies between routine construction activity and genuine R&D. Applying an established methodology to a new project does not qualify. Systematically resolving technical uncertainty through experimentation and documenting that process does.

A distinguishing feature of the UAE regime is its dual-threshold structure. Each credit tier requires businesses to meet both a minimum level of qualifying expenditure and a minimum average R&D headcount. The first AED 1 million of qualifying spend attracts a 15% credit with at least two R&D staff; spend between AED 1 million and AED 2 million qualifies for 35% with at least six staff; and spend between AED 2 million and AED 5 million attracts 50% with at least fourteen. Where headcount thresholds are not met, the applicable credit rate is reduced accordingly.

For construction companies, this makes workforce planning integral to tax strategy. Specialist roles including materials scientists, structural engineers working on novel challenges, proptech developers and robotics engineers not only drive innovation but also determine access to higher credit tiers. Staff costs additionally benefit from a 30% uplift in qualifying expenditure, further strengthening the case for building dedicated R&D capability.

“This is not just a tax incentive; it represents a structural shift in how innovation is recognised within the construction sector. Businesses that act early will not only benefit financially but also strengthen their long-term technical capabilities,” added Nimish.

The regime places significant emphasis on contemporaneous documentation and structured processes. Pre-approval from the relevant authority is mandatory, and businesses must maintain detailed technical records of R&D objectives, methodologies, experiments and outcomes for a period of seven years. For construction companies, this requires embedding R&D tracking into project workflows from the outset, rather than attempting to reconstruct evidence retrospectively.

Construction groups operating centralised engineering or shared technology platforms should also review their structures carefully. Intra-group transactions are excluded from qualifying expenditure, making it critical to ensure that R&D costs are appropriately allocated at the entity level.

“The UAE’s construction sector is building the physical infrastructure of a knowledge economy. It is fitting that those who innovate within it now have access to the same calibre of R&D incentive as their counterparts in technology or manufacturing. The question is not whether to engage, but how quickly companies can build the processes to do so effectively,” concluded Nimish.

The post UAE’S R&D TAX CREDITS COULD UNLOCK SIGNIFICANT VALUE FOR CONSTRUCTION SECTOR appeared first on The Integrator.

Nader Antar, EVP & President – APAC, IMEA & Brink’s Global Services

Much like a stable internet connection or accessibility to clean water, when we consider global finance we tend to take continuity for granted – until it is tested. Capital moves, liquidity flows, and billions in high-value assets cross borders each day, all with an expectation of certainty. Yet courtesy of the ongoing conflicts across the region, that certainty is being challenged in real time.

The Iran war is both reshaping geopolitical dynamics and disrupting the very corridors through which global trade and financial flows depend. Volatile energy markets, heightened concerns about broader economic spillovers, and early signs of how critical trade arteries such as the Strait of Hormuz can suddenly turn stability to systemic risk have sharpened the focus on resilience across the Gulf.

Of course, even amid these heightened tensions, the region continues to project stability, with governments advancing long-term infrastructure and supply chain strategies. Saudi Arabia’s new Logistics Corridors Initiative – which among its objectives aims to establish Red Sea routes capable of bypassing Hormuz entirely – reflects a deliberate approach to ensure the movement of goods, and especially the movement of value, remains uninterrupted.

Within this environment, the transport of high-value assets – banknotes, precious metals, and other commodities – has come under increased scrutiny. These flows are deeply embedded in the functioning of financial systems, linking central banks, commercial institutions, and global markets. When disruption occurs, the consequences extend beyond delayed shipments and can impact everything from liquidity to market confidence to operational continuity.

The question then, during a period of geopolitical conflict, is not whether disruption will occur, but how quickly and smoothly systems can adapt when it does. At Brink’s, our approach to this particular challenge is anchored in three core principles: Infrastructure, diversification, and visibility.

Infrastructure is the foundation of resilience. A globally distributed network of high-security facilities across major trade hubs ensures continuity by allowing rapid shifts when disruptions occur. Whether that is in the UAE, Switzerland, Singapore, or the United States, these facilities enable valuable commodities to be securely stored, repositioned, and mobilised as conditions evolve. In an unpredictable environment, the ability to absorb shocks and shift assets quickly without compromising security or compliance is crucial.

