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AANI AT SCALE: WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE UAE’S DIGITAL PAYMENTS FUTURE
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The UAE’s instant payments platform, Aani, has surpassed 12.5 million users, marking a major milestone in the country’s shift toward a fully digital, cashless economy. Backed by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and operated by Al Etihad Payments, Aani is quickly becoming a core pillar of the national financial infrastructure.

With transaction volumes growing sixfold year-on-year and steady monthly adoption, the platform is no longer in its early adoption phase, it is now entering a stage of scale.

What’s New?

Aani’s latest growth figures reflect both scale and acceleration:

  • 12.5 million+ users across the UAE
  • Sixfold increase in transactions year-on-year
  • ~10% average monthly growth in 2025
  • Integration with 74 licensed financial institutions, including most UAE banks
  • Around 25,000 daily peer-to-peer transactions, completed in approximately 3 seconds

Its functionality continues to expand, with features such as:

  • Transfers via mobile number, email, Emirates ID, or QR code
  • Request-to-pay and QR-based merchant payments
  • Multi-account and wallet integration

Looking ahead, the roadmap includes cross-border payments, e-cheques, direct debit, and B2B payment capabilities, positioning Aani as more than just a peer-to-peer tool.

Why This Matters

Aani represents a structural shift in the UAE’s payments ecosystem, from batch-based, bank-led transfers to real-time, interoperable, and user-centric payment rails.

Key implications include:

  • Speed as a baseline expectation: Instant settlement (~3 seconds) is redefining user experience for both retail and business transactions
  • Reduced friction: Eliminating IBAN dependency lowers barriers for everyday payments
  • Financial inclusion and accessibility: Broader participation across banks, exchange houses, and wallets increases reach
  • Trust in digital infrastructure: Backing from the Central Bank strengthens credibility and accelerates adoption

For businesses, especially SMEs, the transition to instant payments enhances cash flow predictability, improves liquidity management, and drives operational efficiency, all of which are critical in a competitive market.

What This Means for the Market

The rapid adoption of Aani signals a broader transformation:

  • Acceleration of cashless behavior among consumers and merchants
  • Increased pressure on legacy payment systems to modernize or integrate
  • Heightened competition among fintechs and financial institutions to build value-added services on top of instant payment rails
  • Emergence of real-time commerce ecosystems, where payments, identity, and financial services converge

With approximately 774,000 merchants expected to accept Aani, the platform is expanding beyond consumer use cases into mainstream commercial adoption, reshaping how transactions are initiated, processed, and settled.

How DFO Can Help

As real-time payments scale, DFO supports clients in moving from access to structured execution. It helps establish UAE entities, design banking frameworks, and ensure compliance across jurisdictions. With cross-border capabilities expanding, DFO also enables effective payment structuring and governance, helping clients operate efficiently, securely, and strategically within rapidly evolving digital payment ecosystems.