Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), published updated operational metrics for Aani, the UAE’s national instant payments platform, highlighting rapid growth in usage and merchant adoption alongside instant account-to-account settlement times of no more than three seconds. Registered users have surpassed 12.5 million, supported by connectivity with 74 licensed financial institutions and integration with 85% of banks, 10% of exchange houses, and 5% of digital wallets and finance companies. The platform recorded a sixfold year-on-year increase in transfers and an average monthly growth rate of 10% throughout 2025, with around 25,000 transfers executed daily using mobile numbers only. Merchant uptake reached approximately 774,000 across the UAE. Current services include QR code payments, Request to Pay, transfers using a mobile number or Emirates ID, and the ability to manage multiple accounts from different banks and digital wallets through a single application. Additional services are expected to include cross-border payments, electronic direct debit, e-cheques, and business-to-business payments.
Central Bank of the UAE 2026-04-10
Central Bank of the UAE’s Al Etihad Payments reports Aani exceeds 12.5 million users and 774,000 merchants
Al Etihad Payments, a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE, published updated operational metrics for Aani, the national instant payments platform, showing rapid growth in usage, merchant adoption and settlement times of no more than three seconds. Registered users now exceed 12.5 million, with connectivity to 74 licensed financial institutions and approximately 774,000 merchants, and the platform supports QR code payments, Request to Pay and mobile number or Emirates ID transfers, with additional services such as cross-border payments and e-cheques planned.