Diversification ensures flow flexibility. Traditional logistics models, often optimised for efficiency along fixed corridors, are no longer sufficient. Today’s operating environment demands multi-route, multi-modal strategies that allow shipments to be rerouted rapidly when disruptions occur. By integrating storage and transport into a single, coordinated system, it becomes possible to maintain continuity even as specific routes or markets face constraints.

Visibility, however, is what brings resilience into focus. Real-time monitoring across operations provides the situational awareness needed to anticipate risks and respond proactively. Through centralised platforms, our teams maintain continuous oversight of shipments, facilities, and transport networks. This level of transparency goes far deeper than simply tracking assets; it is about enabling faster, more informed decision-making in moments where timing is critical.

The UAE offers a compelling example of how these principles come together in practice. As one of the most stable and strategically positioned logistics hubs in the world, the Emirates has built an ecosystem defined by advanced infrastructure, strong regulatory frameworks, and deep connectivity across global trade corridors. In many respects, operations remained business as usual throughout these past couple of months. Yet this continuity is not accidental; it is the result of deliberate investment in systems designed to withstand disruption — even when the country found itself pulled into what might yet be one of the most consequential conflicts in recent history.

Beyond transport, the scope of secure logistics continues to expand. From safeguarding high-value assets at major international exhibitions to ensuring the uninterrupted availability of cash through extensive ATM networks, resilience must be embedded across the entire financial ecosystem. In markets such as India, innovation is also reshaping how cash and digital systems interact, creating new models that enhance both security and accessibility.

None of this happens in isolation. Secure logistics operates within a broader framework that depends on close coordination with regulators, customs authorities, and law enforcement agencies. These partnerships are essential to maintaining compliant, uninterrupted cross-border flows, particularly during periods of heightened geopolitical tension.

What we are witnessing today is a broader transformation in how the logistics sector approaches risk. The emphasis is moving from efficiency to adaptability, from linear supply chains to dynamic, interconnected networks. Resilience, flexibility, and visibility are now considered non-negotiables.

Global trade will continue to evolve, shaped by shifting geopolitical dynamics and emerging economic corridors. But one constant will remain: The need for trust. It is only with this that assets will move securely, that systems will hold under pressure, and that continuity will be maintained.

In the end, the true measure of a network — be it global finance, logistics, or indeed telecommunications — is not how it performs when conditions are stable, but how effectively it responds when they are not. 

The post HOW GLOBAL SECURITY AND VALUABLES LOGISTICS PROVIDERS ARE ADAPTING OPERATIONS AMID RISING GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS appeared first on The Integrator.

Exclusive interview with Michael Ayres, Group CEO & Partner at Rostro Group

What strategic factors made the UAE the next major market for Rostro?

The UAE represents a very deliberate choice for us, rather than just a natural expansion step. What sets it apart is the alignment between ambition, regulation, and execution. You have a government that is actively shaping the future of financial services, a regulatory environment that is evolving at pace, and a private sector that is willing to innovate and adopt new models. That combination is rare.

From a strategic standpoint, the UAE sits at the intersection of global capital flows. It connects East and West, and increasingly serves as a base for institutional participants looking to access both developed and emerging markets. We’re seeing a growing presence of hedge funds, family offices, and proprietary trading firms establishing themselves here, which naturally increases demand for more sophisticated infrastructure around liquidity, execution, and risk management.

For Rostro, that is exactly where we operate. We’re not just building products; we’re building infrastructure that supports how modern markets function. The UAE gives us the platform to do that at scale, while remaining close to clients who are actively shaping the next phase of the industry. It’s a market that is not only growing, but evolving, and that makes it an ideal environment for long-term investment.

How is Rostro managing liquidity sourcing in the UAE given the current market environment?

The current market environment has made one thing very clear: liquidity is no longer just about access; it’s about resilience. Periods of volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, and concentrated positioning expose the limitations of traditional liquidity models, particularly those that rely heavily on internalisation or a narrow set of counterparties.

Our approach is to move away from that dependency and towards a more diversified, structured model. We combine OTC liquidity with direct access to exchange-traded markets, allowing us to provide clients with both flexibility and transparency. This is particularly important in volatile conditions, where pricing integrity and execution certainty become critical.

