Ziina - UAE FinTech

Ziina
Native name
زينة
Company typePrivate
IndustryFinancial services
FoundedJanuary 2020; 6 years ago (2020-01)
FoundersFaisal Toukan, Sarah Toukan, Andrew Gold
HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
ServicesDigital payments, peer-to-peer transfers, payment links, QR code payments, Tap to Pay
Websitewww.ziina.com

Ziina (زينة) is a private fintech company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, founded in 2020. It offers digital payments services for consumers and businesses, including peer-to-peer transfers, payment links, QR and NFC (Tap to Pay) acceptance, and a payment gateway for SMEs. The company holds a Stored Value Facility (SVF) license issued by the Central Bank of the UAE.

History

  • January 2020: Founded by Faisal Toukan, Sarah Toukan, Talal Toukan, and Andrew Gold[1][2]
  • May 2020: App launched, secured $850K pre-seed round led by Class 5 Global[3]
  • June 2021: Raised $7.5M seed round led by Avenir Growth Capital[4]
  • March 2022: App Receives Red Dot Design Award, staying true to Ziina's Arabic name, which translates to "a thing of beauty"[5]
  • August 2022: Introduces "ZiiBoard", a keyboard for generating payment links on social media.[6]
  • December 2022: Appointed official payment partner for ComicCon Middle East.[7]
  • May 2023: Introduced its payment gateway, enabling SMEs to accept online card payments via website integrations.[8]
  • October 2023: Gateway capability expanded to accept up to 10 different currencies and Arabic version of the app added. [9]
  • August 2024: First venture-backed company in the UAE to become licensed by The Central Bank of the UAE [10][11]
  • September 2024: Raised US $22 million in Series A funding led by Altos Ventures.[12]
  • April 2025: Launched Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android, allowing merchants to accept contactless payments via smartphone.[13]
  • July 2025: Entered partnership with Dubai CommerCity free zone to offer SMEs services such as instant transfers, payment links, NFC Tap to Pay, multi-currency virtual IBANs, and a co‑branded bank card.[14]
  • October 2025: Partnered with Dubai's Meydan Freezone to become the payment provider of choice for member businesses.[15]

Products

Ziina is known for the following products and services available to businesses and consumers in the UAE:

  • Peer‑to‑peer wallet: Enables instant money transfers using mobile numbers, with no IBAN or SWIFT code necessary.[16]
  • Payment links: Shareable links for use on social media and messaging platforms.[17]
  • Payment gateway: Integrated checkout solutions for SMEs accepting cards online, supporting multiple currencies. [17]
  • In‑person acceptance: Tap to Pay on iPhone, Tap to Pay on Android, as well QR code payments. [18]
  • Multi‑currency settlement: Up to ten currencies supported on gateway transactions. [19]
  • Ziina Business Card (upcoming): A payment card integrated with the wallet for expense tracking & supplier payouts.[20]
  • Other products include Invoicing features, multi-user access, custom API integrations, oath sign-in, and embedded checkout

References

  1. ^ Sharma, Alkesh (October 17, 2022). "Generation start-up: how UAE's Ziina is working to boost financial literacy in Middle East". The National. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  2. ^ Fernandez, Keith J (2021-07-04). "UAE gets a peer-to-peer payments app that lets you split bills with friends". The National. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  3. ^ Paracha, Zubair Naeem (2020-05-19). "Dubai fintech Ziina raises $850,000 pre-seed, launches a social P2P payment app". MENAbytes. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  4. ^ East, Forbes Middle (2021-06-08). "UAE-Based Fintech Startup Ziina Raises $7.5M In Seed Round—Here's Where It Plans To Use The Funds". Forbes ME. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  5. ^ Release, Press. "Home-grown app Ziina recognised by international Red Dot Design Award, ushering in new era of design excellence in technology". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  6. ^ Report, Gulf News (2022-08-10). "Dubai fintech Ziina tests 'payments keyboard' for businesses to get paid over messaging apps". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  7. ^ "Middle East Film & Comic Con Official Facebook Page". December 13, 2022.
  8. ^ "Ziina Payment Gateway announcement". Ziina Official LinkedIn Page. May 2023.
  9. ^ ""Ziina in Arabic" announcement". Ziina Official Instagram Page. Oct 26, 2023.
  10. ^ Release, Press. "Ziina becomes first venture-backed start-up to secure UAE Central Bank SVF license". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  11. ^ Times, The Fintech (2024-08-09). "Ziina Secures Stored Value Facility Licence From UAE Central Bank and Expands Range of Services". The Fintech Times. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  12. ^ East, Forbes Middle. "UAE's Ziina Secures $22M In Funding To Shift From Payments To Full Financial Services". Forbes ME. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  13. ^ Staff, M. B. (2025-04-29). "Ziina launches Tap to Pay in UAE, letting businesses accept in-person payments on iPhone". MENAbytes. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
  14. ^ Digital, Traffic. "Dubai CommerCity Partners with Ziina to Provide innovative financial solutions". Government of Dubai Media Office. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
  15. ^ "Meydan Free Zone x Ziina: Seamless Business Payments in Dubai". www.meydanfz.ae. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  16. ^ Gibbon, Gavin (2020-05-19). "Payment by text: UAE fintech app Ziina simplifies money transfers". Arabian Business. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  17. ^ a b Kene-Okafor, Tage (2024-09-03). "Ziina banks $22M as growth explodes for the UAE-based fintech for small businesses". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
  18. ^ Digital, Traffic. "Dubai CommerCity Partners with Ziina to Provide innovative financial solutions". Government of Dubai Media Office. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  19. ^ Onyeagoro, Joyce (2025-07-03). "Dubai CommerCity Partners with Ziina to Simplify Digital Payments for SMEs". TechAfrica News. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  20. ^ "Dubai-based paytech Ziina raises $22m Series A ahead of ZiiCard launch". FinTech Futures. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziina