Mbank announces launch of Aani Instant Payment Platform 

Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank), a leading digital bank in the United Arab Emirates, has collaborated with Al Etihad Payments Company (AEP), a subsidiary of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), to announce the launch of the state-of-the-art Aani Instant Payment Platform on the Mbank UAE mobile application. As Aani’s Instant Payment Platform aims to transform the landscape of digital payments in the UAE, this collaboration aligns Mbank’s commitment with that of the UAE in providing trusted and reliable payment solutions to the community through instant and secure digital payment transactions – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Aani Instant Payment Platform is a key initiative under the Central Bank of the UAE's Financial Infrastructure Transformation (FIT) programme, signalling a new era of seamless, secure, and instant digital payments; ultimately offering customers an exceptional user experience. Aani can be accessed through the Mbank UAE app for customers and through the Aani app available on both iOS and Android platforms, to enjoy 24/7 instantaneous, efficient, and secure payments.

The Aani Instant Payment Platform revolutionizes the way transactions are conducted for Mbank customers, offering real-time fund transfers between Mbank and other local financial institutions within the Aani network. Mbank customers will be able to able to use Aani services through the Mbank UAE app to seamlessly transfer and request money using the recipient’s mobile number or email address, split bills with friends equally or by customizing the amount for each, and so much more. These transactions are now simpler, faster, and do not require exchanging bank account details or IBAN numbers.

Commenting on this collaboration, Mohammed Wassim Khayata, Chief Executive Officer at Mbank, said: “We are excited to introduce the Aani Instant Payment Platform into our Mbank UAE mobile application, as this reinforces Mbank’s commitment to banking innovation and excellence and places us at the forefront of the digital payment ecosystem. By integrating the Aani platform into the Mbank UAE mobile app, we are redefining the boundaries of transactional convenience and creating a banking environment that fulfills all of our customers’ needs in an instantaneous, innovative, efficient, and secure way. By doing so, we are empowering the UAE community and offering them seamless, inclusive, and redefined payment solutions”.

He added: “We would like to thank Al Etihad Payments for this collaboration, as it marks a fundamental moment in our financial journey. We will continue working closely with our partners to offer our customers the highest levels of service excellence coupled with innovative, effortless, and convenient banking features in the nearest future”.

Jan Pilbauer, CEO of Al Etihad Payments, stated: “We are pleased to announce the integration of Aani with Mbank, a fully digital bank. This partnership supports our goal of improving digital payment solutions in the UAE. By working together, we aim to provide residents of the UAE with efficient and accessible financial services, contributing to a more inclusive and advanced digital financial ecosystem”.