We’re also seeing a clear shift in client behaviour. Institutional participants are becoming more conscious of execution quality, counterparty exposure, and the underlying mechanics of how liquidity is sourced. That is driving increased interest in exchange-traded products, as well as institutional-grade crypto liquidity, where market fragmentation has historically created inefficiencies.

By building infrastructure that brings these elements together – across OTC, exchange-traded derivatives, and digital assets – we’re able to offer a more stable and consistent execution environment. The objective is not just to perform in favourable conditions, but to remain reliable when markets are under pressure.

The post ROSTRO GROUP POSITIONS THE UAE AS A STRATEGIC HUB FOR INSTITUTIONAL MARKET INFRASTRUCTURE appeared first on The Integrator.

Amit Dua, President, SunTec Business Solutions

E-invoicing in the UAE is no longer a distant policy idea; it is a dated commitment. From July 2026, the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) will begin the first mandatory phase of a national e-invoicing regime, with larger taxpayers required to comply from January 2027 and smaller businesses following later that year. Penalties of up to AED 5,000 per violation have already been announced for non-compliance.

This is happening against the backdrop of a fast-expanding non-oil economy. At the same time, artificial intelligence is projected to contribute close to 14 percent of UAE GDP by 2030, the highest relative impact in the region.

In such an environment, e-invoicing is not a narrow tax exercise. It is a test of whether companies can manage real-time regulatory obligations while improving the speed, integrity, and usefulness of their financial data. Firms that treat it as another compliance chore will scramble to catch up. Those that approach it as a strategic capability will emerge with cleaner processes, faster cash conversion, and better insight into how their businesses actually work.

Four disciplines, in particular, will separate the merely compliant from the genuinely prepared.

1. Start by really understanding the new rulebook

The first discipline sounds obvious but is frequently ignored: know the rules in detail. Under the UAE framework, an invoice will no longer be a PDF attachment travelling quietly from seller to buyer. It will be a structured data packet, typically in XML, and in some cases JSON, that must be generated by the supplier’s systems, routed through an accredited service provider operating on the Peppol five-corner model, and delivered simultaneously to the buyer and to the FTA.

This architecture is deliberately more complex than the old email-and-attachment world. Each invoice must pass schema checks, integrity checks, and business-rule validations before it is accepted as a tax-compliant document. The FTA will then use the incoming data stream to pre-populate returns, reconcile declarations with actual invoice flows, and flag discrepancies almost in real time.

There is also a long tail of procedural obligations. Businesses must understand which transactions fall within scope in each phase, how credit notes and cancellations will be handled, how to deal with cross-border supplies, and which exemptions, if any, apply to their sector. Beneath all of this sits a familiar but often neglected requirement: record-keeping. UAE tax law already obliges businesses to retain accounting records, including tax invoices, for at least five years after the end of the relevant tax period, with longer periods for certain assets and real estate. E-invoicing will not replace this obligation; it will tighten it, because the Authority will have its own copy of every invoice.

Companies that only half-understand this rulebook will find themselves constantly reacting to surprises. The ones that invest early in a precise, shared understanding, across finance, tax, IT and operations, will be able to design systems and processes that meet the requirements without strangling the business.

2. Redesign the systems, not just patch them

The second discipline is technical, but it cannot be delegated entirely to IT. Large and mid-sized UAE businesses typically run a patchwork of ERPs, billing engines, and industry-specific platforms. Many were built for a world where an “invoice” was whatever the system could print. They were not designed to produce standardized, structured e-invoices or to connect to a Peppol-based network in which every document is validated by an external access point before it counts.

Trying to bolt e-invoicing on to this kind of landscape in the last quarter of 2026 would be professionally reckless. Boards must insist on a hard-headed mapping of how invoices are currently created, routed, approved, and stored.

The UAE framework gives firms some architectural freedom. They can consolidate invoice generation in a central “hub” that talks to multiple access points, or they can adopt a more decentralized model with business-unit-specific systems feeding into a common provider. But there are hard deadlines. Large taxpayers with annual revenues above AED 50 million must appoint an accredited service provider by 31 July 2026 and go live with e-invoicing by 1 January 2027; smaller taxpayers follow six months later, with their own appointment and go-live dates in 2027.

