Lean Technologies, a leading MENA financial infrastructure provider, and Ziina, a UAE-based payments platform, have launched the country’s first live customer-initiated Open Finance payment.
The milestone transaction was executed under the Central Bank of the UAE’s (CBUAE) Open Finance framework, marking a significant transition for the region’s financial ecosystem from technical readiness to real-world application.
Moving from concept to reality
With this launch, Ziina—which operates as a licensed financial institution (LFI) through its Stored Value Facility authorization—becomes the first entity in the UAE to enable live Open Finance payments initiated directly by customers.
The new functionality allows Ziina users to complete instant, account-to-account bank payments through regulated Open Finance APIs. By connecting directly to bank accounts, the system offers a faster and more secure way to move money, eliminating the need for users to switch channels or rely on manual transfers.
Faisal Toukan, co-founder and CEO of Ziina, commented on the significance of the achievement: “Delivering the UAE’s first customer-initiated Open Finance payment marks an important step for the country’s financial ecosystem. Regulated, API-driven payments, now operating at production scale, are beginning to influence expectations around speed, transparency and trust. Enabling customers to complete a bank payment directly inside the Ziina app through Open Finance reflects how forward-thinking policy can shape everyday financial behaviour”.
Powered by national infrastructure
The initiative relies on the technical and regulatory foundation established by the UAE’s Open Finance Regulation, Nebras (the national Open Finance platform), and Al Tareq (the Central Bank’s API framework).
Lean Technologies provides the underlying infrastructure for the service, delivering the secure connectivity and compliant payment initiation required to support production-grade flows.
Hisham Al-Falih, CEO of Lean Technologies, added: “Seeing Open Finance payments live in the UAE is a meaningful moment for the market. This milestone reflects the Central Bank’s vision for modern, secure financial infrastructure and shows what becomes possible when strong connectivity meets thoughtful product execution”.
The collaboration highlights the broader adoption of fintech in the region. Since its founding in 2019, Lean has connected over 2 million accounts and processed more than $4billion in transaction volume. Meanwhile, Ziina has grown to serve over 260,000 businesses and consumers in the UAE, offering a unified platform for everyday financial needs.