Lean Technologies and Ziina Launch UAE’s First Live Customer-Initiated Open Finance Payment
Operating under its Stored Value Facility (SVF) authorisation, Ziina now enables users to complete instant, account-to-account bank payments through regulated Open Finance APIs that connect directly to their bank accounts, removing the need for manual transfers or switching between channels.
Lean Technologies, the MENA region’s leading financial infrastructure provider, and Ziina, the UAE’s homegrown consumer and business payments platform, have announced the launch of the country’s first live customer-initiated Open Finance payment experience under the Central Bank of the UAE’s (CBUAE) Open Finance framework.
With the rollout, Ziina becomes the first licensed financial institution in the UAE to execute live Open Finance payments initiated directly by customers. Operating under its Stored Value Facility (SVF) authorisation, Ziina now enables users to complete instant, account-to-account bank payments through regulated Open Finance APIs that connect directly to their bank accounts, removing the need for manual transfers or switching between channels.
Lean Technologies provides the regulated Open Finance infrastructure underpinning the service, including secure bank connectivity, compliant payment initiation, and enterprise-grade resilience. Ziina delivers the customer-facing experience, designing a payment flow that reflects consumer expectations in the UAE for speed, predictability, and trust.
The launch marks a key milestone in the UAE’s financial ecosystem, signalling the transition of Open Finance from technical readiness to real-world application. It demonstrates that regulated API connectivity can support reliable, production-grade payment flows. The UAE’s Open Finance Regulation, together with Nebras, the national Open Finance platform, and Al Tareq, the Central Bank’s API framework, provides the technical and regulatory foundation for secure, consent-based services that promote innovation, competition, and customer choice.
Commenting on the launch, Faisal Toukan, Co-founder and CEO of Ziina, said the milestone reflects how forward-looking regulation can shape everyday financial behaviour, enabling faster, more transparent, and trusted payments within a single app experience.
Hisham Al-Falih, CEO of Lean Technologies, said the go-live of Open Finance payments represents a meaningful moment for the UAE market, demonstrating the Central Bank’s vision for modern financial infrastructure and the impact of strong connectivity combined with thoughtful product execution.
Lean has played a foundational role in developing Open Finance infrastructure across the UAE, working closely with regulators, banks, and fintechs to enable secure, scalable payment and data connectivity aligned with the Central Bank’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation programme. Its platform has been tested across production-grade use cases and is designed to support national-scale adoption.
Ziina’s role in the milestone builds on its broader contribution to the UAE’s payments landscape. The company operates a unified payments platform used by consumers and SMEs nationwide, integrating bank transfers, card acceptance, invoicing, and everyday payment experiences. By launching the UAE’s first customer-initiated Open Finance payment, Ziina is demonstrating how regulated connectivity can translate into simple, reliable financial interactions in a rapidly digitising economy.