Accredited service providers themselves face strict requirements on uptime, performance, and information security. Many must demonstrate ISO/IEC 27001-level controls and keep pace with evolving FTA specifications. Choosing one in a hurry, without proper due diligence on their scalability and roadmap, will store up trouble. The more disciplined approach is to treat system redesign as a staged program: clean up master data, rationalize templates, decide which systems are sources of truth and which are consumers, and only then build or buy the integration layer that connects to the Peppol network.

3. Train the organization for real-time tax

The third discipline is organizational. E-invoicing looks, at first glance, like a back-office affair. In reality, it will touch sales, procurement, operations, customer service, and even treasury. Every group that raises, approves, disputes or chases an invoice will have to change behavior.

In markets that have already implemented similar regimes, many of the worst early-stage problems had little to do with software. They arose from people trying to work around the new rules. Sales teams promised bespoke formats or unusual discount structures that the system could not express in a valid e-invoice. Shared service centers reverted to spreadsheets when confronted with a new edge case. Managers asked IT to “override” rejections to recognize revenue faster, undermining both controls and audit trails.

The UAE will not be an exception. Training cannot be limited to a single webinar or a set of user manuals. Front-line staff need to understand what makes an invoice “real” in the new world, which fields are non-negotiable, and what to do when an invoice fails validation. Middle managers need to know how to interpret new exception reports and how to balance commercial pressures with compliance obligations. Senior leadership needs a clear view of key metrics such as rejection rates, average time from issue to acceptance, and the volume of manual interventions as leading indicators of whether the new regime is bedding in or beginning to buckle.

The most effective organizations are already running “shadow” or pilot cycles, issuing e-invoices alongside traditional ones and using the results to refine processes ahead of the legal deadlines. That kind of rehearsal requires coordination, and coordination requires visible sponsorship. When the CEO, CFO and CIO jointly own e-invoicing, it becomes a transformation initiative. When it is dumped quietly into the IT work queue, it becomes an expensive troubleshooting exercise.

4. Treat data, security, and retention as strategic infrastructure

The fourth discipline goes beyond the launch date. E-invoicing will generate one of the richest, most sensitive data streams in a business. Each invoice reveals who is paying whom, on what terms, for what goods or services, and under what tax treatment. In the UAE’s Peppol-based five-corner model, this data will flow more widely than before, passing through access points and central systems on its way to the FTA.

Regulators have attempted to pre-empt security concerns. Accredited providers must meet rigorous information-security standards, and the technical specifications call for encryption, digital signatures and auditable logs. But no external standard can compensate for weak internal governance. Boards must be asking very basic questions now: who can change tax codes or customer master data; how access rights are granted and revoked; what happens if an access point is compromised or goes offline; and how quickly the company can detect unusual patterns, such as repeated rejections for a particular counterparty.

Record-keeping deserves similar attention. Existing VAT rules already require businesses to retain tax records, including invoices, for at least five years after the end of the relevant tax period, with longer retention periods for some categories. E-invoicing will make it easier to store these records in a structured way, but it also raises the bar. If the Authority holds a copy of every invoice, gaps or inconsistencies in a company’s own archive will be harder to explain.

If managed well, this new data environment is an asset. Structured e-invoice data can give leadership teams a real-time view of receivables, payables, pricing, and discount patterns across business units and geographies.

From four steps to one mindset

The UAE’s e-invoicing mandate will not dominate headlines in the way that new trade agreements or record non-oil trade figures do. Yet, quietly, it will shape how companies in the country bill, collect, report and plan. It is tempting for boards to think of it as a discrete project with a defined end date. In reality, it marks a shift to a more transparent, data-intensive relationship between business and state, one that will continue to evolve as tax rules, digital infrastructure, and trade flows change.

The four disciplines outlined here, understanding the rulebook, redesigning systems, training the organization, and treating data and security as strategic infrastructure, are not an exhaustive checklist. They are, however, a good proxy for mindset. Companies that embrace them are likely to find that e-invoicing improves the quality of their numbers, the speed of their decisions and the robustness of their controls. Those that do not, may meet the letter of the law but miss the larger opportunity.

In a country positioning itself as a global hub for trade and AI-driven digital commerce, e-invoicing is part of the plumbing. As every good engineer knows, the quality of the plumbing determines how much pressure the system can take.

The post FOUR DISCIPLINES UAE BOARDS NEED BEFORE E-INVOICING GOES LIVE appeared first on The Integrator.

Exclusive interview with Aurélien Paradis, CEO of AU Group MEA

How Supply Chain Disruptions Are Reshaping Trade Across the GCC?

What we are seeing across the GCC is a reset in how trade moves. Goods are still flowing, but the routes, timelines, costs, and risk assumptions behind them are changing. That is the real shift businesses are now dealing with. The pressure on key shipping corridors has forced companies to rethink the way they move goods across the region. Many are having to re-route shipments, work with a wider mix of logistics partners, and rely more heavily on alternative models such as land bridge solutions or sea-air combinations. At the same time, higher freight costs, with carriers introducing surcharges ranging from USD 1,500 to USD 4,000 per container, rising insurance premiums, and longer transit times, with the rerouted sailings adding around 10- 14 days, are putting additional pressure on already tight supply chains.

For businesses in the GCC, this creates a very different operating environment. Essential imports, raw materials, and industrial inputs may still arrive, but not with the same predictability companies were used to. And once predictability is lost, the impact is felt well beyond logistics. It affects project timelines, inventory planning, customer commitments, and ultimately working capital. Even with the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, it will take time to make-up for the delays. So, the real story is this: trade in the GCC is continuing, but under a new risk and cost structure. Companies that adapt fastest, by building more flexibility into sourcing, transport, and risk planning, will be in a much stronger position than those still relying on old trade assumptions.

Why GCC Companies must Rethink Credit Risk in a Volatile Trade Environment?

At its simplest, trade credit insurance exists to protect a business when a customer cannot pay for goods or services. It is built on a basic commercial truth: a sale is only complete when the cash is collected. In more stable conditions, many companies treat that risk as manageable and assume late payment can be absorbed. The problem today is that volatility is changing the risk much earlier in the trade cycle.

Receivables are often one of the largest assets on the balance sheet, so when they come under strain, the effect is immediate on cashflow and working capital. The stronger businesses will be the ones that reassess buyer quality earlier, stay closer to payment behaviour, and act before stress becomes loss. In this environment, protecting the receivable is just as important as moving the goods.

Why Trade Credit Insurance Is Gaining Importance in the GCC

Because businesses are operating in a market where uncertainty is no longer occasional; it is becoming part of the trading environment itself. In that kind of climate, companies are paying closer attention not just to how much they sell, but to how securely they can sell on credit. The value of trade credit insurance is that it does not only protect against non-payment. It also gives businesses a more informed view of the customers they are trading with and the level of exposure they are carrying. That becomes particularly important when supply chain disruption, rising costs, and liquidity pressure can weaken a buyer’s position quite quickly.

What is changing is the way companies are looking at the tool. It is no longer seen only as a defensive measure used after something goes wrong. More businesses are using it as a way to trade with greater confidence, protect cashflow, and make better credit decisions while conditions remain volatile. It can also strengthen access to financing, because insured receivables are often viewed more positively by lenders. In that sense, trade credit insurance is gaining relevance not only because risk is rising, but because it helps businesses stay commercially active without taking unnecessary exposure. The companies that understand this are treating it less as a safety net and more as part of a stronger growth strategy.

What are the biggest logistical challenges currently affecting GCC businesses?

The biggest issue at the moment is that companies are not facing just one logistical challenge, but the piling up of several at once. Businesses are dealing with route disruption, longer transit times, capacity pressure at alternative ports, customs and documentation delays as cargo is redirected, and higher transport and insurance costs as carriers adjust to a more volatile operating environment. Even when goods can still move, they are not always moving through the most efficient or predictable channels, which makes planning far more difficult for importers, distributors, and project-led businesses. That loss of predictability is often the most disruptive part, because it affects everything from inventory timing to delivery commitments and resource allocation.

What can make things more serious and with a lasting impact is the scale and the duration of the disruption. In practical terms, that means companies must now incorporate higher risk for rerouting, and delays rather than treating them as exceptions in the GCC region. The businesses managing this best are the ones increasing flexibility in routing, diversifying logistics partners, and planning for disruption as a recurring operating condition rather than a temporary shock

Q5. Which sectors are most vulnerable to supply chain disruptions?

Several industries across the GCC are feeling the sharpest impact from current supply chain disruption, particularly those that rely heavily on global shipping routes, imported inputs, or time-sensitive delivery cycles. Food and FMCG remain among the most exposed, especially within the cold chain, where fresh produce, meat, dairy, and other perishables depend on strict timing and uninterrupted movement. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are also under pressure, as delays in raw materials and inbound components can slow production, raise inventory costs, and strain working capital.

Construction and building materials face similar challenges, with many projects across the region dependent on imported supplies, meaning longer transit times can lead to delays, cost overruns, and pressure on already demanding timelines. Energy-linked industries are not immune either, as refinery inputs and critical equipment still move through affected shipping lanes. Automotive, electronics, and retail have also been hit by detours around Africa, which are creating shortages and pushing out delivery schedules for consumer goods.

At the same time, SMEs across all trading sectors remain especially vulnerable, as thinner margins and lower liquidity leave them less able to absorb delayed settlements or sudden disruption. Despite these pressures, the region remains highly resilient, and one clear outcome of the current environment is that businesses are being pushed toward stronger supply diversification, tighter financial discipline, greater use of credit risk tools, wider adoption of trade credit insurance, and more serious investment in supply chain agility.

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The Forrester report, which lists 42 vendors, provides financial institutions with an overview of notable vendors and the key market dynamics shaping the rapidly evolving financial crime management (FCM) market, including fraud and anti-money laundering (AML) solutions.

MOZN was listed in the report with a geographic focus on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions, and an industry focus on financial services, government, and insurance. The recognition underscores the company’s sustained investment in AI-driven innovation and its focus on delivering scalable, future-ready financial crime solutions tailored to high-growth and complex regulatory markets.

At the center of this recognition is FOCAL, MOZN’s end-to-end financial crime management platform. Built on a unified FRAML (Fraud + AML) architecture, FOCAL leverages agentic AI to automate data integration, accelerate risk-scoring, and streamline alert triage, enhancing investigator productivity while preserving human judgment. The platform offers flexible deployment options, allowing organizations to modernize their operations in a way that aligns with their technical and regulatory needs.

“MOZN’s inclusion in Forrester’s report reflects the progress we have made in building technology that truly transforms how institutions combat financial crime,” said Dr. Mohammed Alhussein, Founder and CEO of MOZN. “As Saudi Arabia designates 2026 as the Year of Artificial Intelligence, it reinforces the Kingdom’s ambition to lead in shaping the future of AI globally. At MOZN, we are proud to contribute to this vision by engineering AI-native platforms that make financial crime prevention more proactive, precise, and effective. This milestone reflects both the momentum of our mission and the growing global relevance of technology built in the region.”

By combining deep regional expertise with global technology standards, MOZN continues to advance its purpose of empowering organizations with intelligence that matters. The company remains committed to delivering AI-native solutions purpose-built for the world’s most regulated and knowledge-intensive sectors, enabling institutions to operate with greater clarity, confidence, and control. As demand for advanced AI-driven capabilities accelerates worldwide, MOZN is expanding its global footprint, supporting organizations as they navigate an increasingly complex financial crime landscape.

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By Roberto d’Ambrosio – CEO at Axiory

Financial markets in 2026 are producing more information than at any point in history. Earnings data, geopolitical alerts, AI-generated analysis, social media commentary, and real-time price feeds reach investors continuously, relentlessly, and from every direction. The conventional assumption is that this abundance is empowering. More data, the argument goes, means better-informed decisions. From my experience across more than three decades in financial services, the reality is considerably more complicated, and for many investors, the opposite is closer to the truth.

Access to information is not the same as the capacity to process it. When data exceeds the ability of the individual to filter, interpret, and act on it with clarity, the result is not better decision-making. It is hesitation, reactive behaviour, and a false sense of confidence that having seen the data is the same as having understood it. Research published by the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve has confirmed what practitioners have long observed: information overload is associated with lower trading volumes and measurably higher risk premia, as investors demand greater compensation for holding assets in an environment where they can no longer reliably distinguish signal from noise. The effect is not marginal. It is structural, and it worsens precisely when markets are most volatile and when clear thinking matters most.

This is particularly relevant for the Middle East. The GCC’s retail investment sector has expanded rapidly, with neo brokerages and digital trading platforms now comprising a market valued at approximately $1.2 billion. The UAE’s regulatory framework, spanning the Securities and Commodities Authority, the Dubai Financial Services Authority, and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, sets meaningful standards for disclosure and investor suitability. Yet the sheer volume of unfiltered data reaching individual investors through apps, alert systems, and AI-driven content is outpacing the governance infrastructure designed to protect them. Earlier this year, UAE-based retail platforms reported a sharp spike in commodity trading volumes following geopolitical alerts linked to regional energy infrastructure. The pattern was instructive: investors were not responding to analysis. They were reacting to the noise itself.

In my opinion, the real competitive advantage in today’s markets has shifted decisively. It is no longer about who has access to data, because everyone does. It is about who has the discipline, the frameworks, and the human capacity to determine what that data means and what it does not. This is fundamentally a risk management challenge, not a technology challenge.

Consider the consequence chain. When platforms deliver thousands of data points, alerts, and AI-generated recommendations without adequate curation, they create an illusion of informed participation. Investors who lack the training or advisory support to contextualise this information face two symmetrical risks: paralysis, where conflicting signals prevent any decision at all, and impulsive reaction, where a single alarming headline triggers an unexamined trade. Both degrade portfolio outcomes. Both increase transaction costs, erode returns through poorly timed decisions, and expose investors to risks they have not consciously chosen to take.

This raises an uncomfortable question for data providers and platform operators. The business model of much of the fintech and financial information industry is built on engagement, meaning more alerts, more content, more interaction. But engagement is not the same as service, and information delivery without responsibility for its quality, context, and potential impact on decision-making is not a neutral act. It carries consequences, and regulators are beginning to recognise this.

The European Union’s AI Act, whose high-risk obligations for financial services take effect in August 2026, will require providers of AI-driven systems used in credit scoring, risk profiling, and investment decision-making to meet strict standards around transparency, human oversight, and auditability. The EU’s proposed Financial Data Access regulation extends similar principles to data sharing across the financial sector. These frameworks signal a clear direction: those who provide financial data and algorithmically generated analysis will increasingly bear responsibility for how that information is presented, contextualised, and governed. For the GCC, where regulators have consistently demonstrated a commitment to adopting and adapting international best practice, the trajectory is evident. Data provision is moving toward becoming a compliance-intensive activity, and firms operating in or serving the region should prepare accordingly.

But regulation alone will not solve the information paradox. Compliance frameworks establish floors, not ceilings. The deeper challenge is cultural and organisational. Investors, whether institutional or individual, need not just data but the capacity to interpret it within a coherent risk framework. Before acting on any data point, alert, or algorithmically generated recommendation, the prudent investor asks three questions: what is the source, what context is missing, and does this information warrant action or merely attention? This discipline is not intuitive in a market designed to reward speed, but it is essential. It means investing in financial literacy, in advisory relationships grounded in trust and expertise, and in governance structures that ensure decisions are informed by judgement rather than driven by impulse.

Ultimately, this is a human capital challenge. Algorithms can process data at scale, but they cannot replace the informed professional who understands context, identifies what is missing from the data, and exercises the judgement to act, or equally important to refrain from acting, when conditions are uncertain. Organisations and platforms that invest in experienced risk professionals, in robust advisory capability, and in the governance to ensure quality over quantity will build durable competitive advantages. Those that continue to prioritise data volume over decision quality will find that the market eventually prices that negligence in.

In a market flooded with information, the scarcest resource is not data. It is the judgement to know what to do with it.

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By Mayada Baydas, Ph.D., Vice President – Financial Inclusion, botim 

For years, the story of fintech in MENA has been told through product launches: faster payments, cheaper remittances, advanced interfaces, enhanced experiences, micro-savings, and instant credit. But the next unlock for the region may not lie in new features or enhancements at all. It lies in something more foundational and far more powerful: Digital financial literacy (DFL).

Today, access is not the challenge. While over 68% of the world population is online, and the number of fintechs globally is rising, 1.3 billion adults remained unbanked globally in 2024.  The picture in MENA is no different. The region hosts more than 1000 fintechs, and internet penetration is over 100%, yet 64% of adults remained unbanked in 2024. In other words, the ecosystem is rich with solutions, but the real gap lies in knowledge and ability. 

This is where DFL becomes transformative. It equips users with the understanding and confidence to navigate digital financial tools in ways that genuinely serve their needs, whether that’s sending money home, paying bills, setting small budgets, investing, or avoiding scams. And while this capability may seem subtle, its impact is anything but. DFL is quickly becoming the most efficient route to building trust, increasing usage, and driving long-term adoption in a region where smartphone penetration is nearly universal, yet digital confidence remains uneven.

The GCC Leading Financial Inclusion

Let’s zoom into the GCC, the region leading the charge in MENA. It sits at the heart of one of the world’s largest remittance ecosystems. Migrant and low-income workers send millions of dollars home every year. In 2024, remittances to low-and middle-income countries reached $685 billion, surpassing both foreign direct investment and global aid.

Recognizing this strategic position, regulators and fintechs are working together to turn access into meaningful participation. In the UAE, the Central Bank (CBUAE) collaborates closely with fintechs through initiatives such as the FinTech Regulatory Laboratory and the National Financial Literacy Strategy. These frameworks expand access while guiding fintechs to design safe, inclusive, and user-friendly services. In Saudi Arabia, the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP) and the Saudi Payments ecosystem combine access with behavioral frameworks that foster trust, responsible usage, and long-term adoption.

Regulators set the standards, provide oversight, and create the frameworks for safe and responsible digital finance. Fintechs take these frameworks and translate them into innovative products and services that meet real user needs. Together, they are shaping an environment where financial inclusion is not just a policy goal but a lived reality.

Digital financial literacy is the bridge between infrastructure and participation. Without it, the region risks building highways that millions do not feel safe enough to drive on.

From Access to Ability: What We Learned at botim

When I joined Botim, our hypothesis was simple: If an app can connect people, it can also build their financial capability. A year later, more than 2 million users on Botim are fully KYC-verified, and many are now using our financial features, from remittances to small lines of credit. But their adoption has never been the result of features alone. It has been the result of trust, clarity, and understanding.

Botim is a simple, familiar tool used daily by millions to stay connected. Its reach, especially among communities often overlooked by traditional financial systems, offered a unique opportunity. By unifying remittances, payments, salary tools, credit, savings, and multi-currency accounts under Botim Money, we created a single ecosystem that lets users manage their finances seamlessly within a platform they already trust.

As the platform transformed, one insight became clear: with its communications foundation, Botim is not just a tool for access but a vehicle to educate and empower users. By raising awareness about digital financial services and embedding knowledge and know-how, we enhance our users’ capability to make financial decisions and take actions, thereby increasing their confidence and resilience along their journey towards financial health.

Digital financial literacy is central to our mission. With our scale and reach, we are integrating technology responsibly to deliver a positive impact along the user financial journey.

DFL must be embedded, not added

People do not build financial capability by reading manuals; they learn by doing, seeing results, and repeating them. Behavioral science, from Fogg (2019) to Kolb (1984), shows that meaningful change comes from action, not theory. This is why digital financial literacy cannot sit outside the experience. It needs to be part of the user journey itself. Short, contextual prompts at the right moment can clarify a first remittance, flag a potential scam, explain fees, or help someone set a simple savings goal. GSMA findings show that these in-journey cues improve digital-task completion by 30 to 40 percent compared to passive instruction, proving that micro-moments matter.

Looking ahead, many platforms are extending this approach across core areas such as secure account practices, understanding fees, responsible borrowing, cross-border transfer basics, and fraud or scam awareness. These prompts work because they appear where decisions are made, helping users avoid mistakes, recognize risk, and understand the steps they are taking.

As digital finance continues to grow across the region, strengthening these practical, real-time touchpoints will be essential to making participation safer and more accessible.